Adventures

 Sams On The Beach Artisan pizza with a pub next door… We love it here… wide sea views, artisan pizza and fresh local fish — all served with a smile. Of course no eatery is perfect, but when you realise there’s a pub right next door — the combo Sams On The Beach and The Rashleigh…

Bodinnick near Fowey An excursion via ferry to a cosy pub… Take the cute little ferry from Fowey — it’s best to park on the Fowey side at Caffa Mill where the ferry goes from, and go across as foot passengers. On the right is Ferryside, past home of Daphne Du Maurier https://www.visitcornwall.com/about-cornwall/blogging-cornwall/daphne-du-mauriers-cornwall. A little…

Just a short drive from Frieda And The Moon — the ancient falls at Golitha make for a top day out — an ozone enriched stroll along the river, with a big treat in store back at the car park.   Nothing like a stroll by waterfalls to sharpen the appetite. So how delighted are…

Fowey. Keep schtum. Don’t tell. A corner of Cornwall that hasn’t been tarnished by the forces of naff and tawdry; the devil’s evil of cheap and nasty. Fowey has retained the vibe of a real working place with the river commerce, the valiant independent shops and galleries, the characterful restaurants. There’s the wacky aquarium, The…

Island View Café, Hannafore. A fine old-fashioned seaside experience: a range of gentle delights along the promenade of Hannafore beach, with the glorious Looe island always in view. Very close to Looe but so different, reassuringly staid seaside houses with palms and pine trees in the front gardens gaze contentedly at the bay. The Café…

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas The Soul Chickens of Frieda and the Moon… Our lovely guests in the Tabernacle and Observatory can now buy new laid eggs from the Frieda And The Moon shop, straight from the girl that laid it. Martha, Lois, Gloria and Annette are hard at work popping out the makings of…

The Hidden Hut A glorious food shack… This must be one of the top holiday lunch destinations in the known universe, and one of our favourite small adventures. Down by Portscatho on the remote Roseland Peninsula, a short walk along a sandy coast path brings you to this food shack overlooking the beach. Gorgeous home-cooked…

The Blue Peter Inn, Polperro A favourite with the locals… We often recommend “The Blue”, as it is known locally, to our guests, and those that go are always delighted. It’s just what you imagine when you daydream that perfect little cornish harbour-side pub. Tucked away right on the far end of the fish quay,…

Afternoon Tea at Fowey Hall The inspiration for Toad Hall — Parp Parp… This is where Kenneth Graham wrote the Wind in the Willows, and is reputed to be the inspiration for Toad Hall. That tells you a lot about this rather lovely old pile perched above Fowey with fabulous views of the estuary: A…

Renewal Of Vows Ceremonies Magical moments… The combination of a romantic getaway and a renewal of vows ceremony with our magical wedding venue as the centerpiece, is a meaningful and life affirming experience. Usually, but by no means always, the renewal of vows ceremony is associated with an anniversary – 10 years, 20 years… but…

 The Pagan Bride Design a unique ceremony — bring your story alive… A variety of non-traditional and Pagan weddings are available at Frieda And The Moon (for Handfasting, see previous post). Our thirteen acre site abounds with magical locations ideal for a nature-based ceremony — ancient beech woodland, rippling streams, and natural springs bubbling out…

  Handfasting at Frieda And the Moon A beautiful alternative wedding… Alternative wedding? Handfasting? Wicca betrothal?  Frieda And The Moon is one of the foremost locations in Cornwall for those seeking an alternative wedding. Hand-fasting is an ancient symbolic act of betrothal, where hands are ritually tied together (with a beautiful ornate ribbon) linking the…

The Duchy Coffee Shop Posh. Pricey. A holiday treat… Sometimes you just have to park your principles, and indulge in the pleasure of something that is (a) a bit posh and (b) expensive. Then the fun begins. Here is a garden centre (actually not that expensive, the trees between the Tabernacle and Observatory came from…

The Walk From Lerryn to St Winnow A beer at the start, homemade burger at the end — lovely… This is a splendid excursion with a crabbing bucket full of delightful possibilities. The secret surprise is Angie’s home-made burger bar at the end of the walk. It is only open in season, so have a…

Talland Bay Hotel What a view! Gin bar too!… What a brilliant location! What peculiar ornamentation! On a warm summer’s evening you could be in Italy — there are formal gardens with closely clipped lawns, surrounded by huge cedars, and a wide view of the sparkling ocean. It’s a bit posh, so don’t turn up…

Whitecross Market Is that Eddy Grundy over there…? Is that Eddie Grundy over there, by the craft beer stall? At Whitecross Market, you could be forgiven for thinking you had walked into an episode of The Archers. It’s the kind of place where you wouldn’t be surprised to see a handwritten poster recruiting villagers for…

Quayside Fresh Farm Shop. Looe Shopping like it used to be… Quayside Fresh is a right old-fashioned fruit and veg shop, with a wooden floor-rough-hewn vibe. Plenty of fresh local Cornish produce (“in some cases picked that morning”), nicely displayed and served by friendly staff. It’s a miracle that they manage to cram it all…

Angie’s Burger Bar at St Winnow Home made burgers next to Poldark’s church… This is the sort of thing you come to Cornwall for, and is one of our favourite Small Adventures. At the limit of navigation on the Fowey River, between Lostwithiel and Lerryn — lies one of the most beautiful and rustically authentic…

Fowey Aquarium. An Evocative Reminder of Childhood Past… A nostalgic delight down on the Old Town Quay. Established in 1952 and hardly changed since, the Fowey Aquarium is an unlikely survival from a simpler age, and an evocative reminder of childhood holidays. This effect is enhanced by the vintage–looking crab lines and fishing paraphernalia on…

Lostwithiel Antique Shops Browse the bygones, admire the artefacts… Lostwithiel is a bustling little town and a delight in itself, with a number of high-quality independent shops, of which more later. But if you love old stuff, and rooting around searching for treasure, then this is a top day out. The town has more antique…

Pengelly’s Fish Shop. Looe. Today’s catch from the Looe Day Boats… One large cold-cabinet heaving with freshly caught fish and seafood. That’s it. A simple thing — but what a pleasurable antidote to modern-day shopping. Looe day boats use small-scale traditional methods, so their catch is the best of Cornish sustainable fishing, and not because…

The Catch. Looe. Gourmet fish & chips… Not just a fish and chip shop. A Picasso and Modigliani of fish and chip shops! The premium seaside lunch: all quality, no frills, served in a smart little cardboard box. Fish comes from sustainable sources and you can even get gluten free! As with all fine food,…

The Old Ferry Inn. Bodinnick. What the locals know… A delightfully authentic Cornish pub, tucked away at the bottom of Bodinnick village, just by the slipway of the ferry to Fowey. The building has been an inn for over 400 years, originally a staging post on the old London to Penzance road. It overlooks Ferryside,…