Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Cornish Sea: Tremaine Manor and Country Cottages Review

A holiday cottage in Cornwall is always a nice idea. Somewhere remote where you can get away from it all, along with your favourite people. All the home comforts and a chance to explore somewhere new. But what if you forget to pack the home comforts? Or the British weather fails to deliver? Or your family drive you completely mad and you need a break within 24 hours of arriving? Time to check out Tremaine Manor and Country Cottages, near Looe.

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Tremaine Manor and Country Cottages Review

STAY

Originally a working farm dating back 400 years plus, Tremaine Manor and Country Cottages in Cornwall consists of 12 cottages, a grand manor house and a hidden luxury shepherd’s hut with private hot tub. Around 15 minutes’ drive from the rugged Cornish coast, you’ll be glad to arrive unscathed if you’re the designated driver navigating the perilous cliff roads and steep one-lane tracks of the area. But in your cottage, you’ll find a comfortable bed to make you feel at home and ensure a good night’s rest (plus a complimentary bottle of sloe gin if you’re in need of a strong measure to regain your composure). Here, you’ll have all the comfort and privacy of a self-catering stay, with all the luxury of a hotel break. If you’ve stayed in one of Peter De Savary‘s properties before, you’ll know it’s his attention to detail that elevates your stay: this is no ordinary holiday cottage. Every interior finish is impeccable, perfectly bringing up-to-date the charming details of the original properties. Most properties have appealing private outdoor spaces (Mariner’s Cottage, our one-bedroom hub, had a lovely front garden complete with firepit and BBQ), but it is the shared grounds that make Tremaine Manor a welcoming retreat for all the family.

Manor House Bedroom

DO

These shared grounds boast a tennis court, table tennis, games room stocked with pool table and countless card and board games, mini golf course, farm (with adorable miniature horses and pygmy goats), playground and double hammock for lounging in. If the kids are driving you mad, send them out and with luck they’ll make friends with the other children staying in no time. Getting them back again may prove more challenging.

Of course, in this picturesque corner of England it would be remiss to remain on the grounds for your entire getaway, however appealing. Within easy (roads aside) reach are the picturesque fishing village of Polperro and popular seaside town of Looe. This stretch of coast has a host of stunning beaches, although some are only accessible at low tide, as is the beautiful Chapel Pool at Polperro (pictured, top), surely one of the country’s prettiest natural pools, accessed by steep cliff-side stone steps but well worth checking out if the weather is warm. Our pick of the beaches is Lansallos, a quiet sand, shingle and rocky beach that can be reached by a 20-minute cliff walk from a National Trust car park; worth it for the stunning views on the way and to escape the crowds at nearby Looe and Millendreath.

EAT

Your cottage will be stocked with everything you’ll need for your first breakfast but after that you’ll want to get out and explore all that the region has to offer. Flaky, buttery pasties for lunch, fresh seafood for dinners and as many Cornish ice creams as you can stomach. Of course, fish and chips on the beach is a must, just beware the seagulls. Any essentials you need at short notice can be found in the on-site shop, open 9-11 daily, or at the nearby Spar at Pelynt, which can be reached on foot in 20 minutes, via a public footpath that leads through a corn field: delightful. The Blue Peter Inn at Polperro offers excellent food from its harbour-front view; just remember to take cash for the car park, finding an ATM beyond Looe or marginally out of hours is a challenge.

THE FINAL WORD

Everything you want from your traditional English seaside staycation, but make it luxe. Luxe interiors, luxe beds, luxe service, luxe grounds and if your luck’s really in, some glorious English weather.

BOOK IT

The 1-bed cottages start at £150 in low season, up to the 7-bedroom manor house starting from £700. There is a 3-night minimum on all bookings | tremainemanor.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Eco initiatives include recycling via the waste centre, eco-friendly toiletries, electric vehicle charging points, recycled coffee pods and on-site garden with seasonal herbs and vegetables for guests to enjoy. More on ecotourism.

Featured image: Chapel Pool, Polperro, photo by Rebecca Cox