All on one level. One super king-size double bedroom with glazed doors to garden and en suite wet-room, with shower, WC, basin and bidet. Open-plan living area with sitting area with wood burning stove and sofa bed (for alternative sleeping), kitchen and dining area.
Callington is a Cornish market town, rich in mining heritage and overlooked by Kit Hill, the highest point in the area, donated to the people of Cornwall by Prince Charles to celebrate the birth of Prince William. From the top of Kit Hill there are fabulous views across south-east Cornwall as far as Plymouth Sound. Callington is set in the heart of the Tamar Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and offers a good selection of shops, inns and cafes, as well as being the home of Ginsters Cornish pasties. A few miles away, the quaint village of Calstock clings to the steep banks of the river Tamar and is dominated by the splendid Calstock Railway Viaduct, a giant 11-arched stone construction supporting one of Britain’s most picturesque branch lines running through the Tamar Valley. Other interesting places along the river are Cotehele, a beautiful historic house and gardens owned by the National Trust with a small quay and inn, and Morwellham Quay, a theme park that staged a living history production for the BBC and where visitors can explore the rich mining heritage and watch blacksmiths, potters and craftsmen at work. The pannier market town of Tavistock is only nine miles from Callington and is well worth a visit on your way to a day’s walk on Dartmoor. A splendid base to explore south Cornwall and West Devon.
With its sweeping beaches, rugged moorlands, hidden woodlands, and rolling countryside estates, Cornwall is a superb destination if you want to spend some time bird watching on holiday.
One of the best spots is Hayle Estuary Nature Reserve, managed by the RSPB. This rich wetland habitat attracts a variety of birdlife, including teals, wigeons, and goosanders. While winter offers the highest numbers, spring and early summer also bring migrant waders such as oystercatchers, dunlins, and whimbrels to the tidal pools and marshes.
Marazion Marsh, also managed by the RSPB and overlooking the iconic St Michael’s Mount near Penzance, boasts Cornwall’s largest reedbed. It’s a haven for species like chiffchaffs, Cetti’s warblers, little egrets, and grey herons. Bitterns are regularly recorded here, and birds of prey, including sparrowhawks and buzzards, are often spotted too.
For a variety of songbirds and raptors, head to the Rame Peninsula near Cawsand. This beautiful area of tidal creeks, sandy beaches, and peaceful farmland attracts goldcrests, firecrests, warblers, and buntings. You may also glimpse birds of prey such as hobbies, merlins, peregrine falcons, and, if you’re lucky, the rare hen harrier.
At Stithians Lake, a large reservoir, breeding birds like little grebes, coots, and moorhens are common. Waders such as greenshanks, ruffs, and curlew sandpipers can also be seen foraging along the muddy banks.
Not far from St Ives, St Ives Island, actually a headland between Porthmeor and Porthgwidden beaches, is a top spot for seabird watching, especially in autumn. Huge flocks of skuas, terns, gannets, fulmars, and auks pass by, alongside waders like purple sandpipers, whimbrels, and turnstones.
Finally, no trip to Cornwall would be complete without exploring Bodmin Moor. This dramatic granite moorland, scattered with ancient ruins and rich in wildlife, is especially rewarding in spring and summer, when skylarks, stonechats, wheatears, and sedge warblers arrive to breed. In autumn and winter, the moor plays host to thousands of golden plovers, along with snipes and the more elusive jack snipe.
