Wondering where to holiday at home this
summer? Head to the south- west, says Emily Mathieson, and rent one of these 10
houses for a classic British beach break in style.
Marver House, Mawgan Porth
Marver
House luxury 6 bedroom holiday house in Cornwall
Two years ago, Marver House was in a
dilapidated state. Half a million punds later, it has reopened as what must be
one of the best beach house in Cornwall. Originally built in 1930, it sits
directly above Mawgan Porth beach, a wide, sandy stretch popular with surfers.
The splendid views are shared with The Scarlet hotel next door, which you can
nip up to for spa treatments or drinks in the bar.
It is hard to imagine a property better
equipped for its location than Marver. A shed filled with wetsuits and surfing
gear and an outdoor shower in a hut that looks like a gypsy caravan ensure the
house doesn’t get messed up with beach detritus. The lawned garden has an
eight- person Jacuzzi and a sing-along inducing fire pit, both with panoramic
beach views, and the owners are considering adding a glass- sided swimming
pool.
Marver
House in Mawgan Porth
Indoors, wooden shutters, sahbby- chic
four- posters and Art Deco items acknowledge the building’s heritage, though
you are never far from a TV- and the discovery of 3D specs for the giant screen
in the living room elicited whoops of excitements from the big kids I visited
with. For a treat, you can book a chef to whip up a meal while you lounge by
the fire on huge, furry beanbags. A full concierge service is in the process
of being set up; for now, services come courtesy of the Park, an up marker
holiday park just off the beach, with smart eco- houses and a cute ‘yurt
village’. Guests can use its pool, restaurant and other facilities, though it
is likely you will want to hole up in cheerful oblivion to the rest of the
world.
Sleeps 12 in
six bedrooms (14 if you use the sofa- bed in the study)
Price from $4,571
a week
Contact 01637
860322; www. Marverhouse.co.uk
Estuary House, Padstow
The farm track that leads to Estuary House
is an unlikely introduction to this stylishly minimalist retreat- a crisp cube
with a wood- and- glass box on top, in the beautifully stark surroundings of a
former quarry. The house was built by artist Emma Cooper- Key on the site of a
beloved by fire. She had no intentions of recreating what stood there before,
although the old slate was incorporated into the new building. The simple white
walls and concrete floors have a soothing feel; the place is unadorned, says
Cooper- Key, so as not to detract from the amazing viws of the Camel Estuary.
Bed
room
Outside, there are landscaped gardens (with
a hot tub) from which a path leads to the Camel Trail. This 18- mile route,
great for walks and bike rides, meanders along a disused railway line between
Bodmin and the coast. The beach in front of the house is shingly and a bit
muddy, which makes for excellent low- tide shrimping; for a proper sandy beach,
it’s a 10- minute cycle up the trail to Padstow, where Rick Stein’s empire of
fish restaurants is as big a draw as the lovely Hawker’s Cove on the far side
of town.
Sleeps 16 in
six bedrooms ( the ground- floor sleep three and five)
Price from
$4,571 a week
Contact 020
7401 1086; www.cvtravel.co.uk
Treverra Farm Cottage, Rock
Treverra
Farm Cottage
Treverra Farm Cottage is a beautifully
restored, 18th- century farmhouse in 14 acres just outside Rock, the
destination of choice for young royals and Sloaney teenagers on a British
seaside break. Owner Liz Berman, who alongside her husband Charlie honed her
hospitality skills running six gorgeous chalets in Verbier, has a keen eye for
interior design. Swedish antiques and vintage furnishings give the house its
charm (the networked Crestron music system, TVs, Sky boxes, Wii console and
iPod docks are unobtrusively located). The sisal rugs, striped curtains and
antique toys would look perfectly at home in a glossy interiors magazine, but
that is not to say there are any airs and graces.
The
beach at Porthirrly Cove
Chef Laura Pope will rustle up dishes to
leave in the fridge for your arrival, discuss menus for a more formal dinner
party. She invites guests to wander round the vegetable patch, and you will see
her around as you lounge by the circular indignity pool or work off lunch on
the tennis court. The Bermans have a house next door, so it is not unusual to
see their children or guests around the place, adding to the atmosphere of
friendly inclusiveness. The beach at Porthirrly Cove is a 10- minute walk away.
Also close by is the two- Michelin- starred Nathan Outlaw restaurant and the
less formal Sharp’s brewery. Its excellent beers have been given the seal of
approval by Jamie Oliver, who has also been a guest at Treverra Farm Cottage.
Sleeps eight
in three bedrooms and a children’s room
Price from
$2743 a week
Contact 07769
691700; www.ckrock.com
