Guest Handbook:
Out & About
We really hope you enjoy your stay at Trethake Mill
On this page you find details about:
- local travel
- where to shop
- where to eat and drink
- beaches
- on the water
- walks
Local Travel
Closest petrol station:
Closest train station:
Local bus routes:
Local Ferries:
Taxi service:
- Valley View Garage East Taphouse 8 miles (not 24 hour),
- Morrisons Liskeard 15 miles (not 24 hour)
- Esso Bodmin 19 miles (24 hour opening)
- Shell Little Waitrose Trerulefoot 20 miles (24 hour opening)
Closest train station:
Local bus routes:
- 481 Polruan/Looe via Polperro
- 78 Looe/Liskeard
- 25 Fowey/Par/St Austell/Newquay
- 24 Fowey/Par/ Mevagissey/Heligan Gardens
Local Ferries:
- To Fowey from Polruan (pedestrian) and Bodinnick (vehicle and pedestrian) www.ctomsandson.co.uk
- To Mevagissey from Fowey www.mevagissey-ferries.co.uk
Taxi service:
- Chariots of Hire, Polperro
- Prestige Taxis, Liskeard
Shops
We have lots of lovely local shops and producers close by, as well as convenient superstores further away.
- Lanteglos Local Produce Market on the first Saturday of each month just up the road at Whitecross Village Hall: this is a fantastic event with lots of excellent produce, from dexter beef, fresh fish and goats cheese, to honey, flowers and vegetables, as well as cups of tea, pasties and friendly chat.
- Verge-side stalls selling a variety of freshly produced items from eggs to vegetables and plants: at the top of our lane at Lanteglos Highway, and at Frogmore Farm opposite the Lantivet carpark.
- Village shops: little one at Lanreath and larger one at Polruan, good for essentials - do check opening hours if you're going specially.
- Delicatessen: excellent deli at Lostwithiel's Bella Mama, selling a wide range of local produce including bread, cheese, meats, quiches, cakes etc and on Fridays you can order freshly baked pizza takeaway. In Fowey go to Kittows family butcher and deli.
- Convenience Stores: Spar in Pelynt with in-store post office: surprisingly well stocked including all essentials, plus good little world food section, gluten free range and eco cleaning products. Co-op in Lostwithiel: open until 10pm.
- Fishmongers: Looe is a thriving fishing port with primarily a day boat fleet (hence selling the freshest fish in high demand from the most exclusive restaurants). Early risers may like an early morning outing down to the harbour to see the days’ catch being auctioned in the Fish Market, selling commences at 6.30am sharp. Our favourite quay-side fishmonger is Pengelly's in Looe.
- Supermarkets: Morrisons in Liskeard, Sainsburys in Bodmin, Tesco in At Austell
Eat and Drink
Pubs and Bars:
Restaurants:
- The Lugger (Polruan)
- The Russell Inn (Polruan)
- The Old Ferry Inn (Bodinnick)
- The Blue Peter Inn (Polperro)
- The Ship Inn (Lerryn)
- Pintxo Tapas (Fowey)
Restaurants:
- Duchy of Cornwall Nursery (Lostwithiel)
- Sam's Cornwall (Fowey and Polkerris)
- Fitzroy (Fowey)
- North Street Kitchen (Fowey)
- Fowey Hall (Fowey)
- The Old Quay House (Fowey)
- Sardine Factory (Looe)
Beaches
We are spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches! This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some of our favourites. We've listed them more or less in order of distance from Trethake. For some beaches, you'll want to check the tide times.
If you enjoy a walk, you can go on foot from Trethake to Lantivet, Palace, Lansallos, and Great Lantic. Or if you want to get in sight of the sea as quickly as possible, there are National Trust carparks at Lantivet, Lansallos and Great Lantic. Parking is free for National Trust members with a membership card, otherwise you can purchase a pay-and-display ticket from the machine.
If you enjoy a walk, you can go on foot from Trethake to Lantivet, Palace, Lansallos, and Great Lantic. Or if you want to get in sight of the sea as quickly as possible, there are National Trust carparks at Lantivet, Lansallos and Great Lantic. Parking is free for National Trust members with a membership card, otherwise you can purchase a pay-and-display ticket from the machine.
