Kilminorth Cottages — Graham Custance Photography

An ancient manor farm, converted into a collection of beautiful Cornish cottages, just two and a half miles from the coastal resort of Looe…yes please! Oh, and it’s only four miles from one of Cornwall’s gems, Polperro, the iconic 13th Century traditional fishing village. Welcome to Kilminorth Cottages fourteen stylishly refurbished holiday homes but still preserving some of their original features (we loved the exposed stone work in our cottage).

We were met by the owner, Jayne, who gave us a tour of the grounds, which included the stunning 32 acres of woodland, which was an ideal setting for our Labrador Riley to exercise, passing the marquee which is the perfect location to host a wedding, which Kilminorth specialise in - Jayne had two viewings from prospective couples that afternoon.

Next stop was the outside swimming pool, which was a treat during the heatwave that we were experiencing. Next to the pool area, Kilminorth now have a covered licensed bar offering the most amazing cider! Talking of Scrumpy, this was one of the names of the cottages, as well as Apple, Oat, Granary and South Meadow, which was going to be the place where we would chill out in the garden under the stars after each long day exploring so many picturesque coves, villages and beaches during the week.

South Meadow, as its name suggests, overlooks the meadow and is the only one level ground floor cottage on site with a luxury double bedroom, twin bedroom and shower room. A nice open plan living and kitchen area, equipped with all of the required appliances. Comfortable sofa and chair in front of a flat screen television and dining table and chairs overlooking the courtyard, which afforded lots of parking spaces for the surrounding cottages.

Our first trip was the short drive to Polperro, somewhere that I had visited before and knew that the best time to capture this gorgeous fishing village was at high tide when there are lots of reflections of the cottages in the water. I always use a tide table app on my iPhone to plan the day to coincide with the high water.

Cottages cling to the cliffs of this beautiful fishing village, it’s an artist’s paradise with buildings draped in greenery and a pretty harbour containing colourful boats and turquoise waters.

Most places of interest in Polperro are focused around its harbour, which is surrounded by pubs, cafes, and bars. Polperro harbour still functions as a fishing port today, and one of the main fish caught in the area is the pilchard, a small fish that’s part of the herring family. Many of the cottages are covered with a profusion of flowers in summer.

The village was notorious for smuggling activities during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Everyone conspired to hide the duty-free goods from the excise men. When John Wesley visited the village in 1762, he remarked that all the locals were involved in smuggling.

The seaside town of Looe keeps visitors entertained all year round whilst still retaining a working fishing port. Stand on the quayside in the evening and watch the boats return before dining on fresh fish in a local restaurant

Lantic Bay has long been on my list of places to visit in Cornwall. A real hidden gem, completely off the beaten track (literally, a good mile walk down steep & rocky path), but well worth it because the beach is unspoilt and picturesque. Unfortunately the day we visited, was one of the hottest with no breeze and very humid and although we walked to the top of the cliff path, Riley was really feeling the heat and we decided it would not be wise to venture down to the beach on such a hot day, so I had to make do with this view looking down.

So instead we drove to Polruan, where we parked at the top of the hill overlooking the sea and walked along the coast path and down through the village to the harbour. From here we caught the passenger ferry for the short trip across the water to Fowey. A lovely trip - ferries are frequent - good value for money and a pleasant trip across made better by glorious weather - the onboard staff were friendly and helpful in getting on/off the ferry … which was a bonus with Riley taking his first trip on a boat.

Seaton is a small village with a beach located three miles east of Looe at the mouth of the River Seaton (Not to be confused with Seaton in Devon). Seaton Beach is mostly shingle and stretches all the way from the river to the small resort of Downderry, about a mile to the east. A lovely place to photograph the sunset and we had a nice meal at The Beach House restaurant on the promenade.

The twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand snuggle in-between wooded hills and Plymouth Sound. Once a haven for smugglers they are now great places to visit in what is one of the least visited parts of Cornwall.

We can highly recommend The Devonport Inn in Cawsand, which is where the photograph of the bunting lined promenade was taken overlooking the beach, their cream tea was delicious. Walk along the coast path where you will see the lovely view of Kingsand through the perfectly framed archway and as you descend down to the pastel coloured houses on the narrow streets.

Portloe is considered by many to be the jewel in the crown of the Roseland Peninsular and one of the prettiest villages in Cornwall. It’s steep sided valleys has meant that it has managed to escape development over the years and many buildings differ little from when they were built. It’s name develops from the Cornish Porth Logh meaning “cove pool”. The naturally sheltered position meant that the village grew in the seventeenth and eightheenth centuries as a busy pilchard fishing port.

We had lunch at the Lugger Hotel a unique 17th-century inn, located right on the water’s edge overlooking the harbour.

We quickly fell in love with Whitsand Bay, located between Rame Head and Portwrinkle, this is possibly one of the best stretches of beach in this part of Cornwall. Whitsand Bay consists of an expanse of sand approaching 4 miles in length towards low tide where several smaller coves and beaches join up.

Access to the beach is tricky at the best of times owing to the steep, high cliff paths from car parks at either end. The easiest access is from the car park near Tregantle Fort leading to Long Sands beach. Whilst the fort is a remnant of coastal defences from the Napoleonic era the area is still in use by the military. We also managed to park on the side of the road and walk down the path after taking refreshments at the Cliff Top Cafe

Just a little bit further along the coast from Mevagissey, you will arrive at the hidden gem of Gorran Haven, nestling in a sleepy cove The bay is sheltered from the prevailing west winds by Dodman Point and swimmers can enjoy two sandy beaches offering some of the safest bathing in Cornwall, making them ideal for the whole family, including dogs – (on leads, between Easter and September).

My birthday was spent at Talland Bay, where you have a choice of the Beach Cafe or the Talland Bay Hotel
Both were excellent and after you have sampled their dishes, take a walk along the coastal path for some spectacular views