Walking & Camping go hand in hand…………

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Comments Off on Walking & Camping go hand in hand…………

WalkingDSC_6759

If you are going to be visiting this season, then you will have seen from our website and my  previous blog that you are not going to go hungry.

This means you need to “walk” up an appetite and, how nice is it to combine foodie camping with walking.

Top tip

DSC_6544Prior to your trip have a look at a fantastic website for walking in Cornwall which we use a lot – iwalkcornwall.co.uk.  There are lots of very local circular walks around Pentewan, Mevagissey, and Charlestown, which can be walked straight from the campsite gates and without getting in the car.  There are also walks if you are staying longer and venturing further afield.

For keen walkers it is worthwhile getting the app and then for a very modest fee (worth it not to get lost)  you can download individual walks to your phone.

It is also worth looking at our own cycling & walking page for our walking highlights, of which there are so many. The location of The Meadows Campsite, (adults only & dog friendly) on the local bus route, and close to Mevagissey for the Fowey Ferry, means there are so many options to leave the car behind.

Harvey’ walking view image1

All you camping dog owners have got to agree that there is nothing better than a tired out pooch back at camp! Also most walks around here can include a dog friendly pub!

Just a short one for now as I need to work off all those Easter Eggs.

Lynn x

 

 

Happy New Year, and Happy Camping…………..

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Comments Off on Happy New Year, and Happy Camping…………..

DSC_0439Firstly and most importantly a very Happy New Year to all from The Meadows Team.

Time always seems to fly by when we are open, but it is also flying by just as fast for our “down time”.

Luckily we were full steam ahead when we first closed our gates, and took full advantage of the dry, sunny weather and got ahead of the game.  The grass has been growing even in December.

This time of year, we are a little at the mercy of the weather as to what jobs we can do. This means it has been the ideal time to holiday, explore the County and try out many of the fantastic eating places Cornwall has to offer.

For our main holiday this year we thought we would try something new, and so booked a cruise.  John was the organiser, and gave us absolutely no time to think about it, as research and booking took all of 5 minutes, after a night out at The Polgooth!!  With no flying involved it did seem a good idea at the time.  It was a cruise mainly around the Canaries, but also stopping at Lisbon and Madeira.  It was different, in a very good way and it was certainly a hassle free holiday.  The only things we really had to think about was  planning what to do when off the ship as arranged excursions are not really our thing.  We found the Canaries extremely well set up for walkers, with some great walks, and indeed we shall definitely return to La Palma another winter which was by far our favourite Island. We ate lunch in some lovely places and feasted on tapas, and enjoyed sitting outside in November, and we met some lovely people and had lots of laughs.

Whilst having to dress up on the ship was good fun, being a country girl, I was pleased to be reunited with my jeans and wellies!!

Back in Cornwall, we have done a great deal of exploring (the walking and eating kind), and we continue to be surprised.

Walking (our favourite pass time)

With having lots of woods on our doorstep, and the Luxlyan Valley close by, we have only just discovered Cardinham Woods (Bodmin way).  These really are super woods for both walking, and cycling, with one in particular very hairy cycle ride that nobody would ever get me to do! There is a fabulous cafe Woods Cafe which is known in particular for it’s scrummy carrot cake.

We have also been out walking on the Clay Trails again great for cycling and walking, and with some fantastic views.  You can pop in to Eden, or Wheal Martyn for coffee, or lunch, or even better literally just off the trail is the Knightor Winery doing tours, tasting and often coffee and lunch.

This year we had a quiet Cornish Christmas.  On Christmas Eve we were blessed with a day of sunshine and walked to Mevagissey on the Pentewan Valley Trail  for lunch at the Sharksfin, of beef tacos which were excellent.  When we lived in Norfolk we always used to have mussels and chips for supper on Christmas Eve.  When we saw mussels at Meva’s fish stall, we could not resist and so supper was sorted, and our return walk was on the coast path  A great day, all round.

Crantock Beach 2

Crantock beach in the winter (NT)

Walking, beach style

I like a beach where you can get a good stride out and Pentewan Sands and Par are good for this, although for doggies Pentewan is only good for the winter months.

Another great beach, with a nice drive out to it is Pendower on the edge of the Roseland. There is a NT car park right on the beach  and some very good rock pools.  We headed out here on Boxing Day and then returned via The Roseland Inn at Philleigh.  This is a lovely pub and that day the fire was roaring and we had lovely prawn sandwiches and chips before heading home.

In 40 minutes, we can be over on the North Coast, and so based on which side has the better weather, we have been heading up north walking some days.  Our favourite beaches are Watergate Bay, Perranporth (2 miles long at low tide), Hayle and Crantock.  All of these are fairly close together and so it is possible to do a day of beach hopping with plenty of places for refuelling.

