A holiday to Cornwall

Last week we went to Woodside Holiday Lets in Saltash, Cornwall where we had the most fabulous time. We booked for a full week from Friday to Friday and the holiday cost £680.

Woodside Holiday Lets

Run by Claire and Andrew who are such lovely hosts, they have 4 cottages (converted stables) that are all renovated in a contemporary style utilising the latest in building materials promoting eco and sustainable qualities together with the most recent energy saving technology such as underfloor heating and high performance thermal insulation. The cottages are powered by Woodsides’ own 100kw solar farm which me and the girls found impressive to see.

The cottages are set within 27 acres of land with woodlands that stretch over several acres and are rich in wildlife. Although we don’t personally have a dog, they are incredibly dog friendly here and have a 5 acre field area where dogs can be walked off the lead and families can walk together. We personally didn’t see any on our one trip to the woods (we were so busy exploring Cornwall) but the website says that Woodside is home to protected bats, owls, deer and a wild peacock! They are proud to provide a maternity roost for lesser horseshoe, long eared and pipistrelle bats. As part of their ecological commitment they have created a sustainable home for the wildlife which they hope everyone will respect and enjoy. From the hot tub at night it was lovely to hear the birds in the woodland.

Inside our cottage (we stopped in Woodside Fir) we were treated to a large open plan living area, kitchen and dining area with all the modern creature comforts. The lounge also included a fabulous childrens area with a hidey hole under the stairs, a table, chairs and Claire had kindly asked a few days before how old the girls were and equipped the cottage with an array of toys including a play kitchen, huge box of lego, loads of books and games. It was wonderful.

The cottage had two double bedrooms and additional sleeping if required on the sofa-bed (so essentially you could sleep 6 in this cottage and also cots can be used too). The one double bedroom can be turned into a twin room with single beds (which is what we chose for the girls), a large family bathroom with walk in shower (with the best shower experience I have ever had) and a large bath.

On the ground floor they also have a separate toilet. Upstairs is the master bedroom which is furnished with the comfiest king sized bed (I came home and said we needed a new mattress like the fabulous one here). The bedroom also had double aspect velux windows which were wonderful. There is something very special about lying in bed, looking up at the stars. Even the morning we woke up to rain was lovely, watching it hit the windows and roll down. The bedroom also has a large en-suite with a walk in shower.

Another great addition was a washing machine and tumble dryer. Perfect for those sandy days on the beach. We did a load of washing and it meant we had less washing to do when we got home which was great.

The private outdoor areas are wonderful. We had a hot tub in the one section and in the other section, a patio table, grass area and a BBQ for use in the summer season.

The garden overlooked the communal lawn – perfect for ball games and a fabulous play area for the children which included swings, a slide and a play train.

We loved how thoughtful and friendly the hosts were and the bottle of prosecco in the fridge on arrival was a lovely touch.

What did we do?

The holiday cottages are located in South East Cornwall near the estuary town of Saltash, home of the Tamar Bridge which although gave a rural setting, it also had easy access to some of the best places to visit in and around Cornwall and Devon. We arrived late on the Friday as we went after school, so we grabbed a few bits from the local Lidl (5 minutes from the cottage) and headed to check in, then all jumped in the hot tub for a Friday night relax.

Saturday

We woke up Saturday morning, had breakfast and went to explore the cottage grounds. The girls liked the large field and exploring the woods.

We then headed to Seaton Beach, a large pebble beach over a mile long. Alongside the beach is the esplanade, a flat walking area that stretches alongside the coastline – with the town at one end, and a cafe at the other. The South West Coast Path runs alongside this stunning beach and you can walk to the nearby picturesque village of Beer. We however parked by the Seaton Beach Cafe and just let the children play on the beach there. Although predominantly a pebble beach, nearer the sea it was sandy.

Seaton is set in a landscape of outstanding natural beauty, and part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site .

After popping back to the cottage to get changed from sandy clothes, we headed into Saltash to have a walk across the famous Tamar Bridge.

A suspension bridge built in 1961 by Cornwall and Plymouth Councils to create a route across. It is used by over 16 million vehicles a year.

