Historical 18^th and 19^th-century whitewashed cottages with scented flower filled hanging baskets adorn the steep hillsides either side of this port. Nestling safely between rugged and dramatic high rocky cliffs, the area has a timeless atmosphere.   The streets consist of narrow alleyways winding in and around the cottages, one to avoid after too many Cornish cream teas is squeeze-ee-belly alley.

The scattered fishing boats lay to one side when the tide is out waiting patiently for the sea to come and fill the harbour up once again so the fisherman can head out to sea for their catch.   If you park down here make sure you remove your car before the tide comes in, many visitors have been caught out before.

Port Isaac is an ideal location both in and out of season.  The local pubs and restaurants offer peace and quiet, relax and soak up the atmosphere of the easy going Cornish way.  On a Friday summers evening wander down to the harbour to listen to the rousing and joyful shanty songs of the famous ‘Fishermans Friends’.

Spectacular scenery entices you to Port Isaac while the beaches, walks and pace of life make it the perfect self catering location for your holiday in Cornwall.

Wander through the winding network of narrow streets and have a look around the fascinating 15^th-century Church of St Petroc.  Visit the captivating Elizabethan ‘Prideaux Place’ and take a guided tour around the historical house, stunningly restored gardens and enjoy the breathtaking scenery

Padstow is fast becoming a popular destination for food lovers with some fantastic restaurants opening up in the area serving the freshest of local fish and seafood and Cornish cuisine at its best.  Visit the National Lobster Hatchery for a rare sighting of young lobsters being raised ready to be released.

Visit the town on May Day, and join in with the two groups of white, red and blue attired locals in dancing throughout Padstows streets decorated with greenery, flowers and flags. Celebrate the start of spring enjoying the music and festivities with the gruesome ‘Obby Oss’s trying their luck at catching the young maidens as they pass through the town then wander back to your cosy Cornish cottage to rest your tired feet. 

Hire a bike and cycle along the beautiful Camel Estuary to either Wadebridge or Bodmin and keep your eyes open for the many varieties of birds and otters that habitat this area.

Say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new in your homely Cornish cottage with a glass of bubbly to toast friends and family.  Sing ‘auld lang syne’ as loud as you can and kiss your loved one under the mistletoe.

Crawl into the bed of your Cornish Traditional Cottage with a feeling of contentment and aching feet in the early hours.  Clear your head in the morning by taking a refreshing walk on an empty beach and then head back to your bolthole to relax and unwind.

St Ives
Join in with the celebrations taking place in the fantastic town of St Ives.  It has a national reputation for being one of the places to see in the New Year.  Most people decide to wear fancy dress.  The harbour is the main meeting place with the party spilling on to the beach when the tide is out.  At midnight fireworks provide a dramatic display over the beaches and town.

Looe
Stay in Looe on New Years Eve for fancy dress, partying, and fireworks.  Said by the times newspaper to be one of the top four places in the United Kingdom to celebrate.  This small fishing town is host to an influx of visitors.  Crowds begin in the town and slowly more towards the seafront for a fireworks display at the start of the New Year.

Newquay

It’s an unwritten rule that revellers visiting Newquay will be wearing some amazing, outrageous and bizarre costumes.  With so many bars and pubs in it’s a great choice if you are looking to bar crawl.  The main crowd gathers at the Central square and spread throughout the town.  Clubs such as Berties and Sailors are popular with those who want to dance the night away.

Discussions are following the lines of will we be waking up to a white Christmas this year or not and how do you get the perfect roast potatoes?  Answers on a postcard please.

Cornwall offers a truly spectacular setting in which to spend your Christmas. With the county’s stunning scenery you will be hard pushed not to feel a tinselling of joyful cheer.

Experience the jubilation of waking up in a Cornish cottage on Christmas morning surrounded by family and friends.  Tempting aroma’s of orange and cinnamon waft through from the mulled wine bubbling on the aga.

Stay in and cook up a festive feast in the comfort of your self catering cottage.  Don’t feel like slaving over a hot stove all day? Visit one of the many local pubs and restaurants offering Christmas lunch and let someone else do all the hard work.

Step outside for a refreshing Christmas day walk on the beach. Walking your lunch off will make room for more treats on your return to your warm cosy cottage.
Sit in front of a flickering fire and overindulge in mince pies and chocolate Yule log.
Fall in to bed at the end of the day with a full stomach and a happy heart.

Falmouth at Christmas

On the 16th to the 18th of December visit Falmouth. Wander through the town and browse around the shops.  Performance artists can be found throughout the town.  These include mime artists, poetry recitals, jugglers, impromptu plays and more.