Eating (our second favourite pass time )

For one reason and another, until December, we had just not gotten around to trying The Hub Box on Pentewan Sands – big mistake!! We ventured out here for our Christmas Party and joined forces with Kernow Forno who were hub box regulars. If you like really, really good burgers then this place is a must visit, but go when you are hungry.  The sides are all home made and the coleslaw and burnt end beans were fab, and the burgers delicious and award winning!  Unfortunately it is not dog friendly in the summer months – boo hoo, and for us it is now closed until March.  However, we shall fit in another visit before we open and as it is right on the beach we hope by then be able to sit outside.

As a result of Storm Frank, we had a daytime without power. We saw this as an opportunity to have brunch out and went off to Griggs Farm Shop.  The shop itself is great for outdoor gear, work gear, eggs and pickled onions, but the cafe is just a real treat.  I had a half Cornish and John  a full Cornish breakfast and it was very, very tasty indeed and kept us going until power was restored. There was even enough for a doggie back for Harvey who had waited patiently in the landy.

On our trips out exploring, and with the guidance of Alistair Sawday’s website, and of course trip advisor we have tried new places.  We like cosy pubs, good food, and a friendly welcome so not much to ask! We got all of these at both The Halestown Inn, Halestown (near St Ives), and The Ship Inn at Wadebridge.  We always like to have a memory bank of dead certs, plus a few on our list still to try, and a few very special favourites.

Work on site

Our Cornish hedge is slowly but surely coming along.  The first part is complete, save for the hedge itself to be planted in the top.  The next section is well underway, but the weather has been making it tricky for hedger Tom.

Wood – our regulars will know that fire pits are a big thing here at The Meadows, and indeed many have commented on our woodLots of towers required for 2016 towers. We have a very good back up wood source, however, we would like eventually to keep up with supply and demand from our own towers.  After hearing such good reports from farmer Bowler about his log splitter run off an old Renault tractor, we have bought our own splitter to be delivered today.  The old Fordson Dexter had been feeling redundant since we bought our new tractor, and so is pleased to have been chosen to run the splitter.  We have made our very own mini production line, so trunk to stack should be a fairly slick operation, or that is the idea any way.

For everything else left to do, we are poised now waiting on the first signs of Spring.  However, wood will keep us busy until then, and will also keep us fit.

News from Camp Dog HarveyDSC_6680

Happy new year, and happy walkies to all my four legged friends out there.  It is nice enjoying my large garden once again, and getting out and about on some epic beaches.  Whilst my owners were away cruising I spent two weeks “up country” with the farming side of the family.  I was very happy as in reality I just went from one sofa and log burner to another!

I enjoyed a Christmas time feast of cockerel (lots of), roast ham joint, short rib of beef, and all the trimmings each time, except I don’t do peas! There has been lots of walks on the beach, 3 a day on some days and lots of dog friendly pubs with log fires, and hot chips under the table. Life for me is pretty good, and so on that basis I have signed a new contract for next season as Camp Dog.

BookingsIMG_7102

We are well in to taking bookings now, and indeed some summer weeks, we are already getting fairly limited on hook ups.  The system is the same as before, keeping it fairly simple, just how we like things.  We continue to add information to our FAQs and keep the information on the website up to date, useful and interesting!  To book you can contact us here, or if you would like to speak to us please call 01726 844383.  Our gorgeous caravans Lottie and Mabel are also available to rent again this year for a special stay.  For newbies The Meadows is an adult only campsite, dog friendly and quirky, on the South Cornwall Coast, and great for walking cycling and campfires.

Here’s to a great 2016 with lots of sunshine and fun along the way.

Lynn

 

 

 

We have been in full swing, very early this season

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Comments Off on We have been in full swing, very early this season
S7000309

Happy Campers

Hi di Hi from The Meadows Campsite

The season is continuing as it started, nicely busy, jolly campers, and a few cocktails and pizzas being enjoyed along the way.

Thank goodness we worked so hard with stock piling wood ready for the season.  We have piles, and piles of wood all nicely arranged in our wood towers, and the first tower is down to the bucket we used to ensure our tower was circular and would not topple over.  The evenings have been a little on the chilly side, and those without fire pits must have had fire pit envy, as night on nights the numbers increase.  During the bank holiday, John upgraded the usual delivery mode of the wheelbarrow for our old tractor to make lighter work.

imageLots of our guests have been avoiding the crowds of the St Austell Supermarket and instead enjoying a walk and a stock up of goodies from the fabulous Lobbs Farm Shop, a must for foodies, especially those liking a good bit of steak on their bbq. If you prefer fish to meat, or surf and turf Mevagissey has a fresh fish stall right on the harbour front.