We decided to get some food in Saltash from The Book Shelf a lovely book shop and café in the centre of Saltash. The food here was delicious and well worth a visit. They have a balcony overlooking the river that you can sit on through the summer. We however sat at one of the tables upstairs in the book shop. Which was nice and open. You must try the milkshakes here! And the maple syrup and bacon pancakes (no pics of the pancakes as I munched them up).

Sunday

Sunday saw us driving into Looe.

Looe is a coastal town and historic fishing village divided into two parts, West Looe and East Looe. We headed into West Looe first where we played in the arcade (every seaside holiday has to include at least one visit to an arcade).

We then had a walk alongside the harbour to have food at the Tasty Corner Cafe. With homemade cakes, all day breakfasts and traditional lunches like Pie and Chips, they have something for everyone to enjoy.

From the West Coast you can look over to East Looe where the main hustle and bustle and beach is. There is an island just off the coast where you can see seals, so on the harbour side they have placed a statue of one of the seals that was well known to the area. Nelson the Seal. Nelson was a one eyed grey seal who entertained the locals for other 25 years and when he passed away in 2003, local animal sculptor Suzie Marsh created the bronze sculpture that now permanently sits on the rock by the entrance to the harbour.

We crossed over the bridge to East Looe and enjoyed a walk through the old cobbled harbour streets looking at the quaint shops. The streets are lined with independent shops, boutiques and an array of places to eat and drink. Many being seafood restaurants with traditional fish and chips. I loved seeing unique shops like the Cheese Emporium Deli, the Shell and Joke Shop, Heavenly Delights (where we did indeed get some fudge) and the TY beany store called Boo which had so many TY beanies, Remember them? My sister loved collecting them when we were little and the girls loved looking at them in the shop on Sunday.

We ended up getting some cakes from Sarah’s Cake Shop (the most delicious brownies and cupcakes) and headed to the beach to sit and have them.

It wasn’t long before we were seeing what treasures we could find (shells) in the harbour entrance at low tide and then we dipped our feet in the sea and made sandcastles on the beach. I say sandcastles, the girls dig and like to write in the sand using the spades.

On our way back to the car we stopped and looked at the RNLI Lifeboat Station. It is amazing to see what work they do and the girls loved the section where they could put their head through the stand.

After getting back to the car we decided to drive a little further down the road to Polperro which is just south of Looe. A picturesque fishing village with a cave, beach and plenty of opportunities for rock-pooling.

It is such a pretty little village with a multitude of photo opportunities.

We headed to Polperro Model Village which is a model village of Polperro outside and inside they have a model railway and the seven stories of the Land of Legend which using animated models, shares the legends and superstitions of Cornwall. Myth or truth? You decide. The Polperro Model Village has been entertaining visitors to Polperro since the late 1940’s. Having survived fire and floods, this famous Cornish attraction continues to delight families of all ages. You will only need about 30 minutes for this museum as it is only small but we recommend visiting as it is such a nice experience.

Monday

We woke up to rain on Monday which worked out well as we had a day at The Eden Project booked in which is thankfully mostly indoors and we explored the outer gardens when the rain stopped.

The Eden Project is a must if you visit Cornwall. It celebrates plants and the natural world, reconnects people with them and works to regenerate damaged landscapes and it is absolutely amazing to walk inside and experience.

We started off with the Rainforest Biome. An enormous indoor rainforest with temperatures between 18 – 35 degrees, over 1000 plants all like you would find inside rainforests in South East Asia, West Africa and South America.

It was an experience like no other. Waterfalls, birds, information and interactive sections about climate change, rope bridges. plants you would never normally see growing in the UK and we had such a brilliant time.

We then sat down for cake and a drink. I tried a can of Jolly’s Cornish Cola which was lovely. A cola made using Cornish spring water and some herbs and spices. I also had a yummy yoghurt flapjack which was delicious.

Next up was the Mediterranean Biome where we walked through a Mediterranean climate seeing sights, scents and stories from the Mediterranean, California, South Africa and Western Australia. We fell in love with some of the scents you could smell from rubbing your fingers on the leaves in the perfume section.

We loved the huge array of brightly coloured flowers (I took lots of pics), gnarled olive trunks and walking through the cactus garden. We even had a robin following us around the Biome.

