Great Days Out – Bodmin steam railway
North Cornwall is famed for its fabulous surfing beaches and renowned restaurants but there are plenty of other activities to tempt you all year round.
Enjoy a steam train ride in Cornwall
The Bodmin & Wenford Railway starts services in February just in time for half term, with trains running to Bodmin Parkway and Boscarne Junction on the popular Camel Trail.
Most trains are operated by steam locomotives, and you can discover the nostalgia of steam travel on a leisurely 13 mile round trip through beautiful countryside, taking in the sights, sound and smells of a bygone age.
For romantics, there’s a Valentine’s dining train and other special events throughout the year include an Easter Egg-travaganza, Real Ale gala and even Murder Mystery evenings.
Most visitors to our holiday cottages in Padstow will pass Bodmin General station on their journey. Just follow the brown tourist steam train signs or why not cycle along the Camel Trail from Padstow and travel to Bodmin from Boscarne Junction?
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February 7, 2012 at 12:18 pm | No comment
Olympic torch relay kicks off in Cornwall
The eyes of the world will be on Cornwall when it welcomes the arrival of the Olympic flame to the UK ahead of the nationwide torch relay to herald in the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Olympic torch has 8,000 small circles, representing the torch bearers
The flame will be lit in Greece using the sun’s rays on 10 May in a traditional ceremony among the historic ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia.
Following an eight-day relay around Greece and handover ceremony in Athens, it will travel on board a special gold-liveried aircraft – flight BA2012 - to the UK on 18 May.
That evening, it will arrive at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, near Helston in Cornwall. The venue has been chosen to acknowledge the vital contribution that maritime and coastal search and rescue services undertake for our island nation.
The relay itself begins the following day at Lands End, when the torch will set off on its 8,000 mile journey across the UK – carried by 8,000 ‘inspirational people’ and travelling to within 10 miles of 95% of the population.
Sadly, Padstow itself is not on the route, but visitors to our self-catering holiday cottages don’t have far to go to see the relay as it passes by Indian Queens and Bodmin on its epic journey.
February 4, 2012 at 2:43 pm | No comment
Great Days Out – Port Isacc
Port Isaac
These days, many people associate the pretty Cornish village of Port Isaac with TV hit Doc Martin. And we’re as guilty as everyone else by wondering up the hill to gawp at the cottage which doubles as the grumpy doctor’s surgery.
But Port Isaac has plenty of other delights to offer for a good day out – pubs, bakeries, gift shops and narrow quirky alleyways to name but a few.
Braver souls than us drive down to the harbour in high season as, for some reason, it’s not a one-way street and vehicles struggle to squeeze past each other and avoid the pedestrians on the narrow, hilly and winding lanes. And be careful to keep an eye on the tides if you park on the beach or your car could be washed into the Atlantic!
Port Isaac is about 40 minutes from our self-catering holiday cottages in Padstow and well worth a day trip. You might even see a few famous faces!
Celebrity Cornwall, Our Cottages, Our favourites, People and places
January 27, 2012 at 2:04 pm | No comment
Save money by self-catering in Cornwall in 2012
According to The Times travel pages, self-catering UK breaks will be all the rage this year as families economise in tough times. Also, a survey by TravelSupermarket suggests that a third of all holidays this year will be in self-catering properties.
Having a holiday to look forward to is just as important as ever in this challenging economic climate, but it doesn’t have to be an expensive trip to the Caribbean to refresh and revitalise you. Cornwall offers some of the most breathtaking scenery, stunning beaches and top food – and it’s only a car journey away.
To do our bit and as a thank you to all our loyal guests, we’re keeping our prices for 2012 the same as last year, despite an increase in running costs due to cleaning and utility bills etc.
Poppies and Sorrel Cottage are among the best value in our local area for families, while West Creek Cottage offers couples on their own or with one child a cosy base for touring the area at a very affordable price. With rates starting at under £300 per week, that works out at less than £20 per person per night – including linen, towels and parking.
Please visit the other pages on our website to find out more about our cottages in Padstow. We hope to welcome you soon.
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January 20, 2012 at 6:17 pm | No comment
Daphne du Maurier’s Cornwall
ITV have announced that a classic novel by Cornish author Daphne du Maurier is to be turned into a new drama.
The Scapegoat is to be made by a production company run by Dominic Minghella, who created Doc Martin – itself set in Cornwall fishing village Port Isaac.
The adaptation is set to renew attention on Daphne du Maurier, who spent much of her life in Cornwall. The county and the area around Fowey in particular was the setting for some of her most famous books including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman’s Creek. Visitors flock to Cornwall each May for the annual festival celebrating the author’s life and work.
The Scapegoat is to be adapted by ITV1
The Scapegoat, originally adapted for cinema starring Alec Guinness, is a thriller telling the story of two men with identical appearances. They meet by chance and swap lives after a boozy night, with dark consequences. The new version will star Eileen Atkins (currently appearing in Doc Martin) and Matthew Rhys.
