Cream of the crop

Cream of the crop
Cornwall can knock the socks off any of our European neighbours’
holiday destinations, says Sandy Carr
1
Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes
Dazzling white buildings, shaded by luxuriant palms and
framed by broad lavender-filled terraces, cut into the
steep hillside look out onto a peacock-blue sea glistening in
the sunshine. Amazingly, it is April in England at the Hotel
Tresanton, the last word in stylish five-star luxury, in the
south Cornish village of St Mawes. It’s a wonderful time
grown up
of year to visit; Cornwall is famed for its spectacular
seaside
gardens and the camellias, rhododendrons and
fun
magnolias are at their blowsy best. If Tresanton has a
vaguely nautical atmosphere, it’s not surprising. It was a
sailing club, converting into a hotel in the 1950s. In 1997 it
was acquired by Olga Polizzi, daughter of the Forte family and
mother to the formidable Alex, who has applied exquisitely
eclectic taste to create what feels more like a luxurious country
home than a hotel. Everywhere you look there are interesting
objects: contemporary ceramics, original paintings, quirky
period furniture and the bedrooms are gorgeous.
The hotel is child- and dog-friendly and activities, from
garden visits to windsurfing and day-long charters in their
own ocean-going yacht, can be arranged. A packed restaurant
specialising in seafood and local seasonal produce testifies to
its popularity with locals and residents. The cooking can be
variable but the desserts are sensational.
Book it Double rooms from £250 per night B&B. tresanton.com
112 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | July 2015
Escape | Food&Tr avel
2
Penthouse, Peninsula
Apartments, St Ives
With the town, harbour and Porthminster
Beach laid out before you, the views are simply
magnificent. The location is ideal: high enough to
avoid the noise from the tightly packed streets but within
walking distance of its craft shops, galleries and vibrant
restaurant culture. Part of a new complex attached to
The Harbour Hotel, the apartment is airy and spacious
with state-of-the-art bathrooms and well-equipped
kitchen. Some might find the relentlessly marine décor
overwhelming and it’s not suitable for children.
The town retains its fishing village charm, which
attracted artists to its higgledy-piggledy cobbled lanes.
Barbara Hepworth’s house, Bernard Leach’s workshop
and The Tate St Ives are all must-sees.
Book it Self-catering apartment sleeps four, £995 per week.
cornishgems.com
ARTY
ESCAPE
gourmet
treat
4
3
Hotel St Enodoc, Rock
High above the village of Rock is the St Enodoc Hotel,
ideally situated for exploring Cornwall's rugged north
coast. It’s close to the cliff path and a fine golf course, with
some excellent surfing beaches nearby. For the less energetic,
there are the usual range of spa treatments and the magnetic
attraction of Outlaw’s, a restaurant created by award-winning
chef Nathan Outlaw (outlaws.co.uk). The food here is simply
excellent, careful precise cooking with imaginative, highly
original elements: the ‘Scotch egg’ starter – a soft-boiled egg
wrapped in salt cod with a crispy crust in a soup of wild garlic
– is truly amazing.
The building itself is a little bleak, and the rooms are
functional rather than exciting. But the service – warm and
friendly – and a heated outdoor pool make up for a lot.
Book it Doubles from £195 B&B. enodoc-hotel.co.uk
The Point at Polzeath,
St Miniver
active
It’s all happening at The Point at Polzeath, enough
family
to keep the most demanding family group happy for weeks
whatever the weather. It combines a totally unstuffy golf and
sports club, tennis courts, state-of-the-art health and fitness club
and spa, set in 230 acres of a glorious part of the north Cornish coast.
They have recently opened seven new self-catering ecoapartments with beautiful timber-clad exteriors, sedum roofs,
gorgeous, and amazingly spacious, Scandi-style interiors, with
wonderful views overlooking the sea. If you don’t want to cook,
the restaurant offers all-day good gastro-pub style food in a
family-friendly environment. The Thursday ‘fizz ‘n’ chips’ night is
hugely popular and won it a place among the top 30 fish and chips
restaurants in the country.
Book it From £140 a night for a two-bed self-catering apartment.
thepointatpolzeath.co.uk
July 2015 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 113