Last Minute to Cornwall
Located on the most western edge of England, Cornwall is a not so hidden gem! With two beautiful coastlines, there is so much to explore! After we explored the south coast in our trip in May 2019, we decided to explore the north coast while keeping our options open for an easy return to London Gatwick.
Logistics:
Because we booked last minute and weird UK travel restrictions, everyone wanted to go to Cornwall. We had a really tough time finding lodging that would accommodate our schedule!
By Private Car
Regardless of the origination, driving will be much easier! All the beaches and other great towns will be within your reach! While there is decent public transportation options, a car will cut the time in half and allow you to see the actual hidden gems of Cornwall!
Travel Tip: I utilize Skyscanner.net to find the best rental car deals!
By Public Transportation
From London, it will be incredibly easy to reach Cornwall by public transportation, depending on where you’re staying. My personal favorite is a few direct trains to Penzance from London Paddington and there are always indirect trains to other big cities such as Newquay and St Ives with a minimal changes. Our friend took the train and it was really seamless.
While in Cornwall, there may be slight issues as the best beaches are those located off the beaten path. However, Cornwall is prepared for this and does offer buses through the area.
Travel Tip: I use thetrainline.com to find the best times and train prices!
Lodging
In Cornwall, there are LOADS of B&Bs, mini hotels that operate like B&Bs, and normal hotels. Because everything was sold out, we only had two options in our price range. For once, we went with the amenities and chose one that had a washer and dryer. Located north of Bodmin Moor, in the middle of Cornwall, this beautiful farmer’s cottage provided a nice, relaxing stay away from the busyness. In summer, Cornwall can be very crazy - especially after COVID!
Travel Tip: For non-brand hotels, I use Hotels.com for their loyalty program. Other sites such as booking.com and expedia offer similar programs!
Food
Outside of London, Cornwall has some of our favorite food spots in England! From fresh seafood to great British cuisine from farm to table indgredients, we always enjoy Cornish food!
Check out our English Roadtrip Google map pins for all of our hard research of the top food and drink spots!
Activities
In Cornwall, there are so many different activities, cities, or quaint Cornish villages. For this trip, we focused on:
- Padstow: One of the most famous Cornish villages, Padstow has exploded in popularity! The beautiful blue-green water combined with the fishing harbor is perfect!
- Newquay: Home of British surfing, Newquay has a great surfing scene and also has a tough reputation. Certain people love the surfing vibe and roughness!
- Famous Cornish wine: Surprisingly, in the past few years, English wine has really taken off! While mostly white or sparkling wines, they have won several awards in recent years!
- Bodmin Moor: Because we stayed here, we can cross the foggy moor off our to do list! In the middle of Cornwall, the moor is perfect for exploring both sides of Cornwall.
Fixed Costs
- AirB&B: $137 for two nights
- Wine Tastings: $20
- Beach vibes: Free
Newquay
For our first Cornish adventure, we wanted to go to Padstow, but the crowds and parking prevented us so we ended up at Newquay! However, I think many people find themselves in this situation… Newquay is usually second best… and definitely looks like it!
While the town was certainly booming and teeming with crowds, we could instantly tell that Newquay and us were not going to work out. The unclean streets and tons of people really didn’t sell us the town. Instead, we headed to Fistral Beach, home of British surfing. We were also going to try some tasty fresh seafood!
Epic Fail
Because Cornwall is home of a few famous chefs, we wanted to try fresh seafood at the famous Rick Steves restaurant. Located in several Cornish cities, the famous chef now has multiple locations including one right on Fistral Beach. We ordered fish bites and chips and pad thai because it seemed different! However, what we did not anticipate was the hour plus long wait. While we were enjoying the beach scene, our wait was getting absurd for our simple food. Once our lunch arrived, it was cold, bland, and terrible. I am not sure why we waited so long!
B&B on Bodmin Moor
In the middle of Cornwall is a national park called Bodmin Moor. Unlike the rest of beachy, rocky Cornwall, Bodmin Moor is a grassy, swampy-esque plain. At least that is what it reminded me of when I pulled up at our B&B! For our last two nights in the UK, we opted to stay here versus a Devon beach village partly because the house looked awesome. Inside, the old build really was charming as was the sun room. Our hostess was incredibly nice and we loved the subtle quietness of our location.
