Dogs just love camping, and the great outdoors

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Comments Off on Dogs just love camping, and the great outdoors
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Cd meeting new guests

If you are wanting company on your next camping trip, then your doggie is likely to be the most enthusiastic member of the party.

Dogs love camping for dog and people watching, and for just getting out there and exploring the area for all the new sniffs, and exciting places to be discovered.

These are our very own Camp Dog Harvey’s tips  for any pooch about to embark on its first camping trip

Out & about in the name of research

1. Gen up on the local dog friendly beaches, pubs and other attractions prior to the trip.  If you are staying with me here at The Meadows, then I have done this research for you so please check out my page.

2. If your owners snore (like one of mine does) consider taking your own dog tent with your favourite bed to ensure you get a good peaceful nights sleep.

3. Talking sleep, be sure to get lots in prior to the trip and a health check so that you are bursting with energy for all of those long walks, and swims in the sea and rivers.

4. For summer camping get a “holiday haircut” and consider treating yourself to a Cool Coat for staying cool in the hot summer months.

Head of Security doing his rounds

5. Check out the campsite’s camping etiquette prior to travel as misbehaving dogs are not popular with fellow campers, so likely to miss out on gravy bones. For any short comings, consider attending an intense dog behavioural class, or you might get on the wrong side of Head of Security (at The Meadows its me!)

6. Ensure your owners pack a good supply of your own beach towels for drying your sandy bottom.

7. Be sure to check that your collar is tagged up with a mobile telephone number, just in case your owners try to lose you ;).

8. Find room in the cool box for all your favourite meats for cooking on the BBQ. After all this is your holiday as much as theirs, and you will need lots of good food after enjoying long walks on the coastal path.

Fat dog slim

Enjoying fat dog slim bics

9. One tip just for the lasses – if you like the idea of a holiday romance with the campsite’s camp dog, then like me working out pre-season on my six pack, you might want to go on my fat dog slim diet for a few weeks prior to your trip.

Other Meadows News

Blue Jobs – for all you men out there, who love a gossip we now have an extra dish washing sink. This means when picking the sink in the middle, if the person on the left is gossipless, then you might be luckier with the person on the right. Apparently all the top tips are learnt whilst washing up.

Land drainage –  if anyone had told me even 6 months ago I would be excited watching water flowing out of a pipe, and checking ditch levels I would never have believed it. I think the challenge the weather placed upon us only made us hardier and more determined to complete this work, even if this meant working on planks for weeks!! Now on to the beautifying stage, The Meadows is once again coming in to its own, and with the current sunshine The Meadows really is a special place.

Spottings –  we love wildlife at The Meadows. We have regulars such as woody woodpecker, a nuthatch, a resident pheasant, and tits and finches in abundance. We are also very lucky to have lots of vocal owls, and a camera dodging kingfisher, and the trout in the stream are no longer considered tiddlers.

IMG_7111Bookings – advance bookings are always most welcome for a camping/touring pitch, or to stay in one of our caravans. You can book here or telephone 01726 844383.  For any returning guests, we are sure you will really enjoy seeing the changes we have made on site.  For new guests, The Meadows is an adult only, and very dog friendly campsite in South Cornwall, near to Mevagissey, and ideally placed for Heligan (walking distance) and Eden.  We look forward to seeing you all during this season.

 

 

 

Going where the sun is shining

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Comments Off on Going where the sun is shining

Well March is here, and everything crossed that this is the turning point for the weather.  The weather is certainly a lot quieter, and there is a lot of lovely warmth in the sun when it is shining.

IMG_7106We are very well placed here at The Meadows Campsite, Pentewan for getting out and about, and no part of Cornwall is very far away.  As we have had less than our fair share of sunshine recently, we like to ensure that on the occasions the sun is just with the North Coast, that we go in search of it and enjoy.

It is a half an hour drive over to the north coast, and of course the contrasting coastline is lovely to see any way.  Camp Dog Harvey and I thought we would go and check out a particular area for our guests good for a day trip. It is always good to have someone do the research for you.

First stop – Crantock Beach.  Camp Dog’s favourite beach in Norfolk was Holkham, and this beach did remind us of so much of the Holkham dunes.  Crantock Crantock Beach 2itself is a beautiful village, with lots of lovely little cottages, and a cafe, 2 pubs and a shop.  For the beach there is a large NT car park right next to the beach itself.  The beach is dog friendly, large, so great for a good run around, and absolutely gorgeous.  Joining the SWCP there are then some lovely walks, and we set off in the direction of Holywell Bay, and the other direction would take in the River Gannel Estuary.

