What’s New In Cornwall This Summer
STAY
Retallack Resort & Spa, St Columb Major
Away Resorts has several family holiday parks across the UK, including Retallack Resort & Spa in St Columb Major which recently underwent an £11m development. This included the addition of new luxury barns, sleeping between two and 12 guests. Each one has chic and modern interiors with open-plan living areas and spacious outdoor areas – some even have roof terraces with country views and hot tubs. Barns have fully equipped kitchens, and guests are welcomed with a bottle of fizz on arrival. You’ll also receive an ‘entertainment pass’ which includes access to family friendly evening shows and the outdoor cinema. A great option for kids of all ages, the facilities are impressive. There’s an aqua park with Cornwall’s only year-round surfing simulator, an adventure playground, an indoor swimming pool, a health club and spa, and a restaurant and beach café by the sports lake. Padstow is a 20-minute drive away.
Visit AwayResorts.co.uk
Burt, Port Eliot
One of the coolest glamping options we’ve seen this year, Burt is a new pop-up site set on a floating pontoon at Port Eliot. Created by the same team behind glamping company The Pop-Up Hotel, it’s a cross between a traditional bell tent and a yurt, surrounded by water and overlooking the estuary. Guests can travel to the pontoon on an electric boat to find a double bed with crisp linen, plush furniture and plenty of storage for belongings inside the tent. Outside, there’s a decking area with chairs, cushions and an outdoor wood burner – as well as steps leading straight into the sea. Perfect for a romantic weekend.
Visit Hey-Burt.com
Headland Hotel, Torquay
You might recognise Headland Hotel from the 1990 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches. A popular spot for locals and holidaymakers alike, the hotel recently reopened following a multimillion-pound refurbishment. Its 78 bedrooms and suites have been updated with fresh nautical-inspired décor. Guests can also stay in cosy self-catering cottages on site. Meanwhile, new restaurant RenMor showcases local seafood which is delivered by boat each morning. Guests can sit in the modern dining room to enjoy elegant dishes like hot smoked chalk stream trout with horseradish sauce; pollock with razor clams, white asparagus and caviar butter sauce; and barbecued lobster with crispy potatoes and elderflower vinaigrette. There’s also a selection of classic cocktails and spritzes.
Visit HeadlandHotel.co.uk
Lowenek, Portreath
We love Unique Homestays for its collection of luxe holiday homes around the UK. New this summer is Lowenek in the small village of Portreath, near St Agnes. Made for groups and larger families, this luxury self-catering beach house overlooks Portreath Beach with space for up to 14 guests across six bedrooms. The most impressive part is the spacious open-plan kitchen/diner with its floor-to-ceiling windows, breakfast bar and living area with a fireplace. There’s also a games room with an adjoining cinema space featuring a Sonos sound bar, a stylish cocktail bar for at-home drinks, and a wrap-around terrace with panoramic beach views. Outside you’ll find a hot tub built into the decking, sun loungers and a dining area. With some of the best interiors on this list, everything from the bedrooms to the kids’ rooms with in-built bunk beds is chic, with a cool nautical air throughout.
Visit UniqueHomestays.com
Valencia House, Port Isaac
Latitude 50 has over 150 Cornish holidays homes to choose from in every corner of the region. Newcomer Valencia House is just a short walk from Port Isaac’s harbour. This characterful home in the middle of the village has far-reaching views towards the beach. With six bedrooms sleeping up to 12, the house has some charming features, like sloped walls, cosy window seats and a cast-iron bath built from an old ship in the main bedroom. Expect neutral and homely interiors, with Farrow & Ball colours, comfy furniture and lots of natural light. Groups and families can cook meals on the aga, relax in front of the fire, and enjoy dinners in the garden. Nathan Outlaw’s two restaurants are also within walking distance.
Visit Latitude50.co.uk
The Net Loft at Atlanta Trevone, Trevone Bay
Atlanta Trevone, the stylish clifftop collection of holiday homes in Cornwall, recently opened The Net Loft. The accommodation is detached, sleeps four and is designed for couples and young families looking for a coastal bolthole escape with all the frills. The space has been designed by HÁM Interiors and nods to its history as a former fisherman’s house storing crabbing and lobster pots, with a mix of intriguing art pieces and locally sourced antiques. The house is also home to furniture collected from across the centuries, timber-boarded walls, oak and stone cobbled floors. We love the look of the statement timber-clad captain’s bed, outdoor copper bath, wood burner, cinema room, private courtyard and views over Trevone’s famous blowhole and the beach.
Visit AtlantaTrevoneBay.com
Fowey Hall Hotel, Fowey
Over the last few years Fowey Hall has undergone a multimillion-pound refurbishment. New additions include the Lantic Bay and Polruan suites, which sit above the renovated spa. With expansive views from private balconies, the suites are contemporary, with luxe interiors and spa-like bathrooms with huge tubs and walk-in rain showers. Guests can use new facilities including an outdoor pool with views of the Fowey estuary, an indoor pool in the spa, and a children’s den which has a library, cinema and games room – guests are offered 90 minutes of complimentary childcare per night. The hotel is within walking distance of the fishing port of Fowey – with its lively restaurant scene, numerous art galleries and boutiques – as well as the sheltered cove of Readymoney, loved by families for its sandy shores, calm and shallow waters, and anchored bathing platform. The hotel will happily lend guests buckets, spades and crabbing lines for a day at the beach. Dogs are also welcome and will receive a ‘woof welcome pack’ with thoughtful essentials.
Visit FoweyHallHotel.co.uk
John Hersey
EAT & DRINK
Crocadon, St Mellion
Chef Dan Cox opened his first restaurant in St Mellion at the start of the year. Two months later, it was awarded a Green Michelin Star, which recognises sustainable gastronomy and restaurants that champion the protection of biodiversity. Dan spent five years establishing the 120-acre farm on which the restored barn restaurant is set, placing an emphasis on regenerative farming – most of the produce is grown on site and the rest is delivered by local producers. Diners can book in for tasting menus on Thursday to Saturday evenings, as well as set menus on Sundays. Current menu highlights include asparagus with egg yolk, raw scallops with cauliflower and fig leaves, saddleback pork with caramelised onion and lovage, and rhubarb and chamomile trifle. Visitors will also find a bakery on site, plus a pottery workshop where Dan and the team use food waste to create ceramics.
Visit Crocadon.farm
Barnaby’s Pop-Up
Five years on from Barnaby’s opening in Padstow, the team has opened a pop-up at another Padstow restaurant, Trevibban Mill. Diners can try a selection of Barnaby’s signature Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired seafood dishes until the end of September, as well as meat and veg options made with locally sourced produce. Start with oysters before moving onto sharing plates of crab toast, scallops with pistachio butter, and herb-crusted lamb shoulder. The 45-cover pop-up has indoor and outdoor seating options with beautiful views of wildflower fields and vineyards – a lovely spot for lunch and a glass of pale rosé.
Visit PrawnOnTheLawn.com
Onda, Wadebridge
Chef Ben Ambridge’s Italian restaurant Onda has quickly become a favourite among Wadebridge locals – drive the scenic route from Padstow along the river Camel to reach the small town. Head chef Emily Hunt (who trained at The River Café) and the team use local produce to create dishes like mussels with ‘nduja and fries, grilled monkfish with panzanella salad, beef ragu with mafaldine, and blood orange panna cotta. There’s also a great selection of Italian wines and proseccos.
Visit OndaWadebridge.co.uk
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