Wine Not!
On our second full day in Cornwall, we wanted to explore the region's famous wineries. Thankfully, we were able to get reservations at two wineries whilst taking in the beautiful Cornish sunshine (for a little bit)!
Round Two, Padstow
Since we were in Cornwall and were able to get an earlier start, we were finally able to get to Padstow before the insane crowds arrived! I know we are tourists, but I like to think of us as not annoying tourists! Inside this tiny village lies the tranquil English spirit with awesome Cornish bakeries, ice cream shops, and boutique stores! While normal high streets sell out to the corporate man, Padstow has retained its indiviual spirit!
Similar to our other village visits, we walked to the other side of the village to see the sea and possibly a beach. Instead, we were rewarded with good views of the village!
To reward our spirits, we purchased a few gifts ahead of our long wine day: Cornish fudge at Roly's Fudge Pantry and one of the best Cornish pasties from Chough Bakery.
On our way back to the car, Mary Frances was down to her last bites of her Cornish pasties when disaster struck. Circling above was an infamous Cornish seagull envious of her pasty... Because I was walking slightly behind her, I saw a horrific scene unfold. The seagull dove. With mere milliseconds left, I shouted Mary Frances' name in hopes that she would turn and the seagull would be blocked. Alas, my efforts were in vain as the seagull swooped onto Mary Frances' shoulder, snatched the pasty from her fingers, and flew away. Mary Frances was crushed! I was laughing...
Trevibban Mill Vineyards
A short distance away from Padstow, Trevibban is a beautiful vineyard estate that I did not expect in England! Lush with vines on rolling hills, we were excited for our first tasting!
Only started in 2015, Trevibban is a relatively new winery so they specialize in white wines since those wines can be drank with young vines instead of red wine. Therefore, we had a lot of white wine and our favorites were: 2018 Black Ewe White wine and 2018 Black Ram Red wine.
Knightor Winery
In St Austell on the southern Cornish coast is the perfect little vineyard. Although it was pouring rain, Knightor is absolutely beautiful. With original stone buildings, church, and restaurants, Knightor is a great wedding venue and also has a fantastic restaurant that is sadly only open on the weekends!
For our tasting, we went directly to their warehouse for a 7 glass wine tasting. I eventually had to stop so I could drive home!
- Carpe Diem white
- Pinot Noir rose 2018
- Pinot Noir 2017
- Vermouth white: Mix with gin and tonic to have a great cocktail!
- Vermouth rose: Mix with gin and tonic to have a great cocktail!
- Portscatho Vineyard Rose 2014
- Blanc de Blancs 2011
Our host and guide was terrific and answered all of our annoying questions while giving us a great tasting. He even opened our eyes to Vermouth as we had not really had it as a drink. The wines here are much better than Trevibban so we ended on a high note!
One Last Board
Sadly, our English Roadtrip was coming to a close as we headed back to our B&B to have the last of our meat and cheeses when we packed our suitcases. Our B&B was great and provided the perfect backdrop.
The UnChartered Summary
Cornwall is usually incredibly sunny and warm(ish), and we somehow picked the very few days where the weather did not cooperate with us. Plus, with all the COVID holiday cancellations, the Brits have flocked to Cornwall in hopes of making it the next Spain or France. Either way, we enjoyed our last minute trip to Cornwall tasting fantastic English wines, seeing the (cold) coast, and driving through the Moor.
- If you're going to Padstow, parking is only available in the early morning!
- Beware of the nasty seagulls throughout Cornwall!
- Initially, we really wanted to stay in St Ives but everything, literally everything, was sold out.
- By far, one of our favorite experiences was the Knightor wine tasting. Whilst we couldn't buy any at the time, we ordered the Pinot Noir 2018, the Pinot Noir Rose 2018, and the white and rose Vermouth to take back to the US!
- Similar to our other Cornwall trip, we perhaps did too much driving as we went back and forth between the north and south coasts. Pick a village or city on a coast and stay on that coast!