This week has been beach weather, and swimming in the sea, not in a wetsuit weather. Our guests are particularly enjoying Caerhays, aka Porthluney Cove. The revamped Cafe, has new very enthusiastic owners making a big effort, with music and events happening regularly, and a Shepherd Hut Ice Cream kiosk.

image

Caerhays Beach

Our guests have also been enjoying Duporth Beach walking out to it from Charlestown and, of course walking between Gorran Haven and Vault Beach.  Some of our recent guests have seen all of the beaches around here as they are walking the full extent of the SWCP coast path. Our last walkers had a full on evening here with a fire pit and a take away delivered to them from the fabulous Gurkha Restaurant in St Austell.  They even had left over samosas to enjoy for their lunch on Hallane Beach the next day. We highly recommend this restaurant eating in, or take away style, and all guests who have eaten their food have given very positive feedback.

Now we are not ones to blow our own trumpets, as that is just not our thing.  However, we would like to share a couple of things with you, as we always like our guests to hear what others think of our campsite.

Firstly, we were featured in last Saturday’s Travel Section of  The Guardian Newspaper.  This was as a complete surprise to us, but did explain why email and telephone enquiries, were coming through faster than they have ever done previously!! Not being Guardian Readers ourselves on the Sunday we were hoping to find a copy in our recycling bin, but unfortunately not, although we do now have a copy.  Thank you Cool Camping for including us in this feature.

Here is the link if you want to have a look, at us and also some other great independent campsites

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/23/uk-cool-campsites-camping-glamping-yurts-britain

Secondly, here is a link to a new blog set up by one of our recent camper vanners who stayed here bank holiday weekend.  There are some good pictures and we were pleased to have made a camper banner happy.

http://campervanner.com/2015/05/25/the-meadows-pentewan-saint-austell-south-cornwall/

Bookings – following our feature in the paper, I have as chief booking administrator been working just about at the speed I used IMG_7111to in my previous life as a lawyer, and that is saying something!!  We are just about fully booked now until around 22 August, except for the odd few days here and there, and a few spaces in June.  For “proper camping” we have plenty of spaces, but limited parking.  This means for those arriving under their own steam (including bus, train and taxi) we will always have a space for you.  For short stays, we are always worth a try, but for main holiday, please bear us in mind for next year.

News from Camp Dog Harvey

It is my birthday today, but apparently that does not warrant the day off duty!! Instead I got taken to the vets to have a needle stuck in my backside.  Some birthday present that was.

I have been very busy looking after all my four legged guests, and sharing my knowledge of walks, and dog friendly pubs that hand out dog treats.   I have seen lots of sandy bottoms returning back to camp, and very tired legs.  This week I was very impressed  with the dog who did the circular Mevagissey walk and made it up and down the 200 steps to run around on the very dog friendly Polstreath beach.  I bet that dog had the beach almost to himself as a reward.  Just to remind you, The Meadows is a dog friendly campsite, with great walks straight from the campsite gates.

Finally, upcoming Diary Dates

1 June – first visit by The Atlantic Fryer cooking up Cornish fish and chips on the campsite, and then every Monday, just missing the odd one or two.

6 & 9 June – visit by Kernow Forno cooking up wood fired pizzas, and then visiting every Tuesday evening.

28 June – 5 July Mevagissey Feast Week

There will be far more happening than that, and I will get myself finding out, but in the meantime do check out Visit Cornwall so you don’t miss anything.

June – start of Eden Sessions, and worth having a look who is performing as it looks like there are returned tickets still available for some events.

Right time, to open my little blue shed/reception office/tourist information board and shop.

Lynn on behalf of The Meadows Team (Lynn, John & Camp Dog Harvey)- The Meadows, Campsite, South Cornwall, Dog friendly, adult only campsite………………….

 

 

 

 

 

It is all in the planning………….

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Comments Off on It is all in the planning………….
DSC_6544

The Meadows – for camping close to Mevagissey

Most of our visitors for the 2015 season are now booked in, and counting down to their holiday.  With a bit of good planning and thinking ahead, you are sure to get the most out of your jolly.

Here are our top tips for getting the most out of your Cornish camping trip, especially for all those Cornish virgins out there:-

1.  First and foremost, buy a map of the local area.  The ordnance survey explorer maps are great for “exploring”, and also a great tool for planning walks, cycle rides and scenic drives.  For us, covering Mevaggisey, Truro, Falmouth and the Roseland, Map