The Cornish Way take on the North East

From the farthest south west to the north east is quite a trek, but for Amanda’s gran’s 90th birthday we headed up to Robin Hood’s Bay and our own self catering experience.

The coast may not be as dramatic, or the sea as inviting as Cornwall’s, but what the North Yorkshire coast does have to offer is fossils.

Not just a couple of fossils that blow you away to discover.

No.

Here there are so many fossils that you are likely to just start ignoring all but the very best within half a mile of setting off. You’ll find slabs of rock that look like concrete, but that are full with preserved shells of creatures that lived many thousands of years ago.

Here’s the girl with the lovely crew from Bronco trying to negotiate a tight and slippery bit of rock as the sea did its best to swallow us all whole.

We tried to get to Fossil Cave, but were defeated by slippery rocks and high tides. We’ll try again sometime though.

This lovely bit of beach art was in the other direction, near the youth hostel.

The self catering was an interesting experience. The cottage slept six with a cot too and was a similar price for a short break as New Forge. It was spacious and comfortable, and a good location. It doesn’t feel professional to criticise someone else’s offering, but it did leave me determined to do even more to make our cottages so special that guests won’t want to go anywhere else.

I’ll just leave you with this notice that was on the wall in the house. You won’t find anything like that at The Cornish Way!

Gifts from special guests!

Opening your home to guests is both a nerve wracking and a delightful experience.

Occasionally things go wrong and people have far less respect for the beautiful properties than you would hope for, and indeed to that end we have had to put in a deposit process, but most guests are fantastic. I just wish I could meet more of them.

We have been particularly lucky at New Forge where people have been so delighted by the house that they have left us gifts!

A lovely Dutch couple left wines a couple of weeks ago, we have had water colours, we’ve had Salvatore, the board riding star gazer made for us, and just recently Polly had these two cards for her birthday from the lovely Poppy and Daisy who stay at Easter. The likeness is uncanny!

Poppy and Daisy borrow Polly and take her on various adventures to the beach.

 

Sarah’s Peace and Plenty Relish travels from the west to the North

When you’re driving down the lane to Tregiffian you’ll pass the wonderfully named house Peace and Plenty, it’s a good place to park for Gwenver if you’re not staying at Tregiffian.

Sarah who lives there is making something of a name for herself with the great kick ass chilli relish she makes and sells from the car park attendant’s hut, from Sennen Farmers’ Market on Tuesdays and elsewhere.

That elsewhere now includes the lovely deli Epicerie Ludo in Chorlton, South Manchester. Here’s Ludo’s first delivery just before it left the far west:

That gorgeous wood burner at the luxury Myn Tea cottage near Sennen

 

Some guests were concerned that they couldn’t get the new fire burning at Myn Tea, and as I haven’t written instructions yet I thought I really ought to give it a try.

I took this picture just 15 minutes after lighting it on Friday morning. The secret is definitely to get a good amount of heat in the chamber quickly so that the fire starts drawing quickly. This was on a mix of kindling, lovely eco-firelighhters from Archie Browns made of olive oil and sawdust, logs and sawdust blocks (seen to the left of the picture).

The headstone that the fire is sitting on is getting great comments. I love the commandment it holds “thou shalt not work on the sabbath”. So apt for a holiday home. I wish I could get away with not working when I’m there.

Peace and Plenty – staying along the lane.

With New Forge and Myn Tea proving rather popular we often look to stay nearby, usually that’s with the lovely Rosanna at Tregiffian Farmhouse, but last week we stayed at Peace and Plenty Cottage for a change.

We have sent guests to Peace and Plenty in the past and so it was only right that we should give it a try too.

The cottage is very tiny, but kinda sweet. Being six foot plus I felt rather like Gulliver for a few days but got used to it and loved having the little fire going at night.

The sea’s roar lulls you to sleep here even better than at Tregiffian.

Breakfast at Trevedra, overlooking Gwenver, Sennen.

The gorgeous holiday homes at Tregiffian can become your whole holiday if that’s what you want.

There’s comfort in abundance.

There are the views – mainly rural from New Forge, but amazing sea views from Myn Tea and good sea views from upstairs at The Old Dairy.

There are the books, especially at New Forge.

Add in the relaxed comfort and it can become hard to drag yourself away.

After a few days with nothing but long dog walks to take me out recently I decided a treat breakfast was in order – and wandered across the fields to Trevedra, the great campsite just up the lane.

We ate like kings – including hogs pudding, a gorgeous west country treat that can have beef, pork and chicken in a fat sausage that’s best grilled in fat slices.

Shame the view wasn’t too good on this photo, twenty minutes later the sun burnt off the cloud and we took the next shot.

Trevedra is also good for emergency supplies and it’s just a short walk from the cottages at Tregiffian.

