What To See
Cornwall is a beautiful and varied county with stunning coastal views, to rucked rolling moorland. If you are a thrill seeker, a chill lover, Cornwall has it all. Here are a few ideas for amazing days out in Cornwall.
Altarnun
Roughtor (or Rough Tor) and Brown Willy are accessed from the A39 sign posted Altarnun. It’s a must for those fit and well who want the challenge of scaling Bodmin Moor’s highest peaks.
After your walk, go for a well-earned pint or glass of wine with lunch at The Rising Sun Inn at Altarnun (free house), where you’ll find superb food and a great selection of local beers and good wines etc. Sunday lunch is a treat, but book well in advance as they get booked very quickly in the high season. An evening meal during the week is also highly recommended, book early as reservations are soon full. Give them a ring to check on times as they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Boscastle
A beautiful harbour village made famous for the 2004 flood, lies on the North Cornish Coast 14 miles south from Bude and 5 miles from Tintagel. A conservation area amongst some of the most beautiful countryside within the British Isles, and is one of the few remaining unspoilt harbour villages in Cornwall.
Designated an Area of Outstanding beauty, the National Trust own and care for the beautiful medieval harbour and surrounding coastline.
An exhilarating walk around the harbour, a brisk walk along the coast path, a visit to the visitors centre to see footage of the flood or call into The Museum of Witchcraft and then maybe a meal at the Riverside Hotel & Restaurant (advanced booking is a must), The Wellington Hotel & Restaurant or the Cobweb Inn.
Here too a lovely valley heads inland, a path follows a fast flowing burbling stream which leads to several hidden churches allowing you to discover the little known connection between North Cornwall and Thomas Hardy.
Bude
A 20 minute/12 miles drive, offers wonderful beaches for surfing, swimming, walking and where the kids can play. You can take a pleasant walk along the canal or go to the internationally known Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club for a round of golf. There are plenty of shops for you to browse, along the canal and in town and others to discover down some of the back streets. Life’s a Beach, ideally placed overlooking Summerleaze beach for lunch or evening meal is a cafe during the day and a licenced, fish restaurant in the evenings. Booking 3-7 days in advance is recommended. The Atlantic Hotel is always another favourite, with a gin bar (for diners) and a restaurant, serving superb food.
Camelford
On the way there you will find St Kitts Herbery located just off the Atlantic Highway (A39) not far from the famous home of Davidstow’s Cornish Cheddar Cheese. It’s just a short drive from our cottage and worth dropping into on your way to other destinations. At St Kitts Herbery they use traditional principles of herbal practice to produce a range of modern yet classic herbal products. The fabulous Cornish scenery that surrounds the Herbery allows them to cultivate herbs, providing a stimulus for the creation of St Kitts varied range of herbal products. Look out for their famous chocolate range from Lavender chocolate to their fiery white chilli chocolate.
Padstow
Wander around the town and browse some of the shops, there are names such as Sea Salt and Fat Face to choose from. Walk around the harbour and look at the fishing boats or catch one of the speed boats for a thrilling deep sea trip out of Padstow Harbour. For the fitter ones among you, take a leisurely walk along the coast-path to the Lifeboat Station where you can take in the sights of the Jurassic Coastline and pass ship wreck visible from the cliff tops.
Rick Stein’s famous Seafood restaurant is nice for lunch or evening meal but they can be booked up weeks in advance, so we suggest you ring well in advance (4-weeks+). His Quayside Delhi selling Crab, Fish, wine and gifts etc is well worth a visit or enjoy their Fish and Chips or Cornish Pasties from his Chip and Pie Shops.
If you haven’t already been to Rock why not take the foot ferry. Parking there can be impossible in high season so be warned. Another hint take the Park-n-Ride at Padstow, it’s so much easier, they normaly run every 20 minutes in high season.
Rock
The town of Rock is located across the Camel estuary from Padstow. Its name comes from the local quarry where the rocks were used as ballast by sailing ships that had unloaded their cargo across the river. Known as the playground of the rich and famous and sometimes called “Chelsea-on-Sea” it is reputed to be the home of more millionaires than anywhere else in Cornwall with exclusive villas and apartments discreetly hidden amongst the trees and has been a particular favourite for members of the Royal Family over several generations.
