Getting hot hot hot

With the temperatures on the rise again this week it is hard to believe we are in autumn, but September is whizzing by.  We enjoyed a spot of blackberry picking last week to make a delicious apple and blackberry crumble and we have been crunching through the leaves.    Cornwall is fantastic at this time of year.  Not only is it a lot quieter but the seas start to get a bit rough making for some fantastic sights.  One of my favorite things to do through the autumn is to enjoy a lunch whilst watching the waves crashing and you really are spoilt for choice as where to go.

Locally you could pop down to the Driftwood Beach Bar, which is part of Pentewan Sands Campsite but open to non residents.  The small beach hut offers stunning views from the warmth of the recently refurbished bar.  The food is good and with a selection of hot and cold drinks you could sit back and watch the waves roll in.  My favourite cliff top location to enjoy breakfast from is Lenwinnick Lodge.  The Lenwinnick Lodge offers a great blend of relaxing dining with breathtaking views - even on a rainy day it is worth a visit.  The waffles for breakfast are my all time favourite.  Or slightly further along the coast why not try out the Watergate Bay Beach Cafe.  The stunning views are complimented by great food in a very family friendly environment.

If the great outdoors is more your thing then why not undertake a lovely walk - to be honest there are far too many to list - from local circular walks to long coastal walks - so ask us when you see us for recommendations.  A great circular walk is the Fowey Hall Walk - the views back over to Fowey are stunning and you can be rewarded with a great big slice of cake from one of the many cafes in Fowey!

I have to say with the piglets at Heligan I am there a few times a week to keep the children happy - we have a local pass which means we can go as much as we like.  The piglets are adorable, I know I mention Heligan a lot but it really is worth a visit right now the gardens are looking stunning.  I currnetly plotting how we could rehome one of the piglets...they are adorable!

Seven nights for the price of five offer

So we made it through August!  It was an incredibly busy month, we were full about 95% of the time, and welcomed in two rallies during that period too.  It really has been an amazing season, as silly as it sounds it brings a little lump to your throat when you drive past and see both fields full and you can hear children laughing and watch families enjoying quality time together.  We have loved welcoming so many of you back for return visits and look forward to hopefully welcoming you back in following years.  Many of you have asked about next years bookings - we will open the 2015 bookings from 1st November so please contact us then to secure your pitch.

I have to say it has felt a little but autumny here recently -I was every excited to spy a healthy helping of blackberries waiting for us to pick and the elder bushes full of berries - I am hoping to make elderberry juice.   All rather timely as we have only just finished last years blackberry and apple jam.  However according to the weatherman an Indian Summer is on it's way with temperatures rocketing again.  Why not make the most of seven nights for the price of five with us other the coming weeks?

Last week we had a great train adventure.  We went for lunch at Lanhydrock - a beautiful national trust property.  The House is one of the finest examples of upstairs downstairs living - it is really lovely.  We went to the new cafe at the huge bike centre and had lunch there.  We enjoyed one of nicest hot chocolates I have had in a long time - it was HUGE.  If you do go make sure you read the menu board just inside the door - we missed that and missed the seasonal soup.  We ended up having homemade burgers which were delicious.  After lunch we hopped in the car and drove a mile down the road to Respryn and walked the path up to Bodmin Parkway Station.  With a train obsessed child this was brilliant - we got to see two normal trains and the steam train part of the Bodmin and Wenford Railway - a real treat.  It was spotting with rain but this didn't matter as the walk is tree lined so we were well protected.  This will be a brilliant walk over the autumn and winter months and is buggy friendly.

Last week we had not one but two trips to The Lost Gardens of
Heligan.  Mainly because of the piglets.  They are adorable - there are two litters there and the mothers are working very hard to keep all the hungry mouths full! It really is worth a visit.  Obviously we had to sample the cake just to make sure the cake was up to the usual standard.  It was!

Sunday Adventures

Working in this trade it is sometimes a struggle to make time to enjoy Cornwall during the summer, but this year we have been having adventures every other Sunday.  Judith (my mother-in-law) has been having adventure days with us as Richard, my husband works so the girls and I go on a magical mystery tour with her.  Without fail they involve very small roads and an element of reversing, a cake stop and somewhere to enjoy lunch.  Yesterday we had our latest day out - off we went with the car loaded with a picnic, pushchair and baby carrier, with me hoping I would not have to do too much 'skinny road driving' or even worse too much reversing.