A Christmas lunchtime concert will be held in the Parish Church at twelve noon on the 17th December.  There will be informal community carols with seasonal Christmas music and readings.

On Christmas Eve, choirs from all across Cornwall will gather in Falmouth to sing Christmas carols.  This tradition has been taking place for over 100 years.

Stay in a cottage in the Falmouth area at Christmas and enjoy the festivities

Lostwithiel Dickensian Evening

For a great Cornish traditional Christmas join in on the 15th of December till late.  Enjoy the atmosphere with live music, festive food and lots of good will.  This Victorian themed evening is a great experience and perfect for buying your last few Christmas presents.

Shop keepers are dressed up in period costume, offering warm welcomes.  You might be lucky and be offered some mulled wine to help keep the cold away as you enjoy the celebrations.

Bands will be playing, Choirs singing and bell ringers ringing.  Along with buskers and street entertainers.

Staying in a cottage in the Lostwithiel area will give you a great base for exploring south Cornwall

Santa by Steam, Bodmin and Wenford Railway

For a wonderful nostalgic trip, hop aboard a Steam Train with the Bodmin and Wenford railway.

Children can meet Santa in his grotto and receive a special gift.  Enjoy this festive one hour return journey through the Cornish countryside.
A seasonal drink and mince pie will also be available for the adults at the station either before or after your journey.

The area of Bodmin is just 30 minutes away from the stunning north and south coast beaches.  

Mousehole Christmas Lights

The Christmas lights in Mousehole are a truly beautiful sight.   The lights switch on will be held on the 17th December at 7.30pm with an open air carol singing and a service.

Sea serpents, fishing boats and whales are lit up in the harbour.  The centrepiece is the millennium Celtic cross on St Clement Island, generated by a wind generator.

Wander through the narrow streets.   Follow the winding string of lanterns through the streets. Some are barely wide enough to walk through.  Browse through the gift shops, and stop for a rest in one of the local restaurants and café’s.

Mousehole is a picturesque small village on the west of Cornwall.  We have cottage’s available in the Mousehole area  

Montol Festival Penzance

This is a six day art and community festival based on the Cornish traditions of the past.  Ending in the main event, Montol Eve on the 21st of December.

Throughout the week there are lantern and mask making workshops.  Bands, carol services, arts and crafts fairs and late night shopping in Penzance.

On the 21st of December the people of Penzance take part in many of the Cornish traditional customs of Midwinter and Christmas including Guise dancing.  Many wear traditional masks, dress in disguise and wear mock formal costume.  Montol Eve has the theme of light and darkness.  During the proceedings you can listen to traditional music, watch fire throwing and join in the carols.

Staying in a cottage in the Penzance area will give you easy access to the surrounding areas of St Ives and Falmouth.  

On the 5th of November “remember remember” to wrap up warm and join in with the very traditional British celebration of Guy Fawkes Night.  Whether you’re young or old, enjoy the buzz of excitement at the thought of Bonfire Night and the promise of pops, crackles and bangs of a fantastic firework display.

Pull on a hat, scarf, gloves and a warm winter coat.  With eyes to the sky, oohing and arring, gaze at the spectacular displays being held all over the county of Cornwall.
Watch the flames roar and listen to the wood crackling on the Bonfire.  Eat sticky toffee apples and write your name with a sparkler in the cold night air and don’t forget to…

Remember remember the fifth of November                 
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…

Bude Rugby Club – Saturday 5th November  

Bude is the most northerly resort town in Cornwall and boasts excellent facilities and attractions.

The Bude Rugby Club will be hosting an excellent Bonfire night celebration that gets better and better every year. The huge bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and an amazing firework display will start at 7.00pm.

This is a lovely place to spend the evening with a great family atmosphere.  The bar will be open and mulled wine will be available all evening to warm you up on this chilly evening.  There will also be a wide range of hot delicious food available from the BBQ.

There are beautiful beaches and cliff walks in North Cornwall, have a look at some of our cosy cottages available in the Bude area.

Bodmin Football Field – Saturday 5th November

Bodmin is in mid Cornwall with breathtaking moorland scenery nearby, and is ideally positioned as a great base to explore the rest of Cornwall.  A grand firework display and bonfire will be held in Bodmin’s Football Field. The field opens from 6.00pm in the evening and the fireworks will begin at 7.30pm.

Early arrival is advisable as this is one of the largest and most spectacular firework displays in Cornwall. As a consequence it is very popular.

Local schools will be taking part in the ‘Best Guy Competition’ with Children’s Rides and hot dogs available.  All proceeds from the night will go to local charities.

Bodmin is a historical town in North Cornwall with visitor attractions nearby, have a look at cottages available in the area.  

