ANY holiday to Cornwall must involve pasties, as far as I’m concerned. Those are the rules. So to find five warm homemade ones on the table of our Polruan holiday house on arrival was definitely a good start to our week away.
I love the welcoming touches owners leave for their guests, and these had to be among the best I’d seen. Alongside the pasties were the usual tea, coffee and milk, but the special extras of fresh flowers, two bottles of wine, saffron cake and clotted cream were a real treat!
It set the tone of what was to be a wonderful stay in a brand-new property in the village of Polruan, on the south east coast of Cornwall.
Perfect accommodation to take grandparents
This holiday was the first time we had taken our five-month-old twin boys away. We knew looking after them, together with our two-year-old, Thomas, that this was never going to be a relaxing break. I may as well erase that word from my vocabulary for the next 18 years. Luckily grandparents joined us for half the week to share the load (and the pasties/cake/clotted cream/wine, of course) and Lowarth Chi proved to be the perfect accommodation for us all.
The house is positioned on the edge of Polruan at the top of a steep hill leading down into the village and across the estuary to Fowey. And when I say steep – I mean VERY steep. The climb back up proved too much for our hardy toddler, and I didn’t even attempt to push a double pram up it. But for those with less baggage than us, there is a lovely little harbour at the bottom for a wander and The Lugger Inn for a well-earned pint.
Lowarth Chi is perfectly located for walkers who can be on the stunning South West Coastal Path within five minutes, and a nearby play park was a welcome discovery for Thomas and his scooter.
Foot ferry takes you from Polruan to Fowey
The foot ferry at the bottom of Polruan village is an ideal way to hop across the river to Fowey and sample its fantastic offering of cafes, pubs and restaurants, as well as browse in a number of shops.
Polruan’s position on a headland jutting out into the Fowey estuary and Lowarth Chi’s high-up setting meant we had a lovely view out to sea and across the river from some of the rooms.
Much of the surroundings are part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and also a Special Area of Conservation and you can see why. The scenery is beautiful.
To get to Fowey (or indeed anywhere west from Polruan) by car, you need to drive the six miles through country lanes to Bodinnick and catch the car ferry across the river. Be warned though, this costs £4.80 for a single journey, and we soon racked up a fairly hefty bill using this route on our daily travels.
So much to do and explore in Cornwall
But there is so much to do in this area of Cornwall we were keen to head out every day.
First stop was the unspoiled late Georgian port of Charlestown, about a mile outside of St Austell. This picturesque and pristine village is a favourite of mine and it was great to visit with all the family in tow.
A bright but cold day meant we were able to eat our picnic overlooking the sea and have a play on the beach, as well as coffee and cake in one of its restaurants. Charlestown capitalises on its past by harbouring a fleet of square rigger ships, which were proving popular as usual to visitors when we were there.
A sunny morning spent in Looe
Another sunny morning was spent in Looe, just 25 minutes back towards home from Polruan and a perfect spot to entertain Thomas collecting stones and shells on the beach, looking at the boats, and playing in the arcade.
Whilst we were relatively nearby, we also took the opportunity to introduce all three boys to the delights of the Eden Project. Being the first week of November the place was so quiet it was ideal to walk around the biomes at a snail’s pace – especially when Thomas was convinced he’d find dinosaurs in amongst the plants. Who was I to tell him otherwise?
When the weather took a dip, we headed to Indoor Active soft play at Cornwall Services, where Thomas was able to burn off some energy, and Isaac discovered the baby area toys. His twin brother Toby slept through it all. Standard.
Plenty to do on a rainy day at the Polruan house
But if you didn’t want to leave the house, Lowarth Chi had plenty of board games, books and DVDs to keep you entertained.
And with such a beautiful property, there’s no reason to not make the most of it. Brand new in June 2016, it is modern and spacious, ideal for families or a group of friends. It sleeps 6 in three bedrooms (two doubles, one twin) with two bathrooms and the ability to convert the sofa into a bed for extra sleeping options.
It has a large kitchen/dining room and huge lounge, as well as a big table on the stylish outdoor patio so there are a number of possibilities for comfortable socialising and family time depending on the weather.
Everything a family needs is provided at Polruan house
The four star property is also ideal for families – a travel cot and high chair is provided, and with three children under three the washing machine and tumble dryer was a welcome bonus. Thomas also found the huge cushions on the settee perfect for building dinosaur caves, and the big understairs cupboard was the best hiding place in the house during a game of hide and seek with Daddy. What more does a two-year-old want?!
We had a great week away, and as much as Polruan isn’t the most accessible place in the world, the welcome and homely feel we experienced at Lowarth Chi made it totally worthwhile.
THE FACTS:
For more information about staying at Lowarth Chi, ring Cornish Horizons on 01841 533331, email them at cottages@cornishhorizons.co.uk.
Cornish Horizons is one of Cornwall’s top agencies representing some of the best holiday cottages throughout Cornwall. It offers a collection of over 500 cottages in popular locations including Padstow, St Ives, Looe, Fowey and Newquay.
How did I do?
Did you enjoy this post? Why not hang around and read a few other family travel reviews. You might like to find out about our stays at Bluestone in Wales, Greenwood Grange in Dorset, or Glynn Barton farm stay. Or check out my Travel Section for others. And if you fancy having a giggle at some of my parenting rants, head over to read some of my Mum Life posts.
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