Review: Old Lanvean Cottage, St. Mawgan, Near Newquay, Cornwall, UK

Way out West, Cornwall is Britain’s California. A rugged panorama the place the ocean washes white sand seashores and the Gulf Stream warms palm timber. But it’s a peninsula that typically hankers after independence with its distinctive black-and-white flag, personal language and unofficial “national anthem”. On the perimeter of Britain that is an historic Celtic area the place Arthurian legends, most notably at Tintagel’s fort. are simply a part of the mythic folklore.

At St. Mawgan, an idyllic Cornish village, the thatched 18th century Old Lanvean is the quintessential nation cottage. So image excellent that it may very well be on a chocolate field. Ticking all of the bins for a tranquil escape from the twenty first century.

The story goes that Irish pilgrim, St. Mawgan introduced Christianity to Cornwall. Turning to the cottage title, Lan normally means holy place in Cornish however “Vean” is misplaced within the mists of time. Local historical past means that the positioning of the cottage was as soon as a Christian hospice.

Today this cosy countryside cottage is a mere five-minutes drive from the closest massive browsing seaside at Mawgan Porth. It can also be a canine pleasant seaside for simple entry from a dog-friendly cottage.

The welcome

E-mails with instructions, the quantity for a key field and notification that the cleaners have departed forward of schedule, all make for a stress-free arrival.

The cottage

The Airbnb super-host’s nation stylish decor brings out the cottage’s character. It’s a time warp of sloping white-washed partitions, historic timbers and undulating flooring.

Although the kitchen has all of the mod-cons you want, together with a dishwasher and microwave, in contrast to many a vacation house you don’t want a techie PhD to function the hob and toaster.

Adjacent to the lovable kitchen is a solidly substantial wood desk for six. Sat at that desk, subsequent to the router, is the optimum spot for working from vacation. On the quietest of roads, the one distraction would be the rooks and wooden pigeon.

In the lounge, a hefty, timber beam tops an uncovered stone hearth with built-in bread oven. With radiators protecting the entire cottage toasty, that cavernous hearth now shows dried flower preparations.

As the sunshine lavatory, that includes a bathe over the bathtub, is on the bottom ground, the primary ground is devoted to 2 giant double bedrooms. Both look out over Spring swathes of blue forget-me-nots within the wrap round backyard. The master suite has a brilliant kingsize double mattress and the bedrooms have loads of darkish wooden cupboard space.

In the backyard, tall thick hedges create a patio sun-trap for al fresco meals on the desk.

The location

Initially, St. Mawgan looks like the quintessential Cornish village: thirteenth century parish church, pleasant pub, tea room, craft store and a ford for crossing the River Menahyl. Then you come throughout the Japanese Garden and it’s 20,000 bonsai timber. A little bit Zen island of wind chimes, rock sculptures and moss gardens in deepest Cornwall.

But most company journey to this shipwreck-and-smugglers shoreline for seashores that shimmer because the tide rolls out, for the last word Atlantic curler. It is a dramatic shoreline for kayaking, paddle boarding, browsing and swimming.

A drive of lower than fifteen minutes takes you to surf colleges at Mawgan Porth, Newquay or Watergate Bay. Remember that Fistral Beach is famend globally as one of many world’s nice browsing seashores.

The National Trust supplies parking and Tea Shop for a go to to Bedruthan Steps. Take a stroll by way of splashes of purple and yellow clifftop flowers to look out over the rock stacks.

So spectacular are the shoreline views that almost all guests are tempted so as to add on a number of miles of the South West Coast Path. Some even consider devoting a few months of their life to stroll all 630 miles across the South West peninsula from Minehead to Poole.

Additionally, Cornwall is famend for its gardens and it’s round 40 minutes to each the futuristic Eden Project and the extra retro Lost Gardens of Heligan that appears again to the period of the grand nation home property.

Other good touches

Old Lanvean is a spot to wind down for households and buddies. There’s an entire cabinet full of board video games and DVDs.

Just to ensure that know you’re in Cornwall mode, the welcome pack contains scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam for a DIY cream tea. Cornish gingerbread, Cornish tea and Cornish ingesting chocolate hammer house the situation.

The price

Prices start from £700 per week with two night time stays out there in off-season. Just a few weeks are nonetheless out there for Summer 2024 and the net calendar is now out there for reserving for 2025.

The finest bit

You don’t should self-cater. A five-minute stroll down a quiet personal street takes you to Hawkey’s Cafe, the place the cheerful proprietor cooks breakfasts from 8 am and serves snacks all through the day. Come midday, the wonderful Falcon Inn is open for house cooked lunches and dinners on a regular basis besides Monday.

Down at Watergate Bay Hotel, overlooking a two-mile lengthy seaside, Zacry’s on the Sea Wall supplies horizon-view fine-dining. Whilst The Beach Hut, just about on the seaside, has a extra informal menu.

Up above, The Living Space merges deck-chairs on the terrace, bar stools on the bar, sofas and tables, enabling guests to slide from espresso to lunch to drinks to dinner.

The ultimate verdict

Selected for The Times 2023 assortment of “40 Cool cottages for Spring”, Old Lanvean was fairly rightly recognised for its capability to protect thatched interval appeal with design savvy up to date consolation.

Old Lanvean is a cottage for all seasons. Beyond peak season it’s a cosy base for exploring Cornwall’s charms as soon as the crowds have departed: days when you’ve gotten seashores and miles of clifftop to your self. Whilst in December there’s the chance to dip into Padstow’s Christmas pageant.

Disclosure: Our keep was sponsored by Old Lanvean Cottage.

Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards is a journey author from Oxfordshire, UK. Although Michael had his first journey items printed practically 4 many years in the past, he’s nonetheless discovering new luxurious locations to go to and write on.