- Lantivet: (1.3 miles) Excellent morning and low tide beach, rock and shingle. Take care not to get cut off by the tide in the furthest inlet. Either walk directly from Trethake or leave your car at the National Trust Lantivet carpark. Gentle walk through the sheeps meadow overlooking the sea, followed by steep scramble down a rocky path to the beach. Unspoilt by amenities, bring your own provisions.
- Palace: (1.5 miles) perfect middle/high tide swimming cove, catches the evening sun. Rocky ledges and sand/shingle. Either walk directly from Trethake or leave your car at the National Trust Lantivet carpark. Gentle walk through the sheeps meadows overlooking the sea, slightly steeper path down to the beach. Unspoilt by amenities, bring your own provisions.
- Lansallos: (1.8 miles) picturesque smugglers cove with a lovely sheltered, sandy-shingle beach. Excellent swimming, snorkelling and rock pooling here - and a lovely natural waterfall with a little stream that runs across the beach to the sea. Children and adults alike absolutely love this beach. Either walk directly from Trethake or leave your car at the National Trust Lantivet carpark and take a gentle walk through the sheeps meadows overlooking the sea. Or leave your car at NT Lansallos carpark for a very pretty walk down a long leafy wooded footpath, leading to the beach through an old cart track hewn through the rock. Unspoilt by amenities, bring your own provisions.
- Great Lantic Bay (2.3 miles) A crescent cove with a magnificent sweep of sand and shingle, over 400 metres long, backed by towering verdant cliffs. The beach shelves steeply into the bay making it an ideal place to visit by boat. Out of season, you often have this entire beach to yourself - and even in the height of summer holidays, it never feels crowded. Excellent swimming - but watch out for potential riptides in the bay. 2.3 mile walk from Trethake following the cliff path, or closest parking at the National Trust Lantic carpark. The path down to the beach is very steep and not for the faint hearted, but it's well worth the effort! Take care not to get cut off by the tide in the little coves on either side of the main beach. Unspoilt by amenities, bring your own provisions.
- Readymoney Cove (4 miles) Fowey's town beach, a lovely sandy cove with safe bathing for children and a fun floating diving platform. Plus a little cafe selling coffee/cake/beach essentials. Walking distance from the centre of Fowey. Either take the little pedestrian ferry from the harbour wall in Polruan, or take the car ferry from Bodinnick. Either way, you can can have your supper in one of the many restaurants in Fowey, or the pubs in Polruan/Bodinnick on your way home.
- Polkerris Beach (5.4 miles) Just a little further along the coast you'll find this lovely little hamlet with a cafe, pub and restaurant, and a little sandy cove with great water sport facilities - kayaking, paddle boarding and sailing. Carpark in the village.
- Talland Bay (6.4 miles) Twin little sandy coves here, with excellent rock pooling and fishing, and good swimming and snorkelling in the sea and tidal pools - but be warned, it's busy here in high season. There's a launch ramp on the main beach and smaller boats can also be launched from the beach near Smugglers Cottage. Small, free car park near Smugglers Cottage, and a pay and display car park at The Beach Café. From Talland Bay, you can also walk 1 mile along the coast path to Polperro.
- East Looe Beach (7.8 miles) directly in front of the Old Town, gently sloping sandy beach, good for young families. Plenty of facilities including cafes, shops and toilets. Be warned, the beach and the town do get very busy indeed in high season - fun for some as a change from the wild beauty of our more local beaches. And we do sometimes end up on this beach after a craving for fish and chips - after all Looe is a thriving fishing port.
On the water
- Ferry service to Fowey from Polruan (pedestrian) and Bodinnick (vehicle and pedestrian) www.ctomsandson.co.uk
- Ferry service to Mevagissey from Fowey www.mevagissey-ferries.co.uk
- Boat launching facilities in Fowey and Penmarlen www.foweyharbour.co.uk
- Fowey, book a sea safari, boat trips and river tours, or hire kayaks, paddle boards, motor dinghies from www.foweyriverhire.co.uk.