Truro, Tremorvah Playing Field – Friday 4th November

Truro is an attractive busy city that rose from the wealth created by tin mining in Cornwall.
Tremorvah Playing Field will be hosting an amazing display of fireworks and a huge bonfire this year.  Last year there was well over 1000 people in attendance!

Gates will open at 5pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6pm and the fireworks set off at 6.30pm. Hot food and drinks along with sparklers, sweets and glow sticks are for sale and a Guy competition will be taking place.

All proceeds will go to the fantastic local charity ‘Shelter Box’.

Truro, Cornwall’s only city is a bustling beautiful town with a stunning Cathedral located centrally; we have a great selection of cottages in the Truro area.  
Polperro Harbour – Saturday 5th November

A very popular town on the South Coast of Cornwall, visitors to the stunning fishing village of Polperro will feel as if time has stood still as they wander through the streets with its jumble of cottages.

A magnificent and popular firework display will be taking place on Polperro harbour against the stunning backdrop of Peak Rock.

The display starts at 7.30pm with a bonfire on the beach and a children’s Guy Fawkes Competition.  A delicious BBQ will also take place alongside the fish market.

Located on the South Coast of Cornwall Polperro is a picturesque small quaint old fishing village, have a look at cottages we have in the Looe and Polperro area.
Falmouth Cricket Club – Saturday 5th November   

Falmouth with its galleries, palm trees and almost sub tropical climate is an interesting and historical town.

Enjoy the fantastic grand fire work display put on by the local fire brigade. If you’re at all worried about safety this will be the one to attend.  The gates for this event open at 6pm and the firework display will be at 7pm.

Local Cornish radio station Pirate FM will also be attending and playing music along to the firework display.  Food, drink and entertainment will also be available.

Falmouth steeped in maritime history is a fascinating large port town.  We have cottages available in the area.  

Mathew Filewood, Manager, Cornish Traditional Cottages comments, “The brochure cover is one of the most difficult choices I make each year as it has to work on several levels and be eye-catching and inspiring.  Photography can portray many things such as an area’s people, cultures, customs, history or landscape, so it will be fascinating to see how the public view Cornwall.

The county was recently the winner of ‘Best UK Holiday County or Region’ in the British Travel Awards, voted for by over 220,000 people, the largest awards programme in the UK. This was the third time in five years that Cornwall has come out top in the awards widely referred to as the “Oscars” of the travel industry.

The brave move by Cornish Traditional Cottages is part of an on-going re-branding process for the family run company which has been praised for its innovative use of developing communication methods such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, and which has spent the last year optimising the efficiency of its website, where entrant’s photo can be uploaded.  Established in 1964 the company represents around 300 properties across Cornwall and is currently offering customers the opportunity to book for 2011 and pay only a 25% deposit.

“This is an opportunity for everyone” continues Filewood, “I’m looking forward to seeing different interpretations of the county.  We’ve seen a steady increase in bookings this year and it’s clear from conversations we have with our customers that many are now choosing Cornwall over a holiday abroad, so I hope there will be a diversity of entries and look forward to one of them taking pride of place on the front of the brochure.”

There’s no need to spend hours on a coach to reach the Christmas markets abroad when everything you could want to make the ideal gifts whilst getting into the Christmas spirit can be found right here in Cornwall. There are many events taking place all over the county, many only a few steps from the front door of your Cornish cottage.

The historical town of Fowey is playing host to a traditional outdoors Christmas market on the weekend of the 4^th and 5^th December. Held on the town quay, this fabulous backdrop of the harbour along with live music entices many visitors each year with promises of locally produced food, quality handmade gifts that will delight even the most difficult of recipients!

Not sure that the children will want to traipse around shops while you hunt for the perfect gift? Fear not. Why not combine entertainment for the children and the perfect opportunity to pick up some last minute presents? Poldark Mine, in West Cornwall is offering children the chance to learn circus skills and festive mini mine tours while the adults can search the gifts shops and craft activities all topped off with carol singing and roast chestnuts.

Christmas time is a wonderful opportunity for you to give to others and support a charity. By popping along to the Pink Pamper Party in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, on Monday 6th December at Blisland Village Hall in the evening, you’ll be able to find many great presents whilst raising money.

By spending a self catering holiday in Cornwall you will not only benefit from relaxing before the inevitable Christmas chaos but you will see the many towns and villages of Cornwall transform themselves into twinkling grotto’s of festive lights. From the famous lights of Newlyn and Mousehole to ice skating rink at the Eden project- there’s something to melt the heart of the most hardened Scrooge.

5 members of the team swapped the office for the great outdoors and geared up for walking the Cancer Research Cornwall 10k Stride event at Lanhydrock on Sunday November 7^th.