It has a beautiful beach that stretches along the Camel all the way around to Daymer Bay at low tide and where you will find deep sea fishermen who can be hired to take you out fishing to catch amongst other fish, wriggly fresh Mackerel that you can take home for supper. So fresh that you don’t get that strong oily flavour you get when bought from most fishmongers. No special fishing skills needed as they will show you what to do. Don’t forget your camera as some of the shots off-shore are stunning.
Minack Theatre
The Minack Theatre is an extraordinary outdoor living theatre. Carved out of the Cornish cliff by Rowena Cade in (circa) 1931 and giving 200 live performances every year. To do it justice, you need to visit their web site https://www.minack.com/minack-theatre and read the remarkable story yourself.
Port Isaac
Otherwise known in the Doc Martin TV Series as Port Wenn. An attractive fishing village since the early fourteenth century. Its narrow, winding streets are lined with old white-washed cottages and traditional granite, slate-fronted Cornish houses, many of which are listed as of architectural or historic importance.
From the Middle Ages until the middle of the 19th century, Port Isaac was a busy port handling various imports and exports, including coal, timber, pottery and Delabole slate. In fact the name Port Isaac is derived from the Cornish Porth Izzick meaning the ‘corn port’. After the advent of the railways, it became principally a fishing port.
The Michelin Starred chef Nathan Outlaw has his Fish Kitchen in the harbour and his Seafood restaurant in the village. Wonderfully cooked local fish and produce and superb service, Well worth a visit, but be warned they are sometimes booked up weeks in advance, so book early.
A stream runs through the village, finding its way into the sea over the harbour wall that’s worth a trip down to see. And while you are there why not call into Dennis Knight’s the local fish shop and the local sea food shop opposite. They’re on the quayside and supply some of the best fresh fish in the area. You may need to ring first as they sell out very quickly and opening times vary.
We strongly recommend against driving down into the Port as parking is very limited and access in and out is very tight. Go to the main car park as you come into the village and take the minibus, or there’s one further down near Nathan Outlaws restaurant in the village. However, it generally full in high season.
Tintagel
Reputed to be the birth place of King Arthur and for visitors and locals alike, the walk from St Materiana’s Church at Tintagel on the Coastal Footpath to the Castle, is a beautiful and breath-taking experience. The peace and tranquillity of the area is captured while you walk and take in the beauty of the rugged coastline. The special path is suitable for walkers and wheelchairs alike and takes you to near the Inner Walls of the Tintagel Castle.
Many years ago the original Castle was split in two by the force of the sea and you now have to traverse some steep steps to arrive at the Castle gateway. You can however approach the bottom of the steps of the Castle on a different route via a Land Rover service.
The Castle, which is in ruins, was the fortress used by King Arthur in those long gone days. The Duchy of Cornwall are now owners of the property, it is however operated and maintained by English Heritage.
Trebarwith Strand, nr Tintagel
With its vast cliffs, dark caves and fine golden sand with Gull rock, almost reminiscent of a dogs head, keeping watch off shore, make an excellent scene. At low tide the Trebarwith Strand is almost a mile long stretch of unbroken golden sand. A very popular destination for beach goers and surfers and where you can take your dogs for a walk on the beach or along the stunning coast path. Nearby is the Port William Inn where you can order good pub grub in the restaurant or a pint in their welcoming bar and enjoy the vista from its elevated position nestled into the cliff overlooking Trebarwith Strand.
You can see more about Trebarwith Strand in Barrie’s Photos.
Widemouth Bay
As the name implies Widemouth Bay has a wide sandy beach where the Atlantic rollers come rolling in. Ideal for surfers, Kite Surfers, Swimmers and Snorkelling etc. It’s a sight to see when the tide is out, a vast vista of Sand and Sea. Dogs are permitted on the south beach only in the summer, so look out for and park in the Black Rock car park or the Public car park further along and walk back to the south beach along the road.
