Days Out / Tours
If you love the TV series how about going to visit some of the stunning locations used for filming the BBC Poldark series.
Poldark Adventure
Pedn Vounder Beach or Treen as us locals like to call it is the beach in the background of Ross Poldark. It’s probably the most beautiful beach in Cornwall used as a back drop to many of the scenes.
St Breward on Bodmin Moor: The cottage used as Nampara, Poldark’s home as well as some of the miner’s cottages were located near this village. The actors also filmed some of the other scenes, including a duel, when the sun appeared en cue with dramatic timing.
Botallack to Levant: There is beauty and rich mining heritage along this stretch of west Cornwall coast linking Botallack (just north of St Just) and Levant. Levant Mine was the setting for Tressiders Rolling Mill while Owles and Crowns near Botallack depicted Wheal Leisure.
Porthgwarra: This cove with its crystal clear waters was where the little beach cafe stayed open until 4am serving pasties to the cast and crew. Perfect beach for smugglers.
Gunwalloe: the beach at Church Cove here was where the shipwreck scenes were filmed, appropriately as it is next to Dollar Cove, site of many famous shipwrecks and named for the silver coins which are still said to wash up on the beach.
Charlestown: This historic port, a berth for tallships is also seen in the TV series and in many other films including the Three Musketeers and The Eagle Has Landed.
Porthcothan: The crew filmed around the Padstow area, and many will recognise views over the Camel Estuary. Porthcothan is used to portray Nampara Cove.
The Snuggery is slap bang in the middle of all these places making it the perfect location for visiting all the Poldark film sets.
We provide our guests with some suggestions of the best places to visit in Cornwall, some of our favourite days out and how best to enjoy them. We love sharing our secret spots & favourite eateries.
Truro and Falmouth by ferry visiting Trelissick Gardens and St. Mawes
From The Snuggery drive on the A3275 to Truro. Park your car at either the Park & Ride near Waitrose or the car park near Tesco. Walk back to the quay and to the right of Penrose Sports you will see the ticket office. Visit the magnificent Truro Cathedral before catching the ferry and pick up a pasty and some cider to take with you to eat on the boat (best pasties are from Warrens Bakery next door to the the Cathedral). If you catch the early morning ferry you can get dropped off at Trellisick House & gardens.Trellisick has a wonderful courtyard café and gallery with lovely walks down to the sea. Next stop the beautiful village of St. Mawes with the Tresanton Hotel (best G&T on the terrace) or the St. Mawes Hotel for fabulous coffee & early morning papers or lunch overlooking the harbour. The ferry will then take you to Falmouth with the second deepest natural harbour in the world. Lovely cobbled street with boutique shops, galleries, cafes and bars. Falmouth is renowned for having the best restaurants in the county, everything from Caribbean and South African braais to fresh seafood. Rick Stein also has another restaurant here at the Maritime Museum located in the Events Square.
Things to do in Falmouth
Falmouth regatta week is held every year in August where many events take place including a display from The Red Arrows. Check if the Tall Ships are in town – spectacular site as they sail down through the Carrick Roads. Every Thursday night you will see the stunning Falmouth Working Boats racing. Enjoy a movie and a pint at the Merlin cinema where food and drink is served to you in the Cinema itself!
On your return journey you can either catch a train back from Falmouth or a bus from St Mawes taking you through the leafy lanes of the stunning Roseland peninsula.
St Ives, Sennen Cove (Lands End) & Minnack Theatre
This lovely day out will take you to the furthermost tip of Cornwall seeing some of the most spectacular coastline in the world.
Take A30 to St Ives approx. 35 miles. Tip* park on the outskirts of the town to avoid extremely narrow streets or even better park at St. Erth and catch the little train into St. Ives – they run every 30 mins. in the summer.
There is plenty to do in St Ives. Firstly, take a stroll around the lovely harbor to the Ship Inn which is a quaint old 14th century pub. A must see whilst spending time in St Ives is the Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden and the Tate Modern gallery of contemporary art.
