The Journey to Cornwall
This week, with the relaxation of lockdown, I popped back to Surrey to see my parents for the first time since Christmas. Well, I say ‘popped’ but as we all know, Cornwall is a long way from anywhere isn’t it? Obviously I’m biased (and if we hated the journey that much we just wouldn’t have moved here, as keeping in touch with friends and family with regular visits is important to us), but if you time it right I would say it’s actually quite enjoyable. And yes, I have been stuck in an hour of stationary traffic just out of sight of Stonehenge with a vomiting 2 yr old, so I do think I have earned my expert badge in car journeys with kids!!
Top tips for a long journey
Never ever leave on a Friday afternoon. This absolutely never ends well (unless you have an audiobook trilogy you fancy listening to uninterrupted and no children in the car).
Much better to leave at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. Assuming you packed up the car the night before this is a better idea, but still risks everyone else in the country thinking the same (especially if it’s the first weekend of the school holidays)
Best of all, leave early on a Sunday morning. Plan to stop for breakfast on the way which always feels like a great treat. On a typical 5 hour journey to Cornwall you will then be here in time for lunch at the beach which is always a good thing. Years of experience have led to Sundays being the turnaround day at the Cornish Place, as we want you to arrive with the best possible start to your holiday!
Plan your journey with at least one proper stop that appeals to everyone. (See above - breakfast!). Try to avoid motorway service stations if at all possible.
A great book to help you on your travels!
Our Favourites
The Otter Valley Field KItchen EX14 9QN
Many of our guests are bringing dogs with them so will have to stop on the way. Our personal favourite dog stop, almost perfectly halfway from our previous home in Kingston, is the Cartgate service area in Somerset. There’s a large grassy area for dogs to stretch their legs, easily accessible toilets and a great little independent cafe which does a mean bacon sandwich! Although since the Otter Valley Field Kitchen opened a little further down the road, their woodfired pizzas, fab coffee and award winning ice cream have upped the game (you will have to have a bit more time to spare!). If you are coming from the North, then the M5 Gloucester Services are quite an experience to behold (resembling Teletubby land for those of us with kids of a certain age!) with a gourmet selection of food like no other. If you are coming from the London area, we would always suggest the A303 over the M4/5 just because it’s a much more interesting journey and gives so many more choices of where to stop.
2022 EDIT: Teals farmshop BA22 7FS is another game changer - “Stretch legs, run dogs (and children...) and eat well. Stock up for your first night, find a treat for a friend.”
Once you’ve made it past Exeter, then you only have around an hour and a half to go, but if you need that caffeine boost to get you through, then the Hog and Hedge is another great independent service station with reliable coffee and home made cakes and sandwiches.
So, you followed our advice and set off bright and early…. It’s lunchtime and you are very near so surely you can just turn up early?! Sadly not. We have a very strict 4pm check in policy which may sound a bit officious but we need every minute we can get to make your cottage and the communal areas just right. Hopefully you understand that good things come to those who wait and will be happy to stop for a delicious lunch at the beach. St Agnes and Porthtowan are both on the way and have lots of great restaurants. There are plenty of suggestions in the Welcome Guide to your cottage, and you will find lots of other useful info in there too, so this is your time to read and digest!!
Andi and Adam x