- Golant, kayak tours/hire and SUP lessons www.encountercornwall.com
- Polkerris, little sandy cove with great water sport facilities - kayaking, paddle boarding and sailing classes/hire. www.polkerrisbeach.com
Walks
There are endless possibilities for outstanding walks. From our garden gate there are miles of footpaths, bridleways, and green lanes to explore. This area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation, the flora and fauna on land and sea is spectacular.
Coastal walks
The South West Coast Path follows the cliffs all along this beautiful stretch of coastline.
River walks
The River Fowey valley is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Moorland Walks
Bodmin Moor is a short drive away, with breathtaking views across the remote granite moorland grazed by ponies.
Coastal walks
The South West Coast Path follows the cliffs all along this beautiful stretch of coastline.
- To the beach: Gentle stroll to the closest beaches at Lantivet, Palace and Lansallos (see above)
- To Lansallos and back: Lovely quite gentle circular walk from NT Lantivet carpark to Lansallos (4.5 miles). On the way passed, stop at Lansallos Church, St Ildierna, named after one of the early celtic missionaries who evangelized Cornwall over a thousand years ago.
- From Lantic to Polruan: Moderately strenuous circular walk from NT Lantic carpark to Polruan (4.5 miles), taking in the lovely wooded valley along the Pont Pill estuary as well as the spectacular coastal path. On the way passed, stop at St. Wyllow Lanteglos Church, where Daphne du Maurier was married in 1932. Refreshments at the pubs or shop in Polruan.
- To Polperro: From Trethake to Polperro is a spectacular 6 mile walk along the South West Coast Path known as the rollercoaster due to the steeply undulating landscape. Polperro can become very busy in high season, so arriving there on foot is a much more pleasant way to encounter this pretty little fishing harbour. After refreshments in one of Polperro's pubs, you can catch the bus back home.
- From Talland Bay to Polperro: A picturesque approach to Polperro and a relatively easy coast walk. Leave your car in Talland Bay and walk 1 mile along the south west coast path to enter Polperro through lovely narrow lanes of The Warren. Either retrace your steps having explored the village, or make a longer 5 mile circuit.
- Fowey to Polkerris: Beautiful, fairly strenuous circular walk (6 miles) from Fowey to Polkerris which follows the south west coast path round Gribbin Head and then the Old Saints Way back to Fowey.
River walks
The River Fowey valley is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- To Pont Estuary: From Trethake, take the public footpath through the woods, following the river downstream to Pont - from there you can either retrace your steps having admired the lovely estuary, or for a longer route make your way to Bodinnick, Polruan or Lantic.
- Hall Walk: a famous circular walk (4 miles) around the lovely Pont Pill estuary, requiring two ferry crossings both at Polruan/Fowey and Bodinnick/Fowey.
- Lerryn to St Winnow: Leave your car in Lerryn and take a circular route to St Winnow (5 miles), along the river Lerryn and through Ethy woods.
- Lerryn to St Veep: From Lerryn, you can also walk the other bank of the river Lerryn to make a circular route to St Veep. Refreshments at the Ship Inn in Lerryn.
Moorland Walks
Bodmin Moor is a short drive away, with breathtaking views across the remote granite moorland grazed by ponies.
- The Cheesewring at Minions is an extraordinary windswept rock formation with ancient stone circles below
- Golitha Falls, wooded glades and craggy gorge are steeped in Cornish history.
Gardens
- The Duchy of Cornwall Nursery is just outside Lostwithiel, 20 minutes away from Trethake, with glass house, bumble bee garden, and restaurant in a picturesque setting. From here you can walk to.....
- Restormel Castle, impressive 13th century ruins in beautiful countryside.
- Also close to Lostwithiel is the great house and extensive gardens of the Lanhydrock estate, owned by the National Trust. Tours of the house and gardens, cycling trails and bicycle hire, walking routes in the parkland.
- The Eden Project is near St Austell, with botanical garden and huge geodesic biome domes housing thousands of plant species.
- The Lost Gardens of Heligan is just outside Mevagissey, 200 acres of restored historic gardens and a national collection of camellias and rhododendrons.