Padstow, Cornwall: A UK Family Travel Destination

A few weeks back we returned from a family trip to Padstow, Cornwall with all of Glen's immediate family for a week's stay at a beautiful, large and luxurious house 200 yards from Constantine Bay. I'd been longing to visit Cornwall for a very long time, (my last visit was in 1986, aged 2) and everything I hoped for was true, barring maybe the weather, but this is the UK so we were prepared for that.

The county is utterly captivating, and we did manage to take in a few of the interest points and different towns all with their own individual charms and nuances but I have to say, that Padstow itself was my favourite by far, and I was only sorry we didn't spend a day or two more there.

PENRICH – PERFECT STAYS

Penrich, Perfect Stays, Constantine Bay

The beautiful house we stayed in was nestled just a couple of hundred metres from the beach at Constantine Bay. Penrich; a stunning four bedroom house that we booked through Perfect Stays, was a really modern, luxurious base for the week, and with Bridget only just two and our little nephew George just a few months old, it was ideal. Evenings were spent together over a meal, a cream tea, playing some of the provided board games or watching one of the TV's in either the living room area or the designated film and TV room.

Everything at Penrich was finished to the highest specification, and everything you could wish for was here - the kitchen had its own wine fridge, dishwashers and every modern convenience you might require. On arrival the fridge was stocked with locally sourced eggs, bacon, clotted cream, jam and a selection of scones too – a really nice touch.

A balcony looking out to the Bay, plus a back garden area with rattan furniture and barbecue provided - we didn't have the weather to make the most of this, this time around but we wouldn't hesitate to return.

Penrich, Perfect Stays, Constantine Bay

Penrich, Padstow, Cornwall

The master bedroom had a huge en suite with walk in shower and free-standing bath, and another of the double rooms also had an en suite. A shared bathroom sat nestled between the other two rooms; one a double, and one a family room with a double bed and two sets of bunk-beds.

PADSTOW

The small town of Padstow is inhabited by less than 4,000 residents, but has become a real foodie destination, thanks to the variety of Rick Stein outposts, the man with the midas touch for the town, plus a number of other high-profile chefs in the area such as Paul Ainsworth and just across the bay, Nathan Outlaw’s The Mariner’s Rock.

Reviews for meals taken in the likes of Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant, The Custom House, Rafferty's Wine Bar and The Cornish Arms (another Rick Stein venue) can all be found here.

Rafferty's Wine Bar, St Merryn, Cornwall

We also enjoyed takeaway in the form of Rafferty's Pizza - a delicious stone-baked pizzeria a few minutes’ drive from our house, which provided a delicious meal on two nights after two days out doing lots of sightseeing and driving. Our first night too, saw us enjoy fish and chips in from Rick Steins which was excellent quality too. And on arrival on the Monday, we had a couple of hours wait and so took refuge in The Farmer's Arms in St Merryn, very much what I would call an 'old man's pub'. We chose 'safe' options as wasn't sure of the quality of the food for a quick lunch, but needn't have worried. I had a ham baguette, and the ham was thick cut, home cooked and utterly delicious.

We made use of Stein's Fisheries excellent seafood counter in the town too, Glen's stepdad Bill bought a few fresh crabs from here for sandwiches, and one afternoon we bought some fresh prawns, scallops and squid from here and had a delicious seafood linguine back at Penrich. Before the long drive back to Essex we popped in again and collected a couple of crabs, some lemons and parsley which the shop happily boxed up for us with plenty of ice so it stayed fresh for the five and a half hours of our journey.

Stein's Fisheries

Cooking at Penrich with Stein's Fisheries produce

FAMILY FRIENDLY SPOTS IN THE PADSTOW AREA

Constantine Bay - we took Bridget for daily walks here from Penrich, and when her cousins, Lola and Pearl, arrived at the weekend, they enjoyed it as much as she did. A beautiful sandy bay with hundreds of sea shells scattered and ready for collecting and exploring, it was a paradise for children. We saw plenty of surfers and dog walkers here too, and it looked different every day, just gorgeous.

Constantine Bay, Cornwall

Bridget taking a stroll on Constantine Bay

Treyarnon Bay - just a five minute walk over a cliff path from Constantine Bay was this over sandy cove, more of the same and on the Sunday we walked here after a lovely meal at Rafferty's Wine Bar and there were tons of people here enjoying what nature offered up. One family had brought a pop-up gazebo and were enjoying a BBQ and birthday cake which was lovely to see.

Treyarnon Bay, Cornwall

Padstow Beach - we only admired it from afar as we had our own beach at Penrich which we enjoyed so much, but had we had the weather, it would have made a great change for a day spent on the beach.

Old MacDonald's Farm - a lovely farm on the outskirts of Padstow that had the likes of goats, chickens, horses, owls and other animals to enjoy as well as plenty more to keep the children entertained from pony rides, a train ride, go karts, trampolines and crazy golf; all included in the price of entry.

