Poachers’ Pocket

2

Nr Bodmin, Cornwall

A seriously beautiful cottage-for-2, with lots of luxe and a great location

1 Bedroom

1 Bathroom

Close to a beach

Dog friendly

Parking

Private garden

Walk to a pub

WiFi

Woodburner

Space & setting.

When the former art director of a huge fashion brand decides to fully revamp an old flint cottage, you know it’s going to be amazing. But the end result has proved even better than the dream. Hidden in a tiny countryside hamlet between 2 pretty villages, this formerly “rundown and twee” little house has been completely re-wrapped in gorgeous boutique style and luxe detail. White Company robes, St Kitts Herbery toiletries, a rolltop bath, Nespresso, even a pair of Dutch bikes for the famous Camel Trail, which winds nearby.

It’s a very glamorous set-up for a romantic stay. But all who visit praise the owner’s personal touches even more highly. The welcome hamper waiting for you on your arrival. The secret beach she points you to. You’ll get the inside track to North Cornwall’s hidden highlights and can explore them at your leisure, whether you want to taste award-winning local wines or devour a cream tea at the Snails Pace Café. Or do nothing! If there was ever a place to just hole up for the weekend and reminisce over old LPs, with the woodburner lit, this is the one.

Getting here: you’ll need to drive.

Owners of North Cornwall Cottage

The cottage was a family project. Owner Gemma was in charge of the interiors, sourcing stunning furniture and furnishings, and painting the odd floor. Dad, Paul, oversaw the renovations; mum Babs hand-crocheted the incredible stairwell. The finishing touches were the vinyls, record player and acoustic guitar, a nod to Paul’s past life as a sound engineer for Aerosmith and Elton John. Talk about a cottage with credentials.

My Kip favourites

She loves
“Star gazing. We’re just 3 miles from Bodmin Moor, which has Dark Sky status.”

We love
The incredibly generous welcome hamper, with local artisan ingredients for your first morning’s breakfast, and a bottle of wine to help you settle in!

You may not love
There’s a 3-night minimum stay, which rises to 4 nights during August. The cottage is one of 7, in an L-shape around a shared courtyard. You’ll need to drive here.

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  • "We had a lovely week in Poachers Pocket with our two dogs. The cottage itself is well equipped and beautifully decorated in its boho style! Despite being in a courtyard of neighbouring cottages, it is extremely quiet and we rarely bumped into anyone else. The welcoming hamper is by far the best we have ever received in a holiday cottage, and all the better that the produce was from local businesses. Our only disappointment was not to have the homemade scones mentioned in the description, especially since we arrived on National Cream Tea Day! The welcome items for the dogs were an absolute hit - they loved the beds so much that we think we might have to get the same for at home! The suggested areas and activities were also fantastic - we became frequent visitors to the Snails Pace Cafe, and also visited the Cornwall at War Museum, Pencarrow House and Gardens, The Duchy of Cornwall Nursery and the St Tudy Inn. We weren’t able to visit the secret beach as the tide times were a little tricky in the week we stayed, but we found Daymer Beach to be an amazing spot - long walks on the beach at low tide and lovely swimming at high tide without being cut off. It is fairly quiet compared to other beaches and dog friendly all year round. Overall we had a fantastic stay, and Poachers Pocket was the perfect spot to explore so many different parts of Cornwall!"

    Jessica, June 2024
  • "The cottage is a lovely space with many extra touches to make your visit a treat. From a delicious welcoming hamper, bikes to use, a very comfortable bed, lovely peaceful surroundings and many top recommendations for your stay. Mostly though I wanted to praise Gemma she is very welcoming and really helped us when we had to move our booking made originally for March 2020. Bad timing for a holiday during a global health crisis no one saw coming, Gemma was so kind about us moving the dates and it was an easy process. We had a fabulous visit when it finally happened and worth the wait. Thank you Gemma and Paul for the special space you created."

    Cristy, July 2021
  • "Cannot praise this place enough. The booking experience was faultless. The cottage itself is amazing. Wonderful location. Thoughtful extras in the kitchen and bathroom. Lovely homemade bread, scones and jam. High quality linens. Marvellous boutique style holiday cottage. Will be returning."

    Sarah P

Surrounds.

  • The Camel Trail
    Camel Trail
  • Padstow by Nilfanion
    Padstow © Nilfanion
  • Camel Valley vineyard
    Camel Valley vineyard
  • Pencarrow House
    Pencarrow House
  • You’re right by the famous Camel Trail, 18 miles of countryside and woodland tracks that are mostly traffic free. Cycle to pretty Padstow for fish and chips at Rick Stein’s, or Wadebridge to watch birds dart across the estuary.
  • Though Trebarwith Strand and Polzeath are close, there’s a beautiful secret beach just 8 miles away (all will be revealed when you arrive). If you time your visit right, you’ll be the first to walk along it at low tide.
  • Cycle to the award-winning Camel Valley vineyard for tastings – then weave your way home!
  • Walk past wild ponies on Bodmin Moor, the largest area of ‘outstanding natural beauty’ in Cornwall. Climb Rough Tor or Brown Willy for stunning panoramic views.
  • Foodies will love the St Tudy Inn, a fine dining pub and restaurant in a pretty nearby village. Or taxi to Nathan Outlaw’s amazing restaurants in Port Isaac (8 miles).
  • Pencarrow House & Gardens is 3 miles away, a grand Georgian mansion steeped in history, with glorious gardens and woodland.

Specifics.

  • Private cottage for a couple
  • Kingsize bedroom with 400-count linens
  • Gorgeous bathroom: monsoon shower over a rolltop bath, St Kitts Herbery toiletries and White Company robes
  • Open-plan downstairs
  • Well-equipped kitchen; basics provided
  • Fabulous welcome hamper (not included for special offers), which includes local sausages and bacon (or veggie alternative) local milk, local eggs, bread, butter, Cornish biscuit’s and chocolate bar. As well as a selection of teas and nespresso pods.
  • Delicious cream tea available to pre-order (£10)
  • Woodburner, Hive heating system, Amazon echo, HD TV with Netflix, board games, DVDs, books
  • Bikes to borrow
  • One babe in arms welcome; travel cot and bedding provided
  • Small grassed front garden with seating; shared courtyard
  • Up to 2 dogs allowed; dog treats and beds provided
  • Cycle to pubs and grocery stores (2 miles)
  • Booking conditions: a 3-night minimum stay
  • Remember to pack: wellies and raincoats for hearty rambles across the fields

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