A Great British Family Holiday in Cornwall

Disaster was averted with a last minute UK holiday in Cornwall…

We were meant to be  visiting my family in Italy for a holiday over the Easter break. Then I discovered my daughter’s passport had expired 10 days previously. So we found a passport office near me but found that we didn’t have time to renew it. We needed to pick ourselves up from the disappointment, so we searched for a UK holiday.

Talland Bay

A holiday to Cornwall

We booked a contemporary, luxury, self-catering holiday home at The Bay, Talland, between Looe and Polperro in Cornwall. Situated right by the pretty Talland Bay, it had all the mod cons as well as a lovely heated pool complete with sauna. Toys and consoles at reception, competitions and even an Easter egg hunt, ensured the children loved the place.

General things we did and the kids loved: 

Visited lots of beaches and bays – skimmed stones, paddled, beachcombed, investigated rock pools

Ate lots of ice-cream – Cornish ice-cream is delicious (as is Italian!)

Visited lots of lovely seaside towns and villages

Travelled on boats and car ferries

Ate out every day 🙂

Used the pool every day

The amusement arcade!

Some of the places we visited:

1. Seaton Beach, Seaton Vally and Hessenford (woodland walk)

Nature walk between Seaton Beach and Hessenford

Our first excursion was to Seaton Beach, which was a few minutes from where we were staying. It wasn’t the prettiest of the beaches we visited, but the kids liked it and there was a great Woodland Nature Walk right next to it, which takes you through Seaton Valley to the village of Hessenford and right to a welcome pub for lunch. We saw all manner of flora and fauna, and the girls were thoroughly engaged; so much so that even the twins – at two-and-a-half years old – managed to walk three-and-a-half miles. It was a really good walk.

2. The Lost Gardens of Heligan

I think this was one of the highlights for all of us and we spent hours and hours there as there was so much to see and do. The history behind the gardens is even more remarkable.

The Lost Gardens lay dormant and neglected under decades of overgrowth but were restored on a shoestring budget and unveiled in 1992. They’re vast yet so many parts have the intimacy of private gardens that you’ve been invited into.

The rope bridge spanning part of the jungle.

Our visit to The Lost Gardens of Heligan

On admission, the children immediately received compasses, pencils, bird bingo and an object search game. Sofia (5) was in her element spotting birds along the woodland paths as we made our way to the sub-tropical outdoor jungle. The jungle was brilliant and all three were really interested in what they saw; I was fascinated by its microclimate. The long rope bridge ensured this section was a major hit. You can take a buggy around the top section of the jungle, but have to park up if you want to explore the depths. My two-year-olds did well with the steps down and the stepping stones across ponds, but younger ones might struggle.

On one of the many pathways

After lunch at the Heligan Tearoom, which had a wide choice of lovely home cooked food, we visited ‘The Northern Gardens,’ home to the Productive Gardens, which include the vegetable garden, the melon yard and the walled flower garden complete with over 200 varieties of fruit and veg; and the Pleasure Grounds. The Pleasure Grounds had so many nooks, crannies and paths and included Flora’s Green with its spectacular display of exotic plants and trees. We visited the Crystal Grotto and wising well, the Italian Garden and Sundial Garden. There’s something to see around every corner, from natural sculptures to bird houses and scarecrows.

A view of the Italian Garden

At the ‘Heligan Wild,’ the girls got to feed Dexter cattle. We visited Horsemoor Hide where we were able to view Heligan’s wildlife and do some bird spotting.

There were many more things to see and do, including the whole of the Wider Estate. However, we had to call it a day. We’ll definitely be coming back though to explore some more!

Feeding time!

3. Fowey Harbour/Fowey

We went to the pretty small town of Fowey (‘Daphne du Maurier country’). This involved getting the Bodinnick to Fowey car ferry; a journey that took less than five minutes, but something that the kids loved. Our first stop was the interestingly named Ready Money Cove Beach. This was a great little cove and we had great fun playing on the beach. We did want to head to the nearby St. Catherine’s Castle, but the steep walk looked a bit ambitious for three little ones plus a buggy. In Fowey itself there were lots of lovely little shops and great independent cafes and restaurants to eat in. The harbour is lovely. Watching Liverpool v Manchester City in the Fowey Royal British Legion with three children was also quite an experience!

4. Caerhays Estate

Caerhays Castle on the Caerhays Estate is nestled in a pretty valley between Truro and St Austell. The children are fascinated by castles and they weren’t disappointed.

Caerhays Castle

The 120 acre gardens are beautiful, hosting amazing camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias amongst other pretties. It was a beautiful display that can be enjoyed on four different walking routes, which provide views of the lake and sea as well as the rest of the estate. You do need to go in very late winter or during spring as there wouldn’t be much of a floral display otherwise (probably best to check before visiting so staff can advise). Although not really aimed at children, they enjoyed the walks we did and managed it comfortably. We didn’t take the buggy, but I imagine some of the walks could be quite a challenge if you were pushing one.

In the gardens

Porthluney Cove Beach (also known as Caerhays Beach) is also part of the Caerhays estate and is beautiful. There were big expanses of golden sands and plenty of rock pools to make it interesting. I think this was our favourite beach (and we visited many).

Porthluney Cove Beach

5. Rock and Padstow

We had some lunch in Rock (sadly not at Nathan Outlaw at the St Enodoc Hotel), played on the lovely sandy beach and then took the boat the short distance to Padstow, which probably requires very little introduction. We had a good mooch about and had yet more Cornish ice-cream from one of the many parlours.

A Great British holiday!

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