Staying in Cornwall
Padstow made up for everything the house got wrong
After spending a few days in Copenhagen, we spent the remainder of our trip in Cornwall. I had my heart set on living out my Poldark fantasies.
The Guide
Getting There
We flew back to London Heathrow and rented a car directly from the airport.
It’s not easy to get to Cornwall, and I had looked at several different options. You can take the train, but that’s 8 hours, and once you’re in Cornwall you’ll still need a car for day trips. The drive from London to Cornwall was a little over five hours, and all freeway, so pretty easy. We stopped halfway at Darts Farm Shop for lunch.
What We Got Wrong
Part of my desire to buy and renovate a home in France came from years of renting beautiful vacation homes. Hotels definitely have their place, especially in cities, but when staying somewhere more rural, we always rent a house so we can come back and cook, visit with friends, and enjoy a bit more space.
I’m not going to share the house we stayed in Cornwall, since it has since sold, but I had been eyeing this beautiful house for a while on Instagram and had even been featured in a few publications. I had very high expectations, but unfortunately, it let us down in so many ways: no extra toilet paper, no coffee (yet they had an $8,000 coffee maker), no laundry pods even though they had a washing machine, not one dish towel.
And the last and final straw, you couldn’t take a shower without flooding the entire bathroom, so baths it was for two non-bath people. It was a good lesson for me, especially with Maison de Frédéric: no matter how beautiful a house is, it has to function.
There are so many places to stay in Cornwall. Despite the failings of the cottage, we would stay in Padstow again, just at another property. It’s a good base for day trips.
Padstow Favorites
Prideaux Walled Garden — cakes, light meals, and a house and garden tour
Cornish Bakery — coffee and pastries, every morning
Roskilly’s — ice cream
Tartan Fox — dinner, worth the drive
Mariners — take the ferry over, dine on arrival
The Pig, Harlyn Bay — dinner
Minack Theater — an outdoor theater cut into the seaside cliffs
Day Trips
Port Isaac. My favorite of the trip. A beautiful seaport with shops, cafes, and a long hike above the water.
Trevone Bay. Hike in, then swim. Stop at Padstow Farmshop for lunch on the way.
If we’d had a bit more time, we would have liked to take day trips to Penzance, St. Ives, and Charlestown as well.
Hikes
I love hiking in Cornwall because it’s nice and cool, but also the hikes are relatively easy. There are so many options, from moderate to expert. I’m linking the exact hikes we took to get these beautiful views:
Another hike that takes you to the famous sinkhole in Trevone Bay
After going non-stop in Copenhagen, it was nice to end the trip on a more leisurely note. We spent a lot of time at the house, reading and relaxing, and did a lot of hikes along the beaches around Padstow.
What do you have coming up for summer travel? Let me know in the comments, and I’ll help you plan!
xo,
Kyong
Just got back from there last Saturday… loved Looe, St Ives, Port Isaac , Penzance
I feel like this is a dream use case for the MdF housedress! Also, this seems like it should be required reading for anyone making a trip to Cornwall, and anyone setting up a house to rent. No dishtowels?!