As it happened we stuck to good roads yesterday and took the main road out of St Austell towards Lostweithel - once through the lovely village famed for it's antiques we turned off towards Bodmin - here it was revealed to the car of excited travellers that we were going on a Bodmin Moor Adevnture.  First stop was Golitha Falls.  Just follow the brown signs to a free car park and head into the woods following the river.  With a two year old in tow the first thing that sprung to mind was the Gruffalo Woods.  The stunning wooded valley is a magical mystical place with the tree canopy providing shelter from the odd spot of rain. The path is an adventure itself littered with tree roots for little people to explore - thankfully we took the four month old in the baby carrier as it was not pushchair friendly.  As the river crawls through the woods the anticipation to the falls grows.  The river falls a spectacular 90 metres in altitude and provides a peaceful setting to enjoy a Cornish valley at it's best.  I am very much looking forward to an autumn walk through the trees taking a flask of soup with us in a few weeks time as I am pretty certain it will be spectacular.

Back in the car we then drive a short distance to Siblyback Lake Country Park where we unpack the picnic and enjoy the view over the huge lake.  I forgot the picnic blanket so we are rather squashed on a series of baby blankets!  A great location for a picnic with toilets, play areas, cafe and free parking.  Not a great location to allow a two year old to play with a ball though - I am sure a few people laughed watching me run after it as we get to the top of the hill and she lets it go as it hurtles towards the water (the ball not the child!).  We got to enjoy gig racing on the lake and watch Granny teach Jessica how to roll down a hill - thankfully we all made it back to the car in one piece.

Next stop was a ride out on Bodmin Moor to the Cheese Ring in Minions.  Park in the free car park and wander over the Moor to the Cheese Ring Stones.  Jessica loved this, the soft ground with hills to climb and stones to explore proved a great natural play ground - you could spend hours up here just in one location or go for a circular walk (signposted).  Within the village there is a pub and cafe for food, or on the Moor with views across to Devon you could enjoy a picnic.

Final stop on our tour was Tregongeeves, Judith's home, for a well earned coffee and homemade biscuits.    Tregongeeves Farm Cottages are situated just a short drive from Little Winnick Touring Park and open throughout the year, so why not treat yourself, leave the tent or caravan at home and enjoy a lovely break - there are some great short break offers available at the moment.

Regatta Season

Another busy August week has whizzed by here at Little Winnick.  Saturday's are what are known as 'change over days' when we have a good number of check ins and outs - today we have had almost 40 arrivals and many departures - as a result we are yet again full tonight which is always a joy.  Our attentions are now beginning to turn to September - don't forget we will be offering 7 nights for the price of 5 again - that means you could stay for 7 nights from as little £40.00.

It is regatta season here in Cornwall at the moment.  This week sees the fantastic Fowey Regatta - the Red Arrows  will be flying over on Thursday - their display is always awesome.

Next Saturday is Portscatho Regatta - a traditional regatta with an exciting highly visible course. Followed by the Newlyn Fish Festival on the 25th August - the festival celebrates all things fishy and is a real incite into the Cornish fishing trade.

Then the icing on the cake is the Falmouth to Royal Greenwich Tall Ship Regatta.  I am really excited about this as 47 tall ships from around the world - including 12 square rigged tall ships will be in Falmouth for the week culminating in a Parade of Sail on 31st August 11am -2pm.  With a small person obsessed with pirates we will certainly be taking a tour around the boats!

Summer season in full swing

The summer season is in full swing here at Little Winnick Touring Park with the main park full and the Rally Field hosting Bedfordshire Caravan and Camping Club - and I have to say times like this make all out hard work worthwhile with a park full of lovely caravan and campers.  The mood is lifted by the utterly glorious weather we are enjoying for the whole of the 2014 summer.  Yes we have had the odd blip here and there but on the whole it is has be sun, sun and more sun.

If you are visiting at the moment there is so much on for the whole family.  The Eden Project currently is home to dinosaurs - the girls and I will be going tomorrow to check this out, but I have heard the large life like puppets are a bit scary and will keep the children entertained for hours.  A short drive away The Lost Gardens of Heligans are celebrating The Lost Summer with old fashioned activities to keep young and old amused for hours.

Slightly further afield the Maritime Museum has a jammed packed calander of events to keep children entertained - we shall be heading over there for pirates week and will be taking a tour of the Tall Ships when they return to Falmouth later in the month.

If you are looking for some culture then there is lots of theatre to choose from both indoors and out.  The Minnack Theatre is a bit of a drive but worth every minute with stunning cliff top views to admire whilst watching some great theatre.  Locally firstly the Miracle Theatre visit The Tempest and then the Asylum Theatre Company take up residence at The Lost Gardens of Heligan with A Dead Dog in a Suitcase and other Love Songs.

Food is fast becoming one of the many jewels in Cornwall's crown.  Most recently the well known local Sam's Restaurant has opened Sam's in the Bay at Carlyon Bay.  The pop up restaurant is on the stunning beach which is awaiting development so why not enjoy it in it's most natural state - we have heard the cocktails are pretty special.

