skip to Main Content

The Local Area

Glorious Beaches

North Cornwall is well known for its spectacular beaches and Ballaminers Cottages are within a 5 to 15 minute drive of them all. Harlyn Bay and Mawgan Porth are excellent for surfing; Constantine Bay, Treyarnon Bay, and Booby’s Bay offer great family fun; Trevone Bay and Porthcothan are ideal for young children and Hawker’s Cove which is perfect for dogs and children to enjoy a wonderful safe and fun run about.

Many of the beaches are dog friendly all year round.

Walking and Cycling

There are activities for all levels of ability and age range in North Cornwall. The Camel Trail from Padstow or Wadebridge takes you all the way to Bodmin with spectacular scenery along the way. There are numerous cycle hire shops in Padstow and along the route.

Walk along Little Petherick Creek from Ballaminers Cottages. The walk takes around 50 minutes to Padstow, and is almost completely off-road, crossing stunning scenery with breath-taking views. You could also explore the Saints Way, which runs through Little Petherick or venture further afield and take in more of the Camel Trail.

Additional walking routes are endless, whether you want a stroll along the coastal path or to explore the hills and landscape inland. There are numerous apps and maps that can help plan your route to suit your needs.

Food Lovers

In Little Petherick The Old Mill Bistro is an excellent restaurant for lunches and dinners and also offers delicious afternoon teas in the garden. There are two pubs within walking distance, which offer a variety of food, local beers, ciders and wine, and of course there is Padstow, a mecca for great food, just on the door-step.

The Padstow area is a food lover’s paradise. Home to Rick Stein’s Seafood RestaurantSt Petroc’s BistroStein’s Café, and the Cookery School it also boasts Paul Ainsley’s Michelin Star restaurant, Number Six, Prawn on the Farm, The Mussell Box, The Lobster Shed at The Pig Hotel and Café Rojano.

Wine lovers can savour the idyllic surroundings of the Trevibban Mill vineyard, where you can enjoy an afternoon wine tasting experience.

There are, of course, many more restaurants nestled amongst the delightful streets of the town, and local area, along with many pubs and bars that also offer wonderful food options, to suit all tastes.

There are so many restaurants to choose from, you are spoilt for choice, but book early as they do get very busy in the summer months.

Adrenaline Seekers

For those looking for adventure, exploring the Cornish coastline by Kayak is an exhilarating experience. Discover hidden caves and paddle through lagoon like gullies.

North Cornwall is host to a wealth of marine and bird life, and you may be lucky enough to see Dolphins, Seals, Puffins and Sea Lions in their natural habitat. For Rock Sailing and Water-skiing see here and for the Padstow sailing club see here.

Rock Climbing offers a fantastic experience for first timers. This is a fun day out for all ages and confidence levels.

Of course, you could also try one of the other activities in the area from surfing and surf lessons, body-boarding, paddle-boarding and fishing, to more extreme sports on offer.

Horse Riding and Golf

Tina’s Riding Stables at St Merryn is within a ten minute drive and offers riding for all the family including rides out to the beach at Harlyn Bay.

The beautiful Trevose Golf Course and Merlin Golf Courses are both within fifteen minutes of Ballaminers Cottages and the famous St Enodoc Golf course at Rock is also within easy reach.

Wildlife

Little Petherick Creek itself is located on the ancient Saints Way and is a natural habitat of a great variety of birds including Little Egret, Kingfisher, Swan and Mallard Duck. All can be seen on the walk to Padstow.

Other attractions include;

– The Eden Project, known as the eighth wonder of the world
– The Lost Gardens of Heligan, 200 acres of garden history, mystery and romance
– Trebah garden, a sub-tropical paradise with a stunning a coastal backdrop
– Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, first class selection of garden plants and award winning cafe
– Anthony House, 18th century house where the filming for Alice in Wonderland took place
– Prideaux Place, a charming Elizabeth manor overlooks ancient deer park
– St Michaels Mount, from ancient cobbles to castle walls, through time and tide St Michaels Mount is beckoning.

Art and Culture

For many centuries Artists and Potters have been drawn to Cornwall for inspiration and light from the portrait painter Romney to Kurt Jackson, Bernard Leach and the Newlyn School, art has played an important role in this County.

A selection of great days or evenings for art lovers include;

– The Minack Theatre, a unique theatre perched on the cliffs high above the Atlantic Ocean
– Hall for Cornwall – a wide ranging arts programme
– The Tate Cornwall, located in St Ives. Includes the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

You may also choose to take in one of the quite remarkable local churches too. Over very own church in Little Petherick is steeped in history and beauty, as is the world famous St Enodoc Chruch, which rests in the middle of the St Enodoc Golf course, and is where Sir John Betjeman is buried.

For Our Younger Guests

If you can drag the children away from the glorious beaches, there is a huge amount to keep them entertained. There is an array of options for great family days out, including;

– Crealy Adventure Park
– Seal Sanctuary
– Newquay Zoo
– The Monkey Sanctuary
– Flambards Theme Park
– Blue Reef Aquarium
– The Bodmin and Wenford Railway
– Dairy Land Farm World
– The Maritime Museum

For Our Four-Legged Friends

We welcome dogs at Ballaminers Cottages and have a three-acre meadow for them to explore. We do ask guests to kindly observe and comply with our doggy code you will find in our welcome brochure.

Please also ensure you use the on-site dog litter bin provided.

There are more dog-friendly places than not in the area, so you won’t feel restricted. Most beaches allow dogs all-year round, but some do set specific times for dogs, particularly in busy months, so it may be best to check in advance.

Your dog will love the off-lead experience at Hawker’s Cove, which is safe and fun and less than 10 minutes away by car, as well as many other beaches and country walks