Old MacDonald's Farm, Padstow

OUTSIDE OF PADSTOW
Mevagissey 

Mevagissey

A pretty little fishing village with a small harbour and a bustling tourism, Mevagissey has plenty of shops selling nautical nick naks as well as some more boutique style outlets. Tina, Glen's Mum, was able to trace the houses of some of her ancestors too, which made the visit here all the more special. We enjoyed a lovely, informal meal at No 5, no bells or whistles, it was a laid-back place but the food did the talking, I enjoyed a delicious seafood salad that made the moat of local Cornish crab, prawns, mackerel and smoked salmon - lovely.

No 5, Mevagissey, C

St Michael's Mount

A National Trust protected island 500 metres off of Marazion, inhabited by just 30 people, and reachable only by sea path, that disappears as the tide rolls in. Unfortunately we chose the worst day for this bit of sightseeing, fog, wind and rain! We managed a quick walk over to the Mount, but visibility was poor and we had to hot step it back to avoid getting rather wet.

St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

There was a lovely adventure playground at Marazion which was ideal after Bridget had been cooped up in the car for a couple of hours.

Newlyn

Newlyn was an even tinier little fishing hamlet with just a scattering of shops but an excellent array of fresh fish shops, some of which offered mail order fish boxes, in the Riverford kind of way.

We enjoyed a traditional Cornish Pasty in Warren's Bakery (who claim to be the oldest makers of Cornish Pasty's) here though, which we were all excited to try. It was tasty, hearty and cheap, but didn't set our world on fire.

Jamaica Inn

High on the Bodmin Moor, Jamaica Inn, famous from Daphne Du Maurier’s famous tale of the same name, is a great tourist spot off of the A30, the main road into Cornwall. Full of gothic history, the Smuggler’s Museum dedicated to smugglers, pirates and of course Daphne Du Maurier, is in an annexe to the main building, which is still an operating guesthouse, restaurant and bar. Jamaica Inn was a must-visit for me, being a huge Du Maurier fan, and made a good meeting spot, it was where we met the rest of the family as Glen, Bridget and I had stayed in Exeter the night before, whereas the rest of the family travelled in from Essex on the Monday. It was a cosy bolthole, full of wood-burning fires and armchairs and a welcoming warming drink too.

The Smuggler's Museum, Daphne Du Marier's Office, Jamaica Inn

Land's End

Land’s End is the very end of the country; with its’ own little built up tourist spot around it. With usual views right out into the sea, which I'm assured are beautiful, unfortunately due to the poor weather, visibility was at an all-time low and so we could barely see five feet in front of us, but at least we can say we’ve been – John O’Groats next!

Land's End, Cornwall

There are plenty of places we didn’t manage to visit during our stay in Cornwall – such as St Ives, which I’ve been told is beautiful, Bude, Falmouth and Penzance to name just a few – there are also plenty of family attractions we didn’t make it to, which we would make a conscious effort to plan for if it was just our little family. 

Cornwall certainly has plenty to offer. The county truly captured our hearts in late September, when the weather was up and down and far from inviting. We will 100% return to Cornwall for a family holiday, especially now we have another little one on the way, and trips abroad will be that bit harder – until next time Cornwall, the ideal UK family holiday destination.

The Cornish Arms, St Merryn, Cornwall

We spent a week in Cornwall recently, in a little bay (Constantine Bay) just outside of Padstow which was lovely. During our stay, we enjoyed two great meals at The Cornish Arms - a refurbished old pub that has been given the infamous Rick Stein treatment.

It’s a real mix of modern and traditional inside, the main restaurant side veering more on contemporary, whereas the more traditional bar area, where we enjoyed one of our meals, being slightly more laid back and informal. The staff here were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive on both visits.

On our evening visit, I enjoyed a ‘special’ Goan Chicken Curry that came with fluffy basmati rice and a homemade poppadom and was to die for. Fragrant, with a dash of fresh heat but light too, just lovely. Glen had the devilled kidneys on toast - not something he would usually opt for but he said it was really well executed, perfectly tender and seasoned offal with an earthy richness served with woody, local mushrooms on a generous sized toasted doorstep, with a green salad on the side. He enjoyed it so much, he had it again when we returned.

Devilled Kidneys on Toast, The Cornish Arms

On our second jaunt, knowing the portion sizes were generous but wanting to sample more from the menu, we shared a starter - salt cod brandade, a rich, fishy paste, immense served with toast topped with a homemade olive tapenade - a really great combination.

Salt Cod Brandade with Tapenade Toast, The Cornish Arms

I opted for the fishcakes for my main course - made of cod and a little potato, and coated in breadcrumbs. They had a good hint of aniseed tarragon about them, which I enjoyed and which complements fish so well, and were topped with a delicious chunky salsa verde. These came with chips and salad and this was exactly the kind of hearty, homemade pub food you would expect and that was extremely well received on the Saturday lunchtime when the weather outside was chilly.

Fishcakes with Salsa Verde, The Cornish Arms

Among our group – all of the dishes on both visits, were well received. One included the steak and ale pie served with chips (you could have had mashed potato), broccoli and a thick, glossy, beefy gravy. The meat packed out the pie generously and was beautifully tender - another great dish enjoyed by two in our group.