This walk was fantastic with lots of little diversions on the way, depending how close to the edge you like to get.  It started over a grassy common area, with views over Crantock and passing by a nice bar and bistro which getting the timing right would make a good place for a stop off.  On this occasion, we had taken our flask with us.

In the summer, there looks to be a super cafe accessed by a foot ferry. Check out www.fernpit.co.uk

polly jolly beachEn route we came across the most fantastic beach, and I have to say on a par with Caerhays and Hemmick.  It is a much smaller beach than Crantock, dog friendly again, golden sands, rocks and caves. It was very quiet indeed, and Camp Dog had warmed up enough to appreciate a dip in the sea.  We then sat on the hill at the top of the path out, and enjoyed coffee and chocolate biscuits (me) and water and boneo (CD).  There is also a pub along the way, so more than one option for a stop off.

Holywell Bay was also very nice, and there is a pub, and also a car park next to the beach so the walk could be done the other way around, as Crantock is better for lunch (in my opinion).  This walk is 3.5 miles, so a nice length.  Returning, with the diversions on the path, you can make it a different walk, and as soon as we could, we dropped down on to Cranctock Beach, and so walked the last mile on the beach.

Marks for the walk – 10 out of 10 from both CD & I.  Also CD had a bath in the sea, and then straight in the car, so no proper bath required.

Second Stop – Perranporth – lots of our guests last season talked about Perranporth.  It came highly recommended as a sandy dog friendly beach with a dogperranporth beach friendly pub right on the beach (The Watering Hole).  We did not think that much to Perranporth itself, not for any particular reason, but yes the beach is good.  The pub has lots of tables outside with great views, and so I enjoyed a proper coffee after our lovely walk on the beach, and took in those views.  Yes, I can see why this beach is popular and worth a ride out to.

photo - st agnesThird stop – St Agnes. This is now a bit further down and towards Truro.  Lovely large picturesque village, and the best of both.  Very nice little shops, choice of eateries, galleries, and also a lovely beach, (one of 4) with a pub, fish and chip shop and great walking.  We did not spend long enough here, and indeed thought it a place that warranted a full day for a good explore.  However, we did head off on the St Agnes Beacon Scenic drive, before our last stop which was

Fourth and final Stop – Chapel Porth – as members of the NT Love my Outdoors, I had seen this in the guide book, and as we were photo - chapel porthso near thought I would drive down.  It is a very steep narrow drive down (not my favourite), but there is a lovely  cove, and a very nice cafe.  There was a stream running through, and this looked to be a good place for walking that part of the SWCP, which lots were doing.  Again, another place to return to, as on googling Chapel Porth on my return, it looks for scenic walking, and this is now a walk on my list www.southwestcoastpath.com/walksdb/201

All in all a great day out, and CD snored loudly all the way back to camp, in the back of the Landy

Other Meadows News

The land drainage work is now complete on site for which we breathed a huge sigh of relief.  The weather was very unkind for work of this type, but now onwards and upwards.  The pitches are all now getting ready for guests, and we are “beautifying” the campsite. We still have lots to do, and one job I keep trying to get to the top of the list if Mabel Caravan’s garden.  Mabel is having a pitch by the stream. For the gorgeous summer on order, there is to be al fresco dining, and lots of sitting in the sunshine.

Plants and the like are now starting to grow.  Primroses are on their way on our pretty stream bank, and the yellow flag irises are starting to sprout too in the meadow and wooded area.

As there is still lots to do, we always do a list at the start of the week to keep us all focused and working hard.

Kernow Forno pizzasSTILL HOT NEWS – new for 2014 – Kernowforno will be visiting weekly through the season cooking delicious wood fired pizzas for our guests. We are indeed very excited about this, as you can never eat too many homemade pizzas.

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It’s a camp dog’s life

News from Camp Dog Harvey – a little q & a,  to give you a little more insight in to my world

Q – My favourite sleeping spot –  A – On the back of the settee

Q – My favourite treat –  A  -prawn crackers

Q – My favourite walk –  A – a round walk on the Pentewan Valley Trail to Mevagissey, and back on the SWCP.

Q -My favourite beach A – Hemmick Beach, closely followed by Crantock Beach just discovered.

Q My favourite pub – A The Polgooth Inn, very closely followed by the Roseland Inn

Q – My favourite haircut – A – short school boy style, and definitely not the woolly sheep look.

IMG_7102Bookings – we remain extremely surprised, and very pleased at the popularity of our change to “just for adults”.  Indeed, my next job is to mark up some weeks where we now have limited availability for hook up pitches.  If you are wanting to holiday with us here at The Meadows, especially in July and August, then please confirm your booking as early as possible so as not to be disappointed. You can book here, or by telephone – 01726 844383.