Play Days

Plays days make for happy days and today we were very happy at Tregongeeves as we took delivery of our new soft play and rockers.  As I am sure you can see from the pictures the grandchildren loved testing out the equipment.


The Recreation Room has had a complete make over this winter, with a new upstairs providing stunning views across the valley, and with yesterday's gales it proved a wonderful, warm retreat to storm gaze from.  The upstairs is home to the table tennis, pool table, air hockey, dvd library and information leaflets.

Downstairs we have loved letting out our inner child.  Who didn't want a purpose bit Wendy House under the stairs complete with kitchen and dolls crib?  Or for the more adventurous youngsters why not scramble over the soft play area or rock and roll on the pig and cow.  There is a huge play mat, train table and for the adults - a coffee machine and papers to enjoy whilst the children relax in this amazing new space.

We love it and hope you will do to?

A Very Cornish Christmas!

Families and loved-ones reunite, communities around the country are decorated with colourful lights and wooly knitted jumpers with reindeers on become ever so common; this time it’ll be Christmas  Day and we can’t wait!

Christmas begins in Cornwall, with the City of Lights in Truro, which I think you'll agree from looking at the photos was pretty impressive. The great thing is that the City of Lights is just a taster of the many great events and displays to follow! 

Christmas in Cornwall is truly magical, from harbourside illuminations to festive fayre, we truly embrace Christmas in our county. There are a number of wonderful events for you to enjoy running right up until the New Year, below you’ll find a few of our personal favourites:

Christmas at Eden

What a treat to have this world-famous attraction just up the road! At Christmas Eden transforms it’s Rainforest biome into an enchanted wonderland, where all things festive are celebrated through live performance, music and even a few guest visits from the man in red himself - complete with reindeers of course! Be sure to make the most of their indoor ice-rink too, who knows your family could contain the next Torvill and Deane!

Victorian Christmas Fair

For the 11^th time, Truro turns back the clock for 6 days by welcoming the glorious Victorian market.  This market has been rated the 5^th best in the UK and will be visited by tens of thousands of people all looking to pick up Christmas gifts and local high quality produce. Exhibitors are handpicked to ensure only the best is on offer to visitors, Victorian attire is also in the contract for them.  You can also expect live music and mulled wine! If you love impressing your loved ones with unique and interesting gifts, then this one’s for you!

Nadelik at Pendennis Castle

Nadelik is all about experiencing a true Cornish Christmas, including the slightly odd traditions. This is a great event for those with children as they can really get stuck into the activities planned, whilst parents can assist and enjoy a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie (or two). You can expect carols, dancing, arts & crafts sessions and “Lighting and Chalking the Block”.  We can guarantee you won’t have experienced anything like this before!

Mousehole Christmas Illuminations

30,000 people travel from across the county as this historic habourside village is lit up for the festive period. For those of you who have visited Mousehole before, you’ll know it is a very traditional, picturesque village; add the lights and it really is a spectacular sight, which may I add is run completely by volunteers. This is something you need to witness for yourself.  

Mousehole & Truro photo credit: Paul Watts

A Short Autumn Getaway at Tregongeeves

This week's blog post comes straight from the mouthes, or keyboard, of one of our lovely guests who kindly took the time to write a full review of their weekend staying in Swallows and shared it with us. So we thought we'd share it with you and give you a look into a short autumn break at Tregongeeves. 

Flicking through the welcome pack - look at those scones! 

After a long week at work it was amazing to know that as soon as the clock chimed at 5 o’clock we could escape reality for a couple of days. We met up in Truro and within an hour of finishing work we had arrived at Tregongeeves; almost immediately we sensed the serenity that surrounds the farm cottages. We walked in to a generous welcome pack including homemade scones, jam, clotted cream on the table and a full breakfast pack (eggs, bread, milk, locally sourced bacon and sausages) in the fridge. With the knowledge that breakfast was sorted, we dumped our belongings in the bedroom and took a short stroll down to ThePolgooth Inn.

  

The cosiest of living rooms

We must have been lucky because as we arrived at the pub, slightly damp from the rain, a small table became available right next to the crackling fire. Although the pub was full, the barmaid took the time to talk us through all the local ales and cider and also let us try a sample before ordering. We ordered a pint of St Austell Ales’ seasonal ale; a large rose and were not disappointed. The menus were full of dishes that made your mouth water, but in the end we went for a crispy beef salad to start followed by a homemade vegetable burger with Cornish Yarg and sweet chilli and the pork special; all of which were the perfect size and full of flavour. It’s safe to say the walk home was made significantly more merry thanks to an evening of good food, friendly locals and a few glasses of wine!

We woke at around 9am on Saturday after a good night sleep in the most humongous bed, and within half an hour we were tucking in to the breakfast pack; I can personally recommend the sausages from local butchers Kittows, which the other half described as “proper sausages”!

Mevagissey Harbour

After breakfast we headed off to Mevagissey to explore the winding streets. A busy little fishing town full of character and fish for sale around every corner, Mevagissey is full of traditional Cornish charm. The small aquarium at the end of the harbour is definitely worth a visit; I must admit I had no idea what Sea Bream actually looked like before this trip. We headed back to the car and took the short drive to Charlestown, as I’m a self-confessed Poldark addict!

