Trevean Cottage, Higher Crackington Haven, Cornwall
Ten good reasons to visit Trevean Cottage out of season.
· Wonderful scenery all year round.
· Warm, homely cottage whatever the weather.
· Walking, surfing, golf, riding, fishing, nature watching
all year.
· Warmer climate than most of the UK
· Outstanding natural beauty without the crowds of
summer.
· Easy driving and parking (often free)
· Cosy local pubs with log fires
· Locally produced fish and meat (tastes like it used
to taste).
· Wonderful light for artists and photographers
· The perfect place to escape, anytime of year.
Out Of Season Visitor Gallery >>
For more information on the cottage, the local area and what to do read on:-
All Seasons
Crackington Haven is one of the most beautiful coves on the
North Cornish coast and is well worth a visit at any time
of the year. The scenery is as dramatic in the winter as it
is in the summer and the cottage is always warm and friendly.
The Cottage
Unlike many holiday cottages out of season Trevean cottage
has been furnished and equipped specifically with the winter
months in mind. Traditional 16th century slate flagstones
have been sensitively re-laid over an under floor heating
system to keep the cottage warm and dry all year round and
the log burning stove adds a touch of traditional warmth and
romance. The furnishings have been selected to provide a real
sense of home from home and the kitchen equipped for the best
of home cooking. The lighting throughout has been designed
to reflect a variety of moods and to bring out a convincing
blend of contemporary and traditional. Upstairs the bedrooms
boast high quality designer linen and the beautifully appointed
bathroom is a lovely place to laze in plenty of piping hot,
soft water. Outside is a lockable barn for surfboards, canoes,
bikes and other outdoor equipment that visitors may wish to
bring.
Crackington Haven is at the centre of one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline found in Cornwall. Dramatic cliffs rise and fall from the foaming Atlantic providing a truly awesome backdrop to the coastal path as it winds its way through the bracken, heathers and gorse blossoms. This is an area renowned by walkers, revered by naturalists and adored by all those who just simply want to get away from it all. Visitors tend to come back year after year which is not surprising given the sheer splendor of nature at its finest in an area preserved from the demands of modern day life.
Heavenly
Without doubt the summer months at Crackington provide a miniature
heaven for families and beach lovers but for those able to
visit outside the main holiday season the beauty of this area
should not be missed. Due to its southerly aspect and always
tempered by the Atlantic the climate in this area of Cornwall
tends to be warmer than other parts of the UK outside of the
summer months. This is particularly noticeable from September
through to December when the warm waters of the Mexican Gulf
Stream reach our shores on the North coast of Cornwall. For
this reason surfers tend to dominate the uncrowded waves in
October but their spectacular efforts can be quite entertaining
for the casual observer viewing from the pub terrace which
overlooks the beach. The warmer climate also tends to ensure
that ornithologists see the last staging post of many migratory
birds before their winter exodus.
The Woods
The protected valleys around the coast exhibit their own micro
climate with some of the last flourishes of summer and the
first flushes of spring and being riddled with footpaths provide
a walkers’ paradise. The woods around Crackington are
bursting with blackberries rosehips and hazelnuts in the autumn
and carpeted with bluebells, daffodils, primroses and violets
in the spring. All valleys end at the sea where the land abruptly
turns to gorse, heathers, tamarisk and a variety of wild costal
flowers and lichens (which only grow in very clean air).
The Cliffs
From February through to April the nutty aroma of fresh gorse
blossom mixed with sea air serves a heady cocktail to the
senses for those who venture along the cliff paths. After
just one day you will be surprised how your skin begins to
tingle and glow and pleasantly surprised at how sleep becomes
deeper and more satisfying. On the subject of skin visitors
should be warned that the light can be particularly strong
in this area and sensible precautions need to be observed
from February through to the end of October. Those that enjoy
a sun tan are likely to find that Cornwall provides a more
indelible colour than most Mediterranean countries; one only
has to look at the locals to know this.
The Light
For the photographer and artist light is the key. During the
summer months the light is very strong. Undoubtedly, the best
time of year to photograph the stunning scenery in this area
is between September and April. The vast majority of photographs
used for our website were shot during the winter months including
the cover photo of the sea which was taken on Christmas Day.
Cornish Attractions
Cornwall has an immense array of attractions for visitors
throughout the year and being a relatively narrow county,
coast to coast, everything lies within easy driving distance.
The cottage has an information box dedicated to local attractions
for those who wish to venture away from the immediate area.
Always worth a mention though are the world famous Eden Project,
Jamaica Inn, Rick Stein’s Restaurant, Newquay (World
surfing championships), the Lost Gardens of Helligan and the
Tate at St Ives. All within 20 – 60 minutes drive. Besides
the main attractions a myriad of smaller venues await from
obscure museums such as the shipwreck museum at Polpero to
working tin mines, aquariums, zoos, National Trust Houses
and Gardens, Art galleries, quaint fishing villages and of
course the natural granite sculptures of Bodmin Moor.
Tea by the Fire
Guests who prefer to stay within the area have recommended
the walk to the pretty local church which was built in Norman
times on a pre-Christian site overlooking the sea, or the
walk down Lovers Lane to the beach followed by a drink at
the pub or even a walk across the cliffs to Boscastle catching
the local bus home which drops you outside the cottage. Others
like the short trip to Tintagel, a walk around King Arthur’s
Castle followed by homemade cakes and tea served on crisp
linen tablecloths around an open fire in Lewis’ tea
rooms.
Home Cooking
For those who like to cook at home fresh, organic meat can
be bought direct from the farm in Crackington and a little
further along the coast road to Bude fresh, locally caught
fish is available during the week. Alternatively, basic provisions
are available 7 days a week at the Post Office next door and
a wider choice can be found in Morrison’s supermarket
in Bude which is only 15 minutes drive away.
Escape
Visitors to Trevean cottage find it an easy place in which
to relax. It is not just a holiday cottage it is truly a home.
Some guests rarely venture away from the cottage preferring
to sit in the pretty back garden overlooking the sea, the
cows in the field and the rookery in the valley. Trevean cottage
offers the perfect escape, away from it all where you can
return to normal life knowing that you really have had a holiday.
Sidney
Oh, and if you do go, the resident seagull who perches on
the chimney top is called Sidney. If you feed him he will
tap his beak on the window to wake you up for breakfast!