Originally the gardener’s house at the Molesworth Manor Estate, this traditional, Cornish, stone cottage is now a very well-equipped modern family home. While there are plenty of period details, the décor is chic and there’s every home comfort. With four bedrooms, all with en-suite facilities, a large open-plan living area and a private fenced garden and patio, it’s perfect for a family or group of friends. Surrounded by rolling fields, there are beautiful views to savour, while country walks begin from the door. Meanwhile, beautiful beaches and the charming harbour town of Padstow, renowned for its superb restaurants, are only a 10-minute drive away.
Step under the granite archway and in through the front door and you’ll soon discover this cottage is spacious and immaculately presented. Handpicked, original artworks work beautifully against the period features of the house which spans three floors, while creature comforts include fast WiFi throughout.
On the ground floor, there is a generously proportioned, open-plan layout, ideal for socialising together. However, the clever design means it is broken up into zones with a double-fronted, wood-burning stove set into a feature fireplace dividing up the lounge and dining areas. The lounge has sofas and armchairs to get cosy on for movie nights on the Smart TV, while the dining table comfortably seats eight.
In the country-style kitchen, you’ll find everything you will need to self-cater with ease including a Rangemaster oven, a microwave, an American style fridge/freezer with ice machine, a toaster, a kettle, a coffee machine and a dishwasher. There is also a downstairs cloakroom with WC.
Upstairs on the first floor is the master bedroom with a super-king-size bed, a Smart TV and an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower and freestanding slipper bath. Opposite the master is another bedroom that has two single beds and an en-suite shower room.
At the top of the stairs that lead up to the second floor there’s a viewing area with full height vaulted window. It’s a superb place to admire the vistas of the surrounding countryside and those spectacular Cornish sunsets.
You’ll also find two more bedrooms, one with a king-size bed and the other with two single beds. Both feature exposed beams and a full height ceiling, as well as an en-suite shower room.
The enclosed, garden has a south-facing patio where you can catch those rays from the comfort of a sun-lounger or cook up a barbecue feast to enjoy alfresco. The lawned area is ideal for lettings kids, or your four-legged friend, run round, while the views of the countryside are simply stunning.
As night falls, light the firepit and gather round for an evening of stargazing with a glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate in-hand.
There’s also the convenience of an outdoor tap to wash off your wetsuits, boots or mucky pups, as well as an outbuilding with washing machine, tumble dryer and secure storage for bikes, golf clubs or surf boards.
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.