On leaving St. Ives take the B3306 towards Lands End. Stop in at Zennor for the Tinners Arms pub, built in 1272 a traditional watering hole. DH Lawrence used to frequent this pub when he lived nearby!
From Zennor to Sennen Cove is a 15 mile drive; this beach is reknown for its perfect white sand and spectacular surfing conditions. There is also a lovely beach café for lunch. Located in Sennen is the Round house & Capstan Gallery which is a beautiful fine arts gallery offering some of the best of Cornish art & sculpture.
You can walk to Lands End from Sennen (just 1.5 miles) allowing you to see this spectacular scenary and national land mark without being harassed at the hideous tourist park. Leaving Sennen Cove drive to the famous Minnack theatre (http://www.minack.com) on the B3315 Cornwall’s world famous open air theatre. Booking in advance is highly recommended at 01736 810181.
From The Minack Theater you can walk, 0.6 miles, to the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum made famous in the early 19th Century as a series of telegraph cables extended all the way to India at the heart of the British Empire; 14 cables extended to every corner of the world! If you look out from the Minnack you will see in the distance probably the best beach in the whole of Cornwall Pedn Vounder known as Treen with the clearest blue sea and white sand you have ever seen. This is also one of the sets for the TV series Poldark.
Leaving Porthcurno drive 8.5 miles to the fishing port of Mousehole where the famous book The Mousehole Cat was written (http://www.walker.co.uk/The-Mousehole-Cat-9780744523539.aspx)
Finally drive the 37 miles home via Penzance on the A30.
Seaside village of Padstow & walk to Gunver Head
Take the B3275 towards Bodmin, go left through St. Columb Road, following signs for Wadebridge join the A39 at Winnards Perch take sign to Padstow. This now famous little fishing village has lots to do, not least visiting Rick Steins Seafood culinary empire, catch boat rides to Daymer Bay or even a visit to the National Lobster Hatchery.
The now infamous TV chef, Rick Stein has a wide range of eateries including, The Seafood Restaurant, Stein’s Fish & Chips, Rick Stein’s Café, Stein’s Deli, Stein’s Fisheries and St Petroc’s Bistro.
Tip* you can walk in off the street to “the” rick stein seafood restaurant and eat at the bar, reservations at the normal seafood restaurant need to be booked well in advance. Also if unable to get a table you can go to Rick Steins Fish & Chip shop.
If you fancy a beautiful walk and a dip in the sea in the summer time walk from Padstow (go past the rowing club on the far left hand side of the harbor) walk on the coastal path to Hawkers Cove even in mid summer you will have the beach to your self. For a longer walk go right out to the headlands towards Gunver & Trevose Head. Walk back via Trevone where there is a cliff shop for a cream tea.
Stately homes to Visit
- Boconnoc House and Gardens (Lostwithiel – 20.5 miles) – privately owned by the Fortescue Family. Dates back to the Domesday 1086. Restored in the 1990’s to its current glory.
- Tregothnan Estate (Tresillian – 7.1 miles) – privately owned by the Boscawen family. Home to the now famous Tregothnan Tea. This estate owned by Lord Falmouth is one of the biggest estates in Cornwall and is only open to the public once a year for the open gardens so well worth timing it right if you want to see it.
- Trerice (Nr. Newquay 8) beautiful example of an Elizabethan architecture owned by the National Trust.
- Lanhydrock (Bodmin 20 miles) – owned by the National Trust. It is also the Headquarters of National Trust in Cornwall.
- Trereife house (Penzance 38 miles) privately owned by 7th generations in a row.
- Trellisick Gardens (Feock 12 miles) owned by the National Trust
- Pendennis castle (19 miles) – run by English Heritage. Both castles were built by Henry iiix to protect the Carrack Roads.
- St. Mawes Castle (17 miles) – run by English Heritage built by Henry the viii matching Pendennis Castle protecting the Carrick Roads from the marauding French & Spanish in the 16th Century.