Outside we explored the gardens. They had some play areas for children although because of the rain we decided not to use them. We explored and enjoyed taking in the stunning views and then had a look around the shop where we purchased a banana plant.

We headed to Route 38 an American diner for food before we went back to the cottage. They had huge food portions and a very extensive menu. Was the food brilliant, no, was it still enjoyable? Very much so.

Tuesday

We headed to Dartmoor Zoo for the morning on Tuesday. Have you heard of Dartmoor Zoo before?

It was created in the 1960’s as a private exotic animal collection and by 2006 the Zoo had fallen into disrepair and was threatened with closure. Along came Benjamin Mee, who with his family bought the site and set about creating the Zoo. His story, and that of his family, both humans and animals, is portrayed in his best-selling book ‘We Bought a Zoo’, which was also turned into a hit movie by Cameron Crowe, starring Matt Damon as Benjamin Mee and a host of other stars, including Scarlett Johansson.

After nine years in private ownership, during which Benjamin developed the collection, rebuilt the reputation of the Zoo, launched the Education and Research Department, he and his family donated the Zoo to a newly created charity, Dartmoor Zoological Society (DZS). DZS is now operated by a dedicated team of specialists that report to the trustees who have overall responsibility for the running and development of the DZS and we were so excited to be able to visit and enjoy a day at this zoo.

The zoo is home to a number of animals including African Lions, Tiger, Lynx, Capybara, Tapir, Wallabies, Cheetahs, Gelada, Jaguar, Iberian Wolf, Potoroo, Zebra, Meerkats and much more. With clean tidy play areas, a quiet play zone for those who need some quiet time, a large café with a shop and an area where you can get up close with the goats and Wallabies. With affordable experiences like Feed the Meerkats for 2 people for £30, it is a really affordable zoo where the animals are really looked after. I know zoo’s are not for everyone, but this one, it felt like a place where the animals are really cared for.

After the Zoo we headed to Saltram National Trust for the afternoon. The National Trust’s Saltram, Devon, is a magnificent Georgian mansion and tranquil garden overlooking the River Plym. The gardens are absolutely stunning, filled with bright coloured flowers and a fountain filled with the most tadpoles I have ever seen in my life. It is a wonderful place to explore.

From the quarter of a mile long lime avenue, believed to be the longest of its type in Europe, to the orange grove, a peaceful spot with a Mediterranean feel which is the perfect place to soak up the sun and search for insects and tadpoles in the pond.

We looked inside the 18th century working Orangery and it was so peaceful and pretty.

We ended our trip here enjoying a play in the outdoors play area.

After we left Saltram we went to Plymouth to get some fish and chips by the harbour for our evening meal. We looked around at the restaurants and decided on the Harbour Seafood Restaurant. Which we were incredibly impressed with. It was our favourite meal of the holiday as the food was fantastic. The food was superb and the views, breath-taking. We could look out over the Barbican’s cobbles, colourful fishing boats and watch the world go by. It was wonderful.

Wednesday

We spent the whole day at Cotehele National Trust which has 3 sites, the atmospheric Tudor house with Medieval roots, a working mill and a historic quay, a glorious garden with valley views and an expansive estate to explore. It had the most stunning display of daffodils of all different varieties.

The girls loved the wooden play areas which were both wonderful additions for children.

Thursday

Sadly our holiday ended early on this day. Jemima tripped over her own feet on the path and managed to break 2 bones in her wrist/arm so we spent the day at Plymouth Hospital with the most amazing A&E Paediatrics team who manipulated her arm and put her on the road to recovery. Although we had one more day left, we decided to pack up and head home that evening to make sure we could get Jemima booked in with our own Fracture Clinic for her re-cast next week before the weekend started.

We had a fabulous holiday and would thoroughly recommend a stay here at Woodside Holiday Lets. We booked through https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/ but Woodside Holiday Lets say you can book via them for the best deals on their own website here: http://woodsideholidaylets.com/contact-us-at-woodside-holidays-cornwall/

Just to add, this is not an advertisement. We paid for everything on this holiday and had such a brilliant time we wanted to take the time to let you know about these wonderful places.