Green Acres
Explore the south coast of Cornwall
Set in two acres of gardens at Penpillick near Par on Cornwall’s south coast, Green Acres Cottages are a perfect rural retreat. The ten 2 bedroom Cornish stone cottages have everything you would expect from 4-star luxury. Well thought out, the cottages have an open lounge/kitchen/diner leading to a private patio or veranda complete with patio furniture. Sleeping up to 6 people, most of the comfortable double bedrooms are en-suite and as the cottages sit in an elevated position looking out over the open country, many of the double bedrooms have spectacular views out over St Austell Bay. There’s also a twin bedroom and an extra double sofa bed in the lounge.
Great for any time of the year, the lounge has a log-burning stove along with a widescreen TV with satellite channels, including Sky Sports. There’s also free Wi-Fi throughout. The well-equipped luxury kitchen has an electric oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher and built-in fridge and freezer. A coin-operated washing machine is located in the swimming pool reception area.
The indoor heated swimming pool is for guest use and there’s also a small play area with a wooden climbing frame, slide and swing. The grounds at Green Acres are lovely and are situated next to a mini farm. If you’re lucky you may be able to buy some fresh produce!
The Cornish Riviera
The area around Green Acres is known as ‘The Cornish Riviera’ named from the time the London to Penzance steam trains ran the 330-mile route. Once the track entered Cornwall with its seascape on one side and rural landscape on the other, it must have seemed like a haven from busy London.
Towns along the route which are close to Green Acres include St Austell, Fowey, Mevagissy and slightly further away, Falmouth and Truro. The area was once a hive for China Clay production and the nearby Eden Project is in fact built on a disused china clay site. Clay would then be shipped from Charlestown Harbour, lately used in the BBC production of Poldark due to its original tall ships and unchanged look. A Shipwreck Centre can be found by the harbour. Daphne Du Maurier also lived and wrote about the area, bringing tales of Cornish smuggling to life.
Towards the pretty fishing port of Mevagissy, you can also visit The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Further still, explore the pretty Roseland Peninsula and the blue flag beach at Gyllyngvase towards Falmouth. Heading back from the quaint narrow streets in Mevagissy, you can catch the passenger ferry to Looe and do a bit of dolphin spotting on the way.
Fowey is just five miles to the north of Green Acres. Pronounced ‘Foy,’ the steep cobbled town has great artisan shops and cafés. Several large events such as a regatta, literary festival and Christmas market happen there each year. There’s also a small beach, Readymoney Cove and several other beaches on the way back towards St Austell. The Boddinick car ferry operates from Fowey harbour across the river and is a quick way to begin exploring the area towards Looe. There are several great beaches on the way and some fantastic walks.
Cornwall’s capital is also easily accessible from Green Acres. Although for main supermarkets St Austell is well stocked, Truro provides a range of shops and galleries and there’s often a food festival to join in with, particularly at Lemon Quay! The architecture of the city is similar to that of Bath and contrasts with the tiny fishing villages so typical of Cornwall.