The walk was mapped out so that the walkers had the chance take in the magnificent 890 acre extensive grounds and gasp at the breath taking views across the valleys.

The great house at Lanhydrock sits above the river Fowey and has been owned by the National Trust since 1953. Parts of the house date back to the 1620’s, but most of the house as it stands was built in the Victorian times after being badly hit by  fire in 1881. The house has even appeared on the big and small screen, being the main setting for the 1996 film 12^th night and hosting the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow in 2008.

The gardens and grounds are open for the public to explore all year around, with the house being open for visitors between March and October.

Many parts of the grounds are dog friendly, which makes it a great excuse to take the dog out and take in the grounds for yourself.

Why not put Lanhydrock on your agenda when visiting Cornwall. Bofarnel Barn, is a great pet friendly peaceful detached barn set within walking distance of Lanhydrock’s grounds. With 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms it is the ideal location for a countryside getaway.

Pictures of the walk have been posted on our Facebook page, so why not check them out.

With the English Open being played at Cornwall’s premier course, St Mellion for five consecutive years, starting in 2011, there has never been a better time to try your hand at the county’s various courses. The Open has been pencilled in for the 11^th-14^th August 2011, on the famous Jack Nicklaus Course.

The course was the first in Europe to be professionally designed by the 18 times major winner. The course was opened in 1988, with a televised match between the USA and Britain, with Britain being victorious. The course has gone on to hold the Benson and Hedges International Open 6 times.

The resort boasts two other courses, including the Kernow Course, which underwent a complete redevelopment in 2008, with amazing views across the Cornish countryside.

If you want to include golf in your break, or purely have a golfing break then we have some amazing country cottages within 3 miles of the course. Kingsmill Farm Cottage is set in an area of outstanding beauty, with views across the tidal creek. The cottage sleeps six and is a one of our dog friendly cottages.

Just 3 miles south from the cottage is the China Fleet Golf and Country Club, with course views across the river Tamar. The Championship Course was designed by Hawtree Limited, the longest Golf Course Architectural Practice in the UK.

If sea views are what you are after then look no further than Trevose Golf and Country Club, located at Constantine Bay in Padstow. The Championship Course was designed by the world renowned Harry Colt, who also designed the Augusta and Wentworth courses. The Course was host to the 2008 Amateur English Open Championship. Trevose has two other courses, the Headland Course and the Short Course, so there is plenty to choose from.

If you’re looking to stay in the area then Treveglos Barn is just over a mile from the course. The newly renovated barn sleeps 4 and is pet friendly.

Golf is certainly going to play a big part across the County in the next couple of years, so why not come and play some of the amazing courses Cornwall has to offer.

With the rugby season now in full flow, it is a great opportunity to get out there and watch a local game. The county boasts some great high level teams to get excited about, including Championship side Cornish Pirates. Based in Penzance, the team are currently unbeaten this season, with the club hoping to gain promotion to the top flight of the Aviva Premiership next season.

With 24 cottages on our books within 5 miles of the Cornish Pirates ground, this means watching a game is made even easier whilst staying in your own holiday cottage in Cornwall. You could stay at the converted pet friendly bell tower apartment Tittle Tattle, enjoying panoramic sea views. Located in the oldest street of Penzance, it is also within walking distance of the ground.

If you’re lucky you may be able to catch the annual Cornwall V’s Devon derby against rivals Plymouth Albion on the 3^rd October at Penzance. Even if the weather isn’t on your side, a large portion of the ground is undercover, so it can be a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon too.

Other high flying Cornish teams include both Redruth and the Cornish All Blacks, based in Launceston, battling it out in National League Division One.

Going to watch a rugby match in Cornwall is not all about the game, it is the atmosphere surrounding the event. With Real Ale and Pasties in abundance on the side lines, you will not find a more welcoming crowd then at a Cornish rugby ground.

This could be seen when nearly 40,000 Cornish supporters travelled to Twickenham in 1999, to cheer the County team to victory in the National County Championship final. This years Championship runs throughout May, with Cornwall hosting Hertfordshire on the 7^th.

If you fancy a more grass routes game, then there are plenty to watch with most Cornish towns having a thriving club. The CRFU website has all the fixtures and even a handy box on their home page telling you about the upcoming weekends local fixtures. This will include the two Cornish Clubs Cups, with the finals being battled out on May Bank Holiday. Most games at this level are dog friendly, but make sure you have them on a lead, as you don’t want them chasing the ball around the pitch.

Feel like watching the game from the comfort of the pub? If there is a televised game, then you will be sure to find a local Pub or Social Club showing the event.

So what are you waiting for? There are plenty of opportunities to go out and watch a good old battle.