Charlestown - Polder's filming territory 

Charlestown is beautiful, granted there’s not much there but what is there is well worth exploring. Having missed lunch we decided to treat our selves to an ice-cream from the award winning Tall Ships Creamery, and what a treat it was. The rest of the day was spent simply gazing out to sea and chatting sat on the harbour walls.

We became rather fond of these donkeys

Once back at the farm, we decided to go see the animals. Now, we might be adults, but feeding the chickens and brushing the donkeys still put a huge smile on our faces – we just felt completely free. After a quick swim in the heated pool and a relaxing session in the bubbling spa (which is an absolute must), we got ready for dinner. Judith was able to point us in the direction of a few great restaurants, of which we chose the Rashleigh Arms in Charlestown. Being on holiday, we decided to get a taxi which costs £6 each way. The food was all homemade and for a cider and a meal each it cost less than £30. We then headed down to the Harbourside Inn and were completely blown away by the electric atmosphere as a local band played in the corner. Locals welcomed us in and we even had a bit of a boogie at one point.

For us, Sunday’s are spent relaxing, so we had a lazy day in bed and cream teas for breakfast – perfectly acceptable when on holiday in Cornwall! We then pottered over to the golf course next door, who lent us a few clubs for the driving range. The staff at St Austell Golf Course are very welcoming and if it was nearer we would be visiting again for sure.

St Austell Golf Club

After golf, we reluctantly packed up our stuff, went for one last walk down the country lanes and said goodbye to Tregongeeves. All in all, we were amazed at the level of detail gone in to each and every aspect of the cottage: the locally sourced welcome pack, the immaculate set-up and the way that everything from sauce-pans to tennis rackets to olive oil is provided. Tregongeeves is a very special place where we literally had NOTHING to worry about which was absolutely bliss - We now feel like we're ready to face the Christmas madness! We’ll be returning in the New Year to explore more walks, taste more local produce and experience the South Coast of Cornwall in all its winter glory.

To find out more about our short break packages please click here. 

Inspired by Poldark

People have been flocking to Cornwall for their holidays for well over a century now, some even naming Cornwall as their favourite place on the whole planet – quite the statement! In all honesty we can see why it’s played such a big part in many people’s holidays, and we feel very lucky to be able to provide a base for people to create those happy holiday memories that will stay with them for a lifetime.

We're pretty sure that a large part of the attraction to Cornwall is because of it’s breathtaking scenery, in particularly those famous golden beaches. So we're not surprised that in the past few years a certain film crew have cottoned on to Cornwall’s natural beauty, yes we’re talking about Poldark of course. They may not have been the first film crew to choose Cornwall as their set location, but they’ve definitely done a good job of showing the rest of the world just how special our county is – and it’s a great story!  So we thought we'd dedicate this weeks blog to everyone's favourite Cornish Officer, Ross Poldark, and how you can experience a fraction of his lifestyle whilst staying at Tregongeeves. 

     1.  Saddle up in Bodmin

Bodmin Moor was used to film many of the inland shots in the last Poldark series and so why not saddle up and have a gallop across the moor - it's the perfect place to do so. Imagine wind in your hair, the pounding of horses hooves and views that are second to none, it’s a great way to experience another side of Cornwall (whilst saving your legs). There are a number of stables and riding schools on the moor who cater for all abilities, with sessions lasting between 2 and 10 hours. Fancy a quick hack? We’d be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

                                  Photo Credit - Adam Gibbard/Visit Cornwall

2.     Visit Poldark Mine

Poldark Mine is the only full tin mine in Cornwall that offers underground guided tours, so you can experience the intense change in temperature, feel the ragged tunnels and witnesses the sheer darkness for yourself.  It’s hard to explain what the tour is like as it captures and takes over the body's senses, you really do have to do it for yourself. There’s so many unique features to see, infact the chairman of English Heritage listed it as “one of the two most atmospheric mine tours in Europe”.

3. Take to the sea

Poldark, as we know, is very naval based and some of the most beautiful locations can only be seen from the water. But never fear, where there’s a will there’s a way: Head up to Koru Kayaking in St Agnes and hire a kayak. A couple of hours paddling will give you more than enough time to see Cornwall from a different angle. If the thought of being at sea on your own is quite frankly rather daunting, don't worry there's no need to miss out: you can book a kayaking tour where an instructor will share his expert knowledge with you whilst taking in the iconic coves and cliff faces. 

Photo Credit - Adam Gibbard/Visit Cornwall

 4. Head down to Charlestown

We've already spotted the crew filming down in this beautiful town's harbour just a couple of weeks ago. Charlestown plays home to the medieval ships in the first series of Poldark and is intact the most common harbour scene throughout. This quaint harbour is home to magnificent ships with high sails, infact the whole town is very traditional looking. This being said, it’s also home to some amazing little café’s where you can taste one of Poldark’s favourite meals - The classic Cornish Pasty of course!

