Two bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin. Shower rooom with walk-in shower, basin and WC. Kitchen/diner. Sitting room with woodburning stove
Mary’s House consists of a kitchen/diner with electric oven, electric hob, microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine, kettle, toaster and dining seating, and a sitting room with TV and woodburning stove. The bedrooms consist of a double and a twin, served by a bathroom with bath, basin, and WC, along with a separate shower room. Heating, fuel, power, and a starter pack for the woodburning stove are included in the rent, as well as bed linen and towels. Outside, there is an enclosed rear garden with lawn, dining area, furniture, and a summer house with loungers and roadside parking on a first-come, first-served basis, with a car park at nearby pub. One well-behaved pet welcome. Sorry, no smoking. Mary’s House is a delightful base for exploring Cornwall. Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping Bond of 200 GBP
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.