Steak and Ale Pie, The Cornish Arms

A thick cut ham, egg and chips, 6oz hamburger, scampi in a retro basket and a lamb karahi all went down well. The children enjoyed homemade fish fingers, with chips and peas – excellent quality and a decent sized portion for children too.

We also enjoyed some fantastic desserts here, from the local Cornish ice cream, a beautiful sunken chocolate cake, a gorgeous carrot cake served with crushed walnuts and special mention to the sticky toffee pudding and the most insanely good cheesecake cheesecake served with a salted caramel that would make grown men weep. Delicious!

Our meal at The Cornish Arms on the day that there were eight adults and 2 children eating, came in at just over £200.00 which given the quality of the food, the comfort of the surroundings and the friendly staff offers really good value for money. The Cornish Arms has a beautiful garden overlooking the picturesque Cornish countryside of St Merryn, we sadly didn’t get the opportunity to take advantage of it, but I would imagine in warmer months, this is a truly prime spot.

The Cornish Arms strikes that true balance of being a credible restaurant offering good-quality, honest, home-cooked food, whilst holding its’ own as a local pub offering a wide selection of local ales and ciders and with a roaring log fire. It’s a great venue and we’ll be sure to return if visiting Cornwall again.

Rafferty's Cafe Wine Bar, St Merryn, Cornwall

During our recent week-long stay in Padstow, Cornwall we enjoyed a really beautiful traditional Sunday lunch at Rafferty's Cafe Wine Bar, St Merryn, which was in very close proximity to where we were staying in Constantine Bay.

There were six adults and two children and they squeezed us in on enquiring, just about, as the last sitting of the afternoon. We wanted to try the restaurant as we’d had a couple of good experiences, on returning to Penrich late in the evening after a full day of sight-seeing, with the takeaway outpost of Rafferty’s Pizzeria, the sister restaurant.

We were welcomed by a friendly and knowledgeable waitress and the continued warmth throughout our meal from the staff was appreciated, especially with our young charges (plus two sleeping children).

The menu was small but rather well formed - I chose the fish tostada to begin which were really tasty - sharp pickled red onion with a little refreshing tomato salad pepped up with coriander complemented the delicately flavoured soft white fish (cod so I believe) and the satisfying crunch from the baked tortilla made for a very pleasing start to the meal.

Fish tostada, Rafferty's

Another appetiser among our group was the patatas bravas - spicy tomato sauce coated fried potatoes which went down well with several around the table.

Patatas Bravas, Rafferty's Wine Bar

For our main, we, all of us, opted for the traditional Sunday roast dinner - a mixed sirloin of Cornish beef with pork belly and we were glad we did.

Presented to the table on two big china serving dishes, everything looked incredibly appealing dished up this way and meant we could each take a little (or in some cases, a lot) of what we fancied. The sirloin was just a little pink in the centre, which was perfect for our group and the pork was lovely and tender to the bite.

Roast Sirloin of Cornish Beef and Pork Belly at Rafferty's Wine Bar

Duck fat roast potatoes were deliciously crisp on the outside with fluffy middles and the perfect amount of seasoning and light and fluffy homemade Yorkshire puddings to soak up the deliciously beefy gravy were very welcome too.

The vegetable selection was fantastic - a rich and creamy cauliflower cheese, roasted heritage carrots of many hues and that were deliciously sweet, curly kale that still had some bite and not the sometimes-over-wilted excuse for greens that comes from overseeing this many covers and a particular favourite of mine, roasted beetroot that was rich, earthy and beautiful in both colour, appearance and taste, just wonderful. Being the only person in our household that likes beetroot this was a real treat.

The children's mini roast dinners came up already portioned and were a good size.

The desserts were equally enchanting, simple but gorgeous Cornish ice creams for the girls. I had a delightful vanilla panna cotta with the perfect amount of both sweetness and wobble plus plenty of pretty specks of vanilla. This was served with a homemade shortbread biscuit and some balsamic glazed strawberries.

Vanilla Panna Cotta, Raferty's Wine Bar

Another dessert was the chocolate torte served with Cornish clotted cream which also went down very well.

Chocolate Torte, Rafferty's Wine Bar

The three course option for adults was priced at £23.50, or two courses for £18.50 which I thought, given the top notch quality of the food, provided excellent value for money. Children's mini roasts were £6.50. Our entire meal for the eight of us came in at just under £200 before service - and was well worth the price.

If we venture back to this area of Cornwall again then we would return in a heartbeat to Rafferty's for the excellent food and warm, welcoming service.

Glen, Bridget and I enjoyed a lovely late afternoon family walk from Constantine Bay to Treyaron Bay to walk off the excesses of Rafferty's which proved absolutely delightful. Cornwall really is beautiful.

Constantine Bay

Fun on Treyarnon Bay Beach, Cornwall

Trayarnon Bay, Cornwall