The North Cornwall Coast with Friends
AD
I love the UK.
The true seasons we experience in the countryside, the freshness of the coast with fish and chips wrapped in newspaper. I love all of our old towns, the buildings steeped in history and of course, the absolute joy of a really good British pub. All that said, time is teaching me that there is still so so much we are yet to experience here. Every year we travel abroad to sunnier skies when there are so many beautiful towns, villages and districts in the UK that, really, we know nothing about.
From wonderful hidden gems off the beaten track to beautiful regions known for their stunning scenery, amazing food and drink culture and endless activities to keep everyone entertained…no matter what the British Weather throws at us. I think Cornwall is a wonderful mix of all of those things, which we were so lucky to discover in February half term this year.
Having visited the South of Cornwall a couple of times in previous years and falling head over heels for it, we were really keen to explore the North more this time.
With no stress at all about the weight of our suitcases (I’m no good at packing light!), we loaded up the car with clothes and shoes for all seasons and two very excited little boys and made the three hour drive from Ledbury to Daymer Bay.
Our home for the half term week was arranged through Latitude 50, a handpicked range of self catering properties in Rock, Polzeath, Port Isaac and of course, Daymer Bay.
This Cornwall Based Business has been helping visitors discover the magic of their beautiful home for over 20 years, and you can really tell. Latitude 50 not only have a beautiful selection of properties, they are there to help guests plan their dream Cornwall holiday with beach, sight seeing and restaurant recommendations, and all those little details that take the stress away and make your self catering holiday really special.
We arrived at our home for the week just after lunch. I always get SO EXCITED to cast eyes on the sea for the first time when we head to the coast. As lovely as Herefordshire is, we feel so far away from it here, and we miss it.
In this case, we just kept driving closer and closer to the water. Through the pretty narrow winding lanes, two boys squealing with excitement in the back, until we were very nearly on the beach, the powdery beige sand and bright blue water.
Then a sharp left turn and we pulled into the driveway of our private, ultra modern and very impressive home for the week.
Tucked away alongside the labyrinth of sand dunes that melt into the St Enodoc Golf Course, just a three minute walk from the beach at Daymer Bay, this luxury beachside home sleeps 12 across 6 bedrooms.
Our friends and their children joined us for the week which was so much fun, there was 8 of us in total and there was still plenty of space for another family or two. It’s a perfect home for families, but would be equally well suited to a group of friends.
On opening the doors to the house, the first thing that struck me was the light and space. Huge windows overlooking the beautiful secluded garden, vaulted ceilings and crisp white walls. The house is open plan, thoughtfully finished with costal treasure and soothing original art. It’s tranquil and instantly relaxing, with the welcoming warmth of underfloor heating and a cracking log fire.
Luxury with Children
Holidays with four little ones around are always fun, but rarely relaxing. This was possibly our favourite thing about this particular holiday. The garden is enclosed and the house is so spacious that our four children (aged between 3 and 6) had one of their best holidays yet, and so did we.
There’s a cosy snug with a corner sofa and huge TV for cosy movie nights for them, while we gathered around the kitchen island cooking and then relaxed in the elegant lounge, fire crackling away.
All the beds are suitable for adults with crisp white sheets and feather filled pillows, but the bunk room on the ground floor was perfect for our four where they all slept together every night and woke each other at the crack of down every morning.
What to do and eat in Cornwall
It’s hard to pull yourself away from the gorgeous house at Daymer Bay, but when we eventually managed it, there’s no shortage of places to explore in Cornwall.
In fact, there are a million things to love and do, but typically, most of our day trips centred around food.
The food in Cornwall is great.
From seafood fresh from the Oyster Farm that morning, to the BEST fish and chips of my life on the harbour right through to wonderful pubs and Michelin star restaurants.
I’ve highlighted some of our favourite days out (and meals) below.
St Ives & Carbis Bay
If you fancy a little road trip, St Ives is a beautiful countryside drive away. We enjoyed an ice cream on the beach (watch out for the cheeky seagulls) and very happy little mooch around the seaside shops. There’s plenty of pretty streets and great places to stop for a coffee, snack or a souvenir.
Just a short drive from St Ives, in the next bay, you’ll find the famous Carbis Bay Estate, a luxury costal retreat with a private blue flagged beach and a stunning spa.
We’d booked a casual lunch at The Beach Club which is light-filled and has the most incredible views. The food is simple, but tasty and the wine list was excellent.
We finished our trip with a cold glass of Knightor, while the boys played ball on the almost empty beach.
Apparently the beaches can look quite different in high season, and I must admit we did love how nothing was too busy, especially for half term. I suppose we take a risk with the weather no matter the time of year, but especially in Feb. Thankfully for us, the risk paid off, the weather was really lovely for most of our trip.
Padstow & Rock
Just a short drive from Daymer Bay are our two favourite towns of Padstow and Rock. Although very different, both a beautiful, and you can get a water taxi from one to the other which is a fun experience in itself.
Padstow is jam-packed with lovely shops, cafes and amazing restaurants. One with a Michelin star. We kept it simple this time and went for Rick Steins famous fish and chips. They are out of this world and worth every bit of the hype.
In Rock there’s a lovely sandy beach and plenty to explore. We had dinner at The Mariners, Rock. The Dogs Pollock came highly recommended and I can see why! If you fancy a drink, its only a 5/10 taxi back “home” to Daymer Bay.
The famous Dogs Pollock at The Marriners
St Enodoc Hotel
And last, but by no means least, as this was actually one of our favourite experiences of the trip, the beautiful St Enodoc Hotel. Its a boutique, privately owned hotel just a short ride from Daymer Bay, in Rock.
The hotel is gorgeously warm and inviting with panoramic views. It’s elegant, but very family friendly, with a games room just off the restaurant that the children enjoyed whilst we finished our meals. There’s an outdoor heated pool and the gardens are scattered with sun loungers.
The food is really, really excellent and we left here promising we’ll be back in the summer, it felt really special.
Have I convinced you to maybe swap one of those overseas holidays for a trip to beautiful Cornwall?
I hope so!
Latitude 50 have a huge selection of some of the best holiday accommodation in the North of Cornwall. Here is a direct link to ours, but I am sure there will be something that takes your fancy here.
