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 

Down On The Farm

This past week we’ve heard tales of crabbing, sunbathing and sunset walks from our guests, which can only mean one thing – summer is finally here! It’s been lovely to see our guests enjoying the sunshine, with children playing in the courtyard and parents becoming top barbecue chefs in the evenings. We’ve got our fingers crossed that the sunshine is here to stay!

However, we’ve also got some sad news to share with you all. We’ve recently said goodbye to one of our oldest residents at Tregongeeves, Alice, our white donkey. Rescued by Judith in the late 90’s, Alice and her daughter Angelica have lived on the farm for the past 18 years where they have become firm favourites with our guests. Alice was a real lady and loved because of her polite nature; you could always find her waiting patiently by the fence, ready to be groomed or to accept her favourite treat, a carrot.

We'll all miss our Alice, but I'm happy to say that our other donkeys are their usual happy soles and are continuing to work their way through the acres of grass in the sunshine. 

Walks: The Wild and The Wonderful

One of the greatest things about Cornwall is the sheer amount of natural, untouched landscapes that are just ideal for a day of exploring. There’s no better feeling than reaching the top of a hill, looking down and just admiring the view and what you have accomplished. So why not make up some sandwiches, put on your wellies and go on your very own Cornish adventure. You’ll find a whole book of walks at the farm but here are a few of our favourites:

·       Gorran Haven and Dodman Point 

A 4 mile walk of moderate difficulty, however the views from Dodman point over Veryan Bay towards Nare Head make the slight struggle all so very worth while. Look out for the HUGE granite cross at Dodman point which was placed there in 1896 as anavigational aid for seafarers - it's also the perfect spot for a scenic photo! 

      Hall Walk 

Second up is the Hall Walk in Fowey. Meandering around the lower banks of the River Fowey, this particular route has been listed in Britain’s top 100 walks and is not too strenuous for the whole family to enjoy. If the promise of probably the best estuary views in the county isn’t enough to get you walking, then the many tea rooms and the thought of a cream tea should be.   

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       Luxulyan Valley

       The Luxulyan Valley can be described as nothing less than breathtaking. It’s thickly wooded terrain and steep granite sloops surround the fast-flowing River Par, whilst playing home to some quite extraordinary early 19^th century industrial remains which are completely unique to the West Country.   This 3 mile walk is one you will remember, and also the perfect spot to enjoy a proper Cornish Pasty!

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Photo Credit: Christopher Dart and Reading Tom (Flickr) 

The Real Cornwall

Cornwall, a holiday for many and a home to others but why do we all love it so much? There’s so many reasons, it’s impossible to list them all but one thing I particularly value is the great local produce that’s available year on year. From bacon for your breakfast to the world-famous clotted cream, we’ve got the very best produce right here in Cornwall.

If you’ve stayed at Tregongeeves before you’ll have had the pleasure of trying some of the best Cornish produce in your welcome pack.  We think it’s about time to shine some light on those responsible for producing such tasty food. 

Niles Bakery: You can always rely on the team at St Austell to provide you with a nice fresh loaf or if you’re feeling like a sweet treat their pastries are on a whole new level of deliciousness.

TrewithenDairy Farm: As their slogan says “Happy Healthy Cornish Cows” and if that wasn’t enough to put a smile on your face, the creamy taste that runs throughout their produce definitely will be.

Kittow’sButchers: Famous for their sausages, this award-winning butchers is based just down the road at Kilhallon Farm in Par. They are the ideal of a family business and if you like you can even follow their blog to find out what’s going down on the farm including how Laudamus, the Pedigree Ruby Red Devon Cow, is getting on with all his wives.

These are only a few of our favourite producers - we haven't even mentioned all the amazing fishing folk! -  but it's thanks to them that our guests get a delicious taster of real Cornwall. 

Say hello to our new arrivals

I feel it’s only right that this week’s post begins with a bit of appreciation for the fine British weather, hasn't it been glorious? All the animals up here at Tregongeeves have been very glad to enjoy a spot of sunbathing, however for a few it is a long awaited experience.