As for us, we are all keeping busy.  August is always a very very busy month ensuring we have a park to be proud of and that all our guests have an enjoyable stay.  We tend to spend our day off in our garden trying to get on top of the weeds!  This week we had the treat of celebrating our eldest daughter's second birthday - all went well until she let go of her helium balloon outside!  Most Saturday's I try and go on an adventure with the girls as it is a little bit quieter and Daddy is working, tomorrow is The Eden Project, last week we enjoyed the Artisan Market in the Market House in St Austell - a truly beautiful building, a little bit like a time capsule.  The week before we headed to the Lizard and explored the delights of the Seal Sanctuary - well worth a visit and the Lizard is a magical place.

Hi there, i'm Victoria and here at Little Winnick I've been doing my work experience this week. I have had a great time getting stuck in and meeting lots of new people, working on reception and greeting the guests. The owners are really friendly and welcome everyone as if they've known them forever! The site is looking great in time to welcome the summer holidays. The park is a fabulous place to spend your holiday or even a great place to stop by for a few nights; near to the local pubs, beaches with easy access to nearby shops and restaurants, Little Winnick really is the place to stay. With easy access to cycle paths, the site is the perfect place for those of you who love dogs or if you fancy a stroll by the River Winnick.  With lots going on in the local area, Little Winnick is an ideal place with easy access to the surrounding area- why not say here and visit Fowey regatta, for the chance to see the Red Arrows, The Eden Project and Charlestown Ship Wreck and Heritage Center? The park even offers a selection of information on the activities in the area and so is fantastic if you fancy getting involved in the events nearby or if you just want to relax on the beach. What a great place to spend your holiday. Back to school for me but I wish I could stay for longer!

Victoria

Trains, penguins and beaches

Hello there campers,
We hope you all all keeping well and enjoying this fabulous summer.  We are very busy here at Little Winnick Touring Park, with lots of people making the most of the great weather and our fantastic location.

Last week saw the Scottish and Irish Schools break up, so we warmly welcomed many younger guests to the park, many of whom have been making the most of the goal posts and footballs available to borrow from reception for use in our big field next to the park.   Do pop in and borrow whatever you would like from Reception or swap books.

Whilst Richard is busy at Little Winnick I have been testing out a variety of local attractions so we can give you a first hand account of what they are like.  Along with my weekly trips to Heligan, which is walking distance from the Park I have been off with our two girls (2 years and 14 weeks) testing out Lappa Valley.  Having visited before we had children I knew it was a lovely place, but really appreciated it this visit.  Lappa Valley is a children's delight, with miniature steam trains, electric trains, canoes, a play ground, maze and much more.  Before going check the train times to avoid a wait.  We arrived to catch the 10.30 train, it was nice and quiet.  Jessica loved the 'choo-choo' train up the valley to the park.  Once we had taken the ten minute ride we quickly hopped on to the electric train.  We then treated ourselves to bacon sandwich and a cuppa whilst Jess whizzed around on the peddle tractors.  The whole place is really fantastic for little people and I can not recommend it highly enough for young families.  The ticket price includes everything so there are no hidden extras.

If feathered friends are more your thing then why not check out Paradise Park in Hayle.    I will confess to not being overly excited about visiting a bird park - I am not the biggest bird fan.  However Paradise Park was a pleasant surprise.  The whole park is immaculate and has a nice selection of birds in beautifully maintained enclosures.  Jessica's favourite without any doubt was the penguins.  Especially the feeding time.  Followed closely by the tractor in the farm area where there were animals to pet.  The bird display on the lawn was very impressive and informative.  The day was topped off by a pasty from Phelps which you can get in the way...no Cornish day out is complete without a pasty!

In this weather all Cornish Beaches are pretty stunning.  If Jessica gets even a glimpse of the beach all I hear is 'bbeeeeeeeee'. So as you can imagine we are at the beach a lot.  Last week on Richard's day off we had a lovely day on Charlestown Beach.  We left the grandparents with the children whilst we nipped to Wreckers for a birthday lunch.  We had a delightful meal with the sea in view.  After lunch we headed back to the beach to see how much the tide had come in.  It really is a lovely little beach in a pretty village full of history and heritage.

We finally got round to visiting Healey's Cyder Farm - it is beautiful very much like time has forgotten it.  There are animals to pet and a great guided tour of the farm and best of all free cyder tasting which has resulted in us purchasing a selection of cyder matured in oak barrels - trust us it tastes good.  We finished this day out with a visit to Chapelporth Beach - what a find.  I read about it in my Wild Cornwall book.  The drive down is a bit hairy - especially when you meet another car but the small cove is quintessentially Cornish.  The life guards keep watch as the crashing
waves break whilst families play - the car park is £3.50 so make sure you make the most of the day.