Category: Reviews

Tolla Crisp contacted me recently to extend an invitation to visit her new region holding, Mousehole, located to the south of her famous Frogmore, a place I’ve covered numerous times in these pages due to it’s sheer beauty. The two are connected to it via footbridge, with Mousehole expanding on the Cornish theme folded into the current iteration of Frogmore (which you can read about here), making both regions ideal for a joint visit, as well as each one standing on its own.

A Full region using the standard 20K land impact, Mousehole takes its name from the Cornish fishing hamlet of Mousehole (pronounced maʊzəl, or Porthenys in Cornish), located in the far south-west of the English county, on the shore of Mount’s Bay. Like Frogmore, the overall design is the work of Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington), whose hand and eye helps to give that flow of continuity between the two regions.

With a population of around 700, Mousehole has a long history as a fishing village that dates back to the 1200s. However, in modern times it is noted more as a visitor / tourist destination and for its many festivals and community events that are held throughout the year.

Whilst taking its name and a lot of its inspiration from the hamlet and Cornwall’s rugged coastline, the design also offers and inland setting that offers a mix of hints of Mousehole village and the wilder aspects of the county. Combined, these give the region a unique look and feel whilst also giving a hint why almost a third of Cornwall’s coast and some of its inland areas are designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB) – giving them the same status as a national park.

The main part of the region is open to the public, encircled by a broad beach broken by rocky outcrops to form smaller coves typical of the kind that might be found along the Cornish coast. Along these sands are places to sit, bars to by found, opportunities for swimming or simply floating on the water.

Sitting within this are two upland areas which might be seen along the upper reaches of Cornwall’s rugged coast around Mount’s Bay, but which equally bring to mind the wilds of Bodmin Moor. Separated by a sandy divide that offers a shortcut between the north and south sides of the island, these two uplands are rich in greenery and home to individual scenes.

The larger of the two offers a setting that might have been lifted from the village itself – most notably the famous Mousehole Pub, which shares the hilltop with a stone-built house and a country church. No roads are visible here, however; instead, the buildings stand surrounded by moorland grass grazed upon by donkeys (Cornwall and neighbouring Devon are also noted for their donkeys), with visitors free to wander across the hilltop and perhaps cross the bridge spanning the shallow gorge to touch the second upland.

This smaller hill is home to an abandoned house (I admittedly found the motel sign outside to look and feel out-of-place), its garden overgrown and nature starting to reclaim its interior. Forlorn and decaying, it has the feel of a place that one might come across deep in the Cornish moorlands, once home to a farm or the retreat of a wealthy tin mine owner and his family, now long abandoned and forgotten.

Further touches of Mousehole and its surrounds can be found within the region. Just off the southern coast, for example, is an islet that is mindful of the small island of St. Clements sitting just off the entrance to the village’s harbour. Be mindful that the in-world island is actually a private residence, however, so do be wary of trespass.

Also, just off on of the beaches lies the entrance to a cavern. Find your way inside and you’ll discover a little homage to the tale of a hermit who was said to once lived along the coast at Mousehole.

Rich in detail and touches – off to the west is a smaller island, home to another little bar and also what might be an abandoned military facility of a kind that can be stumbled across around the English coast – Tolla’s Mousehole is another delight to explore and photograph – and a delight to explore.

SLurl Details

• Mousehole (rated: Moderate)

Hazelnut’s Kingdom is a 5-region estate held by Noubeil (noubeil Alpha) and landscaped by Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington) I was invited to tour some time ago – so my apologies to Noubeil for only now getting to write about it.

Drawing its name from Noubeillane – “Hazelnut” in Occitan – the estate presents a highly immersive interpretation of the Ariège Pyrenees, together with the coast of southern France, that is utterly breath-taking.

Offered as a public / private estate, the estate can be enjoyed by anyone with a love of nature and natural settings, but those wish to avail themselves of all of its facilities: rezzing rights; the ability to set home within the the estate’s public spaces; the use of group-owned items in the estate (including horses and boats), should consider a visit to the group membership area and pay L$500 to join the estate group.

Some 12 locations are available for rent across the estate, featuring houses that are in keeping with the overall theme. Most are located either on the small islands to the east of the estate, or in the western uplands. They vary in rental price, and at the time of my last visit, all but four were occupied.

The preferred landing point lies to the south-east, in a corner of the estate’s coastline alongside a small harbour. A greeter will supply various links to places such as the estate’s website and rentals page, etc., while a teleport board offers a quick way of reaching the two major public venues as well as some of the rentals (please be careful with the latter as the properties are likely occupied).

A pair of gates provide access to  north running path that passes behind the local stables to come by way of river, wharves, and trail to the local town, fronted by a golden sanded beach and watched over by a medieval church with a commanding view across the estate’s northern lowlands from its perch up on a headland.

Here there is much to see, with multiple trails offering routes around the headland and its church or that climb the slopes on which the town has been built and then roll into the lands beyond, with their mix of rocky foothills, sloping fields tumbling stream and waterfront and hillside villages. Backed by high mountains to the west that represent the Pyrenees, this northern aspect of the estate is quintessentially southern France with just a touch of northern Italy – something again totally in keeping with its Occitania roots.

More public spaces are to be found here, including a stage for open-air music performances – music is very much a part of Hazelnut’s Kingdom – and off to the western foothill, the high stone walls and stern towers of a high castle – one of the best integrations of the Fanatik design I’ve seen in a while; so good in fact, that I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned up in one of the many scenic aerial shots that grace television coverage of the Tour de France each year!

The western highlands also offer a lot to explore, as the trails running to and from the castle and through the woodland below it are only too eager to reveal. Some of the large rental properties are to be found in these uplands, together with high lakes, tumbling streams, a cable ride up to to a high plateau, and even a walk up to snowy uplands – so take a coat and suitable walking gear!

The two most notable public spaces in the estate lie to the south, occupying another flat table of rock, one that rises from the landing point mentioned earlier, and connected to it by a winding path that connects to the great chateau that crowns the rock. This is home to grand rooms and a stables on the lower level and, on the upper, The Queen’s Bar.

Sitting quite literally below the chateau, and reached via a path that hugs the foot of the plateau and which starts a little set back from the landing point, is The Owl Club, a venue hewn from the living rock, a little Tuscan-style setting located just outside to add some further atmosphere. Also, keep an eye out for the other caverns nearby!

Immersive and photogenic, Hazelnut’s Kingdom is an engaging visit, although time is required to do the estate proper justice. Also, even the depth of detail involved, some adjustment to the viewer will likely be required for those on mid-ot-lower-spec systems.

SLurl Details

• Hazelnut’s Kingdom (Noubeillane estate, rated Adult)
• Group Membership Area (Bunzi, rated Moderate)
• Hazelnut’s Kingdom website