We’ve recently welcomed a few new additions to our farm in the form of 18 chickens that were very much in need of some TLC. Sadly, these chickens had spent their lives in cages in a battery farm; can you imagine never seeing the great outdoors? Don’t worry though, thanks to the British Hen Welfare Trust we were able to give them a new home right here at Tregongeeves.

In just under two weeks they’ve settled right in with the other chickens and are even ruling the show a little bit! It’s so lovely to see them stomping around the field knowing that grass is a totally new experience and although they don’t look 100% yet, they’re well on their way.

Keep checking our Tregongeeves news to find out how these chickens are getting on in their new walk of life.

Glorious weather, yet we are buying umbrellas!

New umbrellas

This morning when we arrived at Tregongeeves we were transported onto the set of 'I'm Singing in the Rain' - except there was no rain and the back drop was Tregongeeves.  You see Judith was let loose in Truro this week and as well as getting some lovely new garden furniture for various cottages she stumbled across the most beautiful umbrellas with various animals on them - so much so every cottage now has one for those occasional Cornish showers.  The umbrella display that greeted us was not exactly how I expected to start the day!

This week we have had glorious weather, the sun is really warm - in fact I even got sun burnt sitting in the garden.  We ventured to Cardinham Woods this week.  It is a really lovely spot for both families with young and older children and dog walkers.  There are a series of trails varying in length - we always do the Lady Vale walk as it is short and doable for toddler legs.  The worm trail keeps them entertained too.  There is a lovely natural play area and a beautiful cafe called Woods Cafe which offers yummy homemade cakes.  I am very excited about the woods as we have just signed up to the new Forest School running there - keep an eye out for one of events in the holidays run by the brilliant Claire.  We completed a term at a different venue before Christmas and the girls loved it so we cant wait to start again in April.  Over Easter Claire is offering various courses for families - their sessions fill up very quick as her reputation goes before her so book early to avoid disappointment.

Views from the Coast Guard Hut

This weekend we are going to take the girls to the coast guard hut at Caerhays.  It is the most stunning hidden gem.  Follow the signs for Caerhays Beach and on the sea side of the road you will find a pull in and see the top of a small hut.  Walk down to the hut and have your breath taken away.  The views are stunning in all directions, over looking the sea.  The small hut offers shelter from the sea breeze and the enclosed gardens lets little people explore whilst staying very safe.  It is the most amazing place.

We are going on a chick hunt...

There is a book that is loved in our house called 'We are going on a Bear Hunt'.  Well tomorrow Grannie, with two granddaughters in tow is 'going on a chick hunt'.  As you do!  Apparently there are some rare chickens available in near Falmouth that lay brown and green eggs (I am certain Judith will give you a much more accurate account of names and breeds than I can).  All I know is we are soon to be mothering 10 chicks under a lamp for a while whilst they grow strong enough to go outside.  Eggs have been a bit thin on the ground of late so hopefully over time this new members of the coup will get producing for us.

The rest of the animals are doing well.  The sheep very much enjoyed seeing their friends Pippa and Sam who are returning young guests, and enjoyed the attention they got from everyone during half term.  Alice also enjoyed having her hair trimmed by guests recently whilst the pigs enjoyed the extra food they got.

Over half term our younger visitors had fun not only feeding the animals each morning but also partaking in a bit of 'Tin Can Cooking'.  The feast was made even better by homemade shortbread.  We also had lots of fun creating crafts to decorate the Recreation Room windows.  We hope over the year our younger guests will help us make lots of lovely hand prints.

Today a very rare event occurred; my two girls fell asleep at the same time in the same place - the back of the car.  I can count the times this has happened over the last 10 months on one hand!  So what do you do in Cornwall when you have sleeping children in the car - you take in the view and the gloriously amazing spring sun.  I head to Caerhays Beach


when you can park and see the sea.  It is a must just for the view but it is a fantastic family beach too with a castle behind you it is a truely magical place to inspire young minds.