Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where to Stay
LOOE
Barclay House
This excellent family-operated country-house hotel
stands on a wooded hillside surrounded by more than 2.4 hectares (6 acres) of private
woodlands overlooking the Looe River Valley. But it's also just on the edge of town
at the entrance to Looe, and about a 5-minute walk from the harbor and railway
station. You can have breakfast outside on the terrace in summer. Units are stylish
and spacious and fitted with soft twins or a king-size bed, and there are self-catering
cottages, too.
The
restaurant,
open to non-guests, serves delicious and imaginative dishes fea-
turing seasonal local produce: shallot tart with goat's cheese, for instance, followed by
Cornish rib-eye beef with tomato and chili jam. Vegetarians are well catered for, and
after dinner you can relax in the lounge on a squishy sofa.
St. Martins Rd. (the main Plymouth-Looe Rd., B3253), East Looe, Cornwall PL13 1LP. www.barclayhouse.
co.uk.
&
01503/262929.
Fax: 01503/262632. 20 units, including 8 cottages. £120-£190 double with
breakfast, £170-£240 for double with breakfast and dinner; £299-£1,499 cottage per week. A 5% dis-
count is available for guests arriving by train (the railway station is under 5 minutes' walk away). AE,
MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; outdoor heated pool, gym with sauna.
In room:
TV, hair dryer.
Talland Bay Hotel
A country house dating from the 16th century, situated on
1 hectare (2
1
⁄
2
acres), this hotel has recently been refurbished in a contemporary style,
and many of its individually furnished bedrooms have sea views. The subtropical
garden is an enchanting place in which to relax, while the hotel is only a few minutes'
walk from the long distance coastal path. Some rooms are in a comfortable annex and
the hotel accepts pets. There's a
brasserie
for relaxed meals as well as a fine-dining
restaurant.
Talland-by-Looe, Porthallow, Cornwall PL13 2JB. www.tallandbayhotel.co.uk.
&
01503/272667.
Fax
01503/272940. 21 units. Oct-late Mar £100-£175 double; Apr-Sept £130-£225 double; cottage (sleeps
4) £130-£160. Half-board options also available. MC, V. Take the A387 4 miles SW of Looe.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; room service; Wi-Fi (free).
In room:
TV, hair dryer.
Well House
The Well House prides itself on its fine food. Located 3 miles
from Liskeard, it has 2 hectares (5 acres) of gardens opening onto vistas of the
Looe Valley. It offers beautifully furnished bedrooms, some contemporary and
others in traditional country-house style, with many thoughtful extras such as fresh
flowers. Two attractive terrace rooms are at the garden level. Most rooms have a
twin bed or else a large double. The award-winning
restaurant
is a draw in itself; it
offers both lunch and dinner tasting menus—including one designed specifically
for vegetarians.
St. Keyne, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 4RN. www.wellhouse.co.uk.
&
01579/342001.
Fax 01579/343891.
9 units. £155-£215 double; £255 family suite. Half-board options also available. MC, V. From Liskeard,
take the B3254 to St. Keyne, 3 miles away.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; heated outdoor pool; croquet
lawn, tennis court.
In room:
TV, hair dryer, Internet (free).
FOWEY
Fowey Hall Hotel
This handsome late-Victorian house perched just
above the little town of Fowey, is just a short walk from the town's center and local
beaches. Some of the bedrooms are in the original house, thought by many to have
been the inspiration for Toad Hall in Kenneth Grahame's
The Wind in the Willows
;
other rooms are in a newer garden wing. It's a particularly good place to come for
families as there's a government-registered nursery, outdoor play area, and a family
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