Fans of du Maurier may also be interested in visiting the real Jamaica Inn coaching house, which has stood high on Bodmin Moor for four centuries. It’s worth a stop on your way to our self-catering holiday cottages in Padstow, for lunch or a trip around the museum which houses a collection of smuggling artefacts. You may even see a ghost or two!
Celebrity Cornwall, News and FAQ, Our Cottages, People and places
October 27, 2011 at 10:43 am | No comment
The joy of wetsuits
Now that the weather is turning decidedly autumnal, the idea of going in the Cornish sea on our October half term break is a little less appealing.
Poppies' courtyard is ideal for drying wetsuits
However, gone are the days when you would almost feel your blood freeze as you took to the waves dressed only in a swimming costume. Nowadays, the Cornwall beaches are awash with people dressed head to foot in black neoprene!
Yes, the wetsuit has transformed a trip to the seaside for many families, ours included. Of course serious surfers have long since worn all the layers and even headgear but now we’ve all got them, long-leg or short-leg and even boots and gloves.
Trying to squeeze yourself, and the children, into the black synthetic rubber outfits is never a joyful experience, and walking across Constantine Bay or the beach at Harlyn fully clad in neoprene is hardly a fashion statement, but it’s all worthwhile when you take to the water in October or even February.
Around Padstow and the seven bays there are lots of places to hire or buy wetsuits and we have holiday cottages with gardens where you can hang them to dry after a day out.
We’ll never be competing at Fistral Beach but at least we keep warm!
Our Cottages, Poppies, Padstow, Sorrel Cottage, Padstow, West Creek Cottage, Little Petherick
October 24, 2011 at 11:41 am | No comment
West Creek – the movie
Take a minute to go on a virtual tour of West Creek Cottage, our cosy holiday cottage near Padstow. Look out for more videos coming soon on our YouTube channel.
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October 21, 2011 at 9:50 am | No comment
Christmas comes early
Visitors to Padstow in early December might be surprised to find the town overrun (literally) with Santas.
The Padstow Fun Run on Saturday 3 December will see runners of all ages and levels of fitness putting on their santa suits and taking part in a one or two mile dash to raise money for Cornwall Hospice Care.
The run starts from the bandstand at 1pm and is open to men, women, boys and girls. There will be festive music at the start, and mince pies and a warm drink to greet runners when they finish. Organisers are hoping to attract 1000 ‘Santas’ at their three locations across the county.
Even if you don’t want to run, this weekend is a great time to visit Padstow because it’s also the 4th Christmas Festival when the harbour town comes alive with celebrity chefs, traditional markets and festive fun. More details to follow soon on the blog.
There’s still availability at our holiday cottages to enjoy this pre-Christmas celebration and see the harbour town full of festive cheer. For great accommodation in Padstow contact us now. You’d be mad to miss it.
Food and Drink, News and FAQ, Our Cottages
October 19, 2011 at 12:45 pm | No comment
Coast path gets an App
Cornwall walks into the 21st century as maps and guides of the county’s beautiful coastal path are being made available for download on mobile phones.
A £2 million campaign has been launched to offer walkers the opportunity to obtain detailed route information by scanning a QR barcode from a coast path map board.
Praa Sands near Penzance is the first area to benefit from the new app
The new technology is said to be totally mobile phone friendly – the app will know where you are when you log on and will be able to bring up information on walks close to you.
In total, the south west coast path stretches 630 miles and includes a National Park and five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – including Little Petherick where our self-catering holiday home West Creek Cottage is located.
It’s another great way of telling visitors about our beautiful Cornish countryside and encourage them them to get out and enjoy our fantastic coastline.
News and FAQ, Our Cottages, West Creek Cottage, Little Petherick
October 16, 2011 at 11:33 am | No comment
Eden does Halloweden
Why not celebrate Halloween in Padstow this October half-term with a visit to the Eden Project? There are some great spooky activities and even a wintry ice rink to add to the fun.
Enjoy a day trip to Eden during Halloween
From 22-30 October, you can explore the wishcraft tent where you’ll find lots of magical things to make and do, including pumpkin carving demonstrations, wand making and potion mixing.
I can recommend the ice rink, which has a new design for 2011, as a high spot in the day, and then you can warm up afterwards by a visit to the rainforest biome!
And if you fancy Eden after dark, put on your scary costumes for the Little Monsters’ Ball Halloween Disco on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 October. Organisers promise an evening of fang-tastic fun…
Tickets can be purchased online and via Eden’s box office and some activities are included in the general admission price.
Our cottages are just 20 minutes from Eden – get in touch if you fancy spending half term in Padstow!
News and FAQ, Our Cottages, Our favourites, People and places
October 13, 2011 at 10:30 am | No comment