Some pics from Mindy C. Porthleven, Sennen, Gwenver.

Here’s a few photos from Amanda from the first week of May. We had glorious days that tended to start cloudy, but then opened out to bright and warm sunshine by mid-day.

This was at Loe Bar – it’s a good walk through the Penrose Estate from Helston, but this time we approached it from Porthleven.

No matter how many times we walk to Sennen we just can’t stop shooting this view.

Here’s the old man with the young Polly:

Polly. Saturated. Near Perranuthnoe.

Sumptuous New Bed for New Forge

I have set out to make our holiday homes as good as, or ideally better, than the homes people have left behind when they come on their week or two (three if they are really lucky) in Cornwall. I certainly want to offer the best in West Cornwall, but at prices that are fair.

When guests make suggestions of how I might make improvements I usually act on them straight away, but the latest improvement at New Forge wasn’t a guest suggestion, it resulted from staying in a rather nice hotel. We had the most amazing huge super king bed, and I immediately wanted one for New Forge. It took a while to earn the funds, but last week Loaf delivered and assembled this beauty.

They also supplied the super soft lovely bedding too.

The first guests were completely over the moon and have already booked to come back next year.

I just think of it as another step towards giving people a superb holiday home that they come back to year after year, but without the expense and worry of owning it themselves.

Hopefully one day Amanda and I will get the chance to sleep in it too!

The Best Walks – with Food. In West Cornwall. (1)

We were on the fabulous walk yesterday from Prussia Cove around to Perranuthnoe.

We commented on how many times we’d done the walk.

And questioned why?

What keeps us coming back here even though it’s a bit of a drive from the paradise of Tregiffian, Gwynver Beach and Sennen.

Well, it’s partly the walk.

And partly the food.

And partly just the joy.

That got us thinking about how good it is to take a great walk from the cottages at The Cornish Way to an equally great lunch.

And that was the inspiration for this, the first part of our series of blogs which we’re calling The Best Walks – with Food. In West Cornwall.

Prussia to Perranuthnoe was the inspiration so that’s where we’ll start.

 

Describing a walk from end to end will take ages and you’re sure to mistake some of my landmarks for things other than what I consider them to be. Instead, just take an OS map and make your own way between the points in question. Just pay attention to the food!

Prussia Cove, known for its International Musicians Seminar, is a delight in itself with its shingle beach that’s good to swim off, but today it’s just a start point.

Head towards the magically named Piskies Cove. And wonder at the gorgeous French style houses there and the contrasting fisherman’s huts and the lead pots for melting down and forming fishing weights.

Cudden Point is worth sitting at for a while. And be ready to feel envious of the folk who have the house over looking it. The house may not be the most stunning, but hey, you can’t see it when you’re inside looking out at the amazing view.

 

There’s another little bay with an overgrown path that’s worth checking out for a swim on a hot day. We’ve dived off the rocks  as you get nearer to Perranuthnoe. There’s stile that’s combination of stile, fence and wall, head down to the sea from that.

 

 

Then for the food:

In the village check out the Peppercorn Kitchen for a light lunch, I love their dahl and nan bread, BLT and this week I had corn fritters. There’s no view as such, but sitting in the garden just knowing the sea is only a few hundred meters away is good enough for me most of the time.

If you fancy something more serious then try the Victoria Inn. Everything from a fantastic sandwich and chips, through fine pates to great fish and steaks. It’s not cheap but it is excellent value.

Both are quite excellent and so different one from the other that you’ll want to visit a few times to have the full experiences.

It was on this walk that I found a lovely slow worm a few weeks ago, I’ve often seen seal along here to, and occassionally dolphins, although they are more common at our own Gwynver.

It’s a good walk to Perranuthnoe around from Marazion too, which gives a different perspective on St Michael’s Mount. I haven’t done it in ages, so I’ll write it up when I do.

Gorgeous New Wood Burner For Myn Tea Cottage

When we rebuilt Myn Tea a few years ago it was our intention to put a wood burner in.

But if you have ever done a building project you’ll know how it is.

The nice bits come at the end.

And by that time you’re financially terrified.

Well it has taken us seven years, but finally in March we bought this beauty from Kuggar Stoves in Helston.

You'll want to come in winter and snuggle up.

It’s a Dovre Vintage.

It’s small, but then the cottage is always warm enough anyway, it’s as much for atmosphere as heat and it delivers that in spades.

The hearth stone is rather special too – it’s a headstone bearing a couple of the ten commandments – rather appropriately Thou Shall Not Work On Thy Holidays (or was it on the Sabbath?)

I’m always telling people how good it is to spend winter self catering holidays in Cornwall – hopefully this little gem will help to convince a few hardier souls.