So why not head down to Cornwall and take a step back from a world full of modern technology for a while. Of course there’ll still be the luxury of the fully heated swimming pool and hot tub for you at Tregongeeves – but we’re pretty sure even Poldark would have had a quick spa session if he had the opportunity!

September in Cornwall: It's ALL about the food!

September’s here and there is one thing on everybody’s mind this month, food!

This month we’re celebrating the excellent standard and huge variety of produce that can be found right here in beautiful Cornwall. 

We’re very lucky to live in a county that produces such rich produce; from crab freshly caught off the coast of Newlyn to asparagus grown in the fields of Wadebridge in the north of the county, we’ve got it all. 

If you’re a bit of a foodie, then Cornwall’s definitely the place for you, and there’s no better time to visit than September. There are a number of events and festivals being held that are dedicated completely to the best Cornish food, so why not head down and indulge in the best of our county’s produce. P.S There’s more than just pasties on the menu!

Photo credit - Matt Jessop 

10^th – 27^th September: Eden’s Food Festival at the Eden Project

The Eden project is adding a twist to the plant to plate story by providing a whole range of activities including a family fun weekend and the addition of a number celebrity chefs demonstrating how to cook fun and exciting dishes at home. 

Photo credit: Visit Cornwall 

11^th -13^th of September: Newquay Fish Festival at Newquay Harbour

A well known event throughout the south-west, the Newquay Fish Festival is the perfect opportunity to try some of the country’s finest seafood and learn from leading chefs, such as Rick Stein, how to conjure up the perfect fishy dish.  There’s also going to be a heap of music include a Cornish Ceili and Last Night of the Proms, straight from the Royal Albert Hall.  

19^th September – 4^th October: Harvest Festival at the Garden’s of Heligan

The harvest festival takes place every autumn and is a sight not to be missed. It is promised to be “an experience for all the senses”. Not only are the displays phenomenal but this event also gives guests the opportunity to try some of the more unusual Heritage varieties of fruit and vegetables from the garden in daily tasting sessions. 

Photo Credit: Matt Jessop 

25^th September: Lobster Fish Supper at Watergate Bay, Newquay

September marks the end of Lobster season, but don’t fear you have the chance to get your lobster fix at this spectacular event. You can expect wine, summer cocktails, fabulous desserts and mountain of exquisitely cooked Lobster, all enjoyed on the beach with live music and dancing. What’s not to love? 

Photo Credit: Toby Lowe/Cornwall Food & Drink 

25th - 27th September: The Great Cornish Food Festival, Lemon Quay in Truro 

An absolute must for any true foodie, the Great Cornish Food Festival is known for for having the biggest variety of produce out of the shows. The festival will see a mass of celebrity chefs giving demonstrations, whilst local producers will be selling their produce at very competitive prices. If you're looking for a chutney thats a little bit out of the ordinary or a proper Cornish ale then this is the place to be. 

26^th September: Celtic Breadmaking Workshop at Bedruthan Steps 

Join master breadmaker and Red & Wild Chef, Adam Clark for a day of breadmaking in this stunning location. You’ll produce bread from many celtic regions including sweet saffron bread and lardy cake from our home county of Cornwall. Just imagine the smell of freshly baked bread with views over the sea…

If any of the above sounds tempting then we can help. We still have limited availability at discounted prices for September, so you can have the perfect relaxing getaway with the addition of some of the county’s best food…Ideal. 

 Photo Source: Visit Cornwall

Silver Shoes and Golden Stars

With September less than a week away, we've had to turn our thoughts to Autumn and accept that Summer is slowly coming to a close - sob! But thinking back over the last couple of years, September seems to be getting a bit of a reputation for having lovely weather, almost like an Indian Summer.

These past few weeks we've been completing a couple of farming jobs, all of which have been made quicker thanks to a some little helpers. Last week the farrier paid our horses a visit which filled the children with excitement. As the farrier fitted the horse new shoes the look of mesmerisation on the children's faces was a brilliant site. At the end of the fitting, each child received one of the horses old shoes as a little keepsake from their stay at Tregongeeves. I like to think that in a few years they'll find the shoe in a draw and reminisce all their holiday memories. 

So in addition to the excitement of bailing the hay and watching the farrier, we've got some news to share...Last week we welcomed an inspector from the Tourist Board to Tregongeeves and we're very happy to say that we passed everything (with flying colours too!) and retained our 4 glittering golden stars. Having 4 stars is amazing but what really makes our day is reading about your experience on Facebook or on the reviews you leave us with; There's nothing better than knowing you contributed to someones blissful memories. So next time you stay with us, please leave us a review or let us know what you got up to, it really does make our day. 

So with Autumn we get to see a quieter Cornwall which makes it the perfect time for exploring. We love the crunch of leaves under our feet and sitting in front of the open fire down at the Polgooth Inn, so although Summer may be slowly fading away, we've got lots to luck forward to. Here's a few dates to pencil in your diary:

• Gorsedh Kernow: 1st-6th September 
• Bude for Food: 18th-20th September
• Truro Food Festival: 25-27th September
• The Full Monty at Hall For Cornwall: 28th September - 2nd October 
• Lord of the Flies at Hall For Cornwall: 20th October - 24th October