Visit CornwallThe Official Destination & Accommodation Guide for 2014 www.visitcornwall.com 4 2 CONTENTS Welcome to Cornwall... 2 Eat Up You’re Green! Our guide to eleven of the best Heading up As well as the half a million people who As many of you will already know, it eco-friendly eateries... Visit Cornwall love and live here, 2.2 million people isn’t just the magnificent landscape enjoy a break or holiday in Cornwall at and countryside that makes Cornwall 4 Gardens Like Never Before is a dream job. least once a year and another 1.1 million so special - we have an amazing history Cornwall is famous for its world- Being able to visit between every one and three years. and heritage too. From our Celtic roots class art and gardens… and That makes an amazing figure of just to the World Heritage Mining Sites when the two collide, the result wax lyrical can live in the memory forever. about my under four million supporters and fans and kaleidoscope of arts and cultural of Cornwall! attractions – it’s all going on in Cornwall! 6 Close Encounters homeland is no Inspirational art collections, unique It’s often something as simple hard task and is made all the For those returning to Cornwall, you’re theatre and an annual schedule of and unexpected as a brush guaranteed to discover a new special memorable festivals and events to more easier by the amazing with nature that really brings place. Our two wonderful coasts are die for. passion that exists for Cornwall. sprinkled with hidden gems, then there’s a holiday to life... the beautiful Roseland and Lizard For those who are visiting for the first 8 Should Fitness Be Peninsula’s, as well as Bodmin Moor and time, prepare to fall in love with a place the Tamar Valley. And don’t forget the that will stay in your heart forever. I can 12 This Much Fun? Surrounded by world-class cuisine, great countryside in West and South guarantee this won’t be your last visit… pasties and cream teas, people East Cornwall. There’s enough to keep wonder why the Cornish aren’t you coming back time and time again. Malcolm Bell, Head of Visit Cornwall the heaviest people on Earth. 10 Cornish Mining - World 10 Heritage Site Our mining culture shaped your world. 12 Jewels In The Crown A guide to some of Cornwall’s top wildlife destinations 14 Don’t I Know You From Somewhere? You might get a feeling you’ve seen some of the places before. So many famous TV and movie scenes have been filmed here over the years, you probably have... 16 Think You Know Cornwall? 6 14 They share the same Cornish charm, but every part of this county has its own distinctive character. 16 22 ACCOMMODATION 26 Bodmin Moor & Tamar Valley 30 North Coast 44 West Cornwall 54 South Coast 68 All Cornwall & Farm Accommodation 69 Useful Contacts Cover photo: Holywell Bay & Getting Here This page: Sennen Cove 8 For more information visit www.visitcornwall.com or call 01872 322900 For more information visit www.visitcornwall.com or call 01872 322900 2 3 Wet Your Whistle? Escape The Car Wherever you go to eat, keep your eyes peeled for Cornwall’s Why rack up extra mileage, when for a few pounds you can leave many homemade local beers. Booming brands such as St Austell the car at the camp site and spend a whole day hopping on and Brewery, Sharp’s and Skinner’s have proved so popular that these off what is described as one of Britain’s most beautiful branch days you can order a pint of Betty Stogs, Smugglers or Tribute in lines? We’re talking about the St Ives Bay Line, which operates many pubs nationally. between St Erth and St Ives. And if you prefer the verdant East of the Duchy, the Looe to Liskeard But come to Cornwall itself and you’ll find a whole range of thirst- branch line offers a similar deal on its spectacular eight miles of track. quenching bevvies from backyard micro-breweries like the thriving little Reprieved from Beeching just two weeks before the axe was to fall, this business in the Driftwood Spars at Trevaunance Cove near St Agnes – little line boasts a stop that revels in the name of ‘Sandplace’ and a EAT UP! a must on any gastronomical tour. causeway crossing which at high tide will often take the train across www.driftwoodspars.com open river. Here’s another idea. In Summer, the First Group’s 300 Cornwall Explorer For those with a more metropolitan palate, Polgoon Vineyard and Cider service uses open-topped buses – weather permitting – for its route around Orchard near Penzance is just one of dozens of successful Cornish vineyards the Land’s End Peninsula. This takes in Penzance, St Ives and Land’s End making award-winning wine and gorgeous traditional cider. YOU’RE GREEN! itself, and you can break the journey to combine your bus ride with a lunch www.polgoon.com stop or a walk. And you needn’t miss out if you’re doing the driving, because Cornwall also It all makes for magical holiday fun that the kids won’t forget – and an grows its own tea! The historic Tregothnan Estate, owned by the Boscawen experience that Mum and Dad can afford year after year. family since 1335, has a stunning range of teas, including Manuka, fennel and, of course, Earl Grey, which are now sold all over the globe. You can even flavour your brew with Tregothnan-grown Manuka honey, or buy Let’s Get Festival! some of the estate’s crop of Kea plums. We have a huge variety of festivals, focusing on everything from www.tregothnan.co.uk pasties and seafood to honey, asparagus and real ale – so you can see and taste for yourself why Cornwall has one of the finest reputations for food and drink in the whole of the UK. Check out our website to see what’s on the festival menu. www.visitcornwall.com Our guide to eleven of the best The Beach, Sennen Cove Godrevy Beach Café Saffron, Truro Eden Project Café, Treetop Café, The Gook Beach Café, How about this for fresh fish? The Set between the sand dunes, just Truro’s acclaimed restaurant has St Austell The Monkey Sanctuary, Looe Portwrinkle eco-friendly eateries... Beach is one of the few restaurants outside Hayle, this café offers led the Cornish ‘home-grown’ food World famous for its pioneering Looe’s Monkey Sanctuary literally Set on the cliff above Portwrinkle in Britain that boasts its very own legendary breakfast and lunch menus, revival. Everything from the coffee, ecological initiatives, the Eden takes eating to new heights. Beach, The Gook looks out onto fishing boat! Situated on one of our delectable baking and stunning views. ground by local artisan producers, to Project is about as green as you Specialising in vegetarian and vegan South East Cornwall’s spectacular Ever stopped to wonder what’s really green? most beautiful beaches, it combines In keeping with its green ethos, all the herbs adorning your crab gnocchi, can get. Pop in with your clunky old meals, the attraction’s Treetop Café coastline. Its no-nonsense menu is Sustainability can be a tricky subject, but luckily breathtaking scenery with great takeaway food packaging is picked from the eatery’s herb garden, mobile phone and you can drop it offers veggie burgers topped with filled with simple, quality, locally food – including seasonal local biodegradable, waste oil is turned is locally sourced. Head chef Nik in a recycling box, before ordering roasted Portobello mushrooms, and sourced food – from breakfasts to there’ll always be one straightforward way to produce and catches. As you take in into biodiesel to generate power for has even been spotted on occasion freshly baked artisan bread rolls and serves only Fairtrade tea, coffee burgers, ice cream and cakes. You’re cut down your carbon footprint – and indulge the view from its large terrace, you the café’s mobile catering business scouring the Cornish hedgerows and Fairtrade coffee, and sitting down and chocolate. Not only that, but bound to find something that takes can reflect on the fact that your and, of course, food is sourced from coastline for fruits and seasoning, to avail yourself of the free WiFi. you can munch away happy in the your fancy. yourself into the bargain… low-mileage menu choice is helping as close to home as possible. After while all of the restaurant’s fish There’s even a ‘book swap’ – a knowledge that any leftovers will be www.gookbeachcafe.com to preserve Cornwall’s living seas. eating, take a walk along the coast – dishes come from day boats – lovely idea which means dropping composted for the orchard, growing www.thebeachrestaurant.com where you might well see seals, unfrozen, straight from the sea off your old books and picking ripe local apples to feed your favourite guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and to your table. someone else’s favourite read off little monkeys. Rectory Farm Tea cormorants – to remind yourself www.saffronrestauranttruro.co.uk the shelf. It’s also a great place to www.monkeysanctuary.org Rooms, Morwenstow Eating Local Food Trevaskis Farm, why this all matters. go with young kids – especially on Near Hayle Only a ten-minute level walk from Fresh, locally sourced food is not only the most natural and www.godrevycafe.co.uk a Wednesday morning when drum Padstow the rugged North Cornwall cliffs, Rick Stein, teacher Roger Luxton, technician The Mad Hatter’s tastiest you’ll ever find.