Every time I visit the Cornish coastline I am astounded by its vast beauty. With each new place I visit I feel that there is even more to discover around the corner and I don’t know if I’ll ever see every little patch of beauty this coast-covered county has to offer.
On this occasion it was Mawgan Porth I was discovering and the lovely Bedruthan Hotel was to be my host for a few days. Tucked between Newquay and Padstow, on the Northern coast, Mawgan Porth offers that typical Cornish relaxed charm and rugged beauty and gave me the ideal place to rejuvenate.
HOTEL
The Bedruthan Hotel – sister to the neighbouring 4 star and adult only Scarlet Hotel – is a relaxed, contemporary and colourful, family friendly place with an abundance of facilities to utilise and stunning ocean views to gape at. During my stay I tried to make the most of what the hotel offers including a browse around the shop with its many artworks and home wares for sale. The hotel and restaurant walls are also decorated with artworks for sale.
With my guest in tow, our first stop was the stylish bar and outdoor grass-covered terrace, which showcases the best of the waterside views. The friendly staff were on hand to whip up a cocktail over a chat and we took our drinks to the spacious open plan lounge for a game of pool. Spread over two levels, the lounge houses an array of brightly coloured patchwork and brown leather sofas that you just sink into. The ideal spot for some afternoon drinks, a read of the paper or just to indulge in the coastal views. If you need a bit of quiet time then there’s a room just for that, with big sofas, a good view and calm-inducing décor, you could certainly get some peaceful time in.
There’s also a cinema, where you can bring a film or borrow one from reception, tennis court, a games room with another pool table, Xbox, table tennis, Space invaders and more, an indoor soft play area and plenty of outdoor spaces to exert some energy. In addition to the above there’s a ballroom, which hosted a wedding during my stay, a childcare service and surf school on the grounds. I said there was an abundance of facilities!
SPA
I arrived at the hotel after a pretty stressful few weeks and left this weekend break feeling much more relaxed. I can certainly attribute it to the sea air, stunning views, some good food and a drink or two but the spa experience certainly had a part to play. Consisting of seven stages to completely calm you within an hour, the enclosed sensory spa garden is a haven of tranquility, full of spa pods and gorgeous flower beds. In the changing rooms I was handed a robe and towel and met with my guide, who took me (and the other half) to the enclosed garden and explained the process before we were left to our own devices.
Step one was a dry oatmeal and Himalayan salt rub, where we stood in our own little hut and rubbed the mixture onto our skin before moving to the outdoor shower to wash it away. This was followed by a trip to the cedar wood sauna, resembling a little hobbit hole with a porthole looking to the water – I lasted ten minutes, which is good for me, before I got out and refreshed with a cold bucket drop – yikes! The next 20 minutes were spent soothing in the bubbling hot tub before heading back to the shower to rub a delicious-smelling (I wanted to eat it) wet oula scrub onto my skin before washing it away – the lovely oily, orangey mixture left my skin feeling great for ages. Finally we sat in our robes around a fire pit with our feet in a hot bath and were handed a cup of camomile tea – it was bliss!
Aside from this highly-recommended experience there are two outdoor pools to splash about in, or relax on one of the brightly-coloured loungers. There’s also a spa café, The Lanai Spa Lounge, where you can grab a juice, hot chocolate or turmeric tea to sip on inside or out. Indoors there’s a hydro pool, eucalyptus steam room, cedar wood sauna and caladarium as well as a host of soothing treatments to choose from including mud massages, seaweed wraps and facials.
STAY
Our room offered a colourful, clean and spacious place to relax in with glorious views of the cliffs, Mawgan Porth and ocean. A family room with large bed and two singles, which can be separated with a blind and wall partition, for the two of us it was great. The front wall facing the water was all windows and we turned the two bright green armchairs to face the relaxing view. One wall was painted teal while the others were white with colourful art prints hung upon them and colourful patterned curtains matched the fabric on the bedspread. There was lots of space to store our belongings in a built in wardrobe (which also held a mini fridge), chunky wood chest of drawers, bedside tables and desk.
EAT
There a few dining options to choose from at The Bedruthan – The Herring serves up fine-dining dinners in an intimate setting, while the bright and spacious Wild Café is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and, of course, you can also opt for room service.
We visited The Herring Restaurant for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed the views of the sunset over the water while sipping on a few glasses of wine. The open plan room has wood floors and a wall of windows to make the most of the super special view. Deep red curtains, small round tables, booths and low lighting ensure intimacy but mind your head on the low hanging lamps when taking your seat! The Terras Farm duck liver parfait with brioche, orange chutney and spiced sea salt was a hearty, rich and tasty starter. Lifted with the citrus, the rich parfait was also perfectly complemented by the toasted sweet, light bread.
For a main course the braised shin of beef comes highly recommended. Served with a blue cheese bread pudding, carrots and seasonal greens, this was a flavoursome and sumptuous plate of food. The beef was delicate but meaty with a lovely shredded texture, the bread pudding was gently flavoured and had a delightfully spongy texture with crispy pieces on top and the carrots were formed into a sweet purée. All in all, with a tasty gravy on top and glass of Merlot on the side, this was a winning dish. For dessert I enjoyed the chocolate and coffee gateau with almond ice cream and dove right into the glorious seven layers of goodness, tasty ice cream and chocolate crumb.
For breakfast and lunch we headed to the Wild Café with its colourful artworks on the walls and light and airy feel. There were a good selection of cooked items – buffet style, fruits, juices, bread (full size) pastries and cereals as well as specials from the kitchen including eggs benedict. I helped myself to the cooked items from the buffet as well as a chocolate and banana muffin for breakfast. For lunch I recommend the smoked haddock and mussel chowder.
DO
We had a weekend here so ventured out a little to explore our surroundings. Our first stop was the beach and shops of Mawgan Porth, which is a short wander down the hill. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the beach, breathing in the sea air and watching the surfers, families and dogs all embracing the surroundings. There are a couple of eateries nearby, some beach/surf brand shops and an art gallery, which offers lessons at the beach. Towards the other side of the hotel is Bedruthan Steps Beach with large granite rocks dotted across the beach at low tide and grandly emerging from the water at high tide. The rocks are said to be stepping stones for the Giant Bedruthan and offer quite the photo op!
IN A NUTSHELL
A glorious place to escape to, The Bedruthan Hotel offered me many ways to relax, indulge and enjoy and I look forward to returning.
Address: Bedruthan Hotel and Spa Cornwall Trenance, Mawgan Porth TR8 4BU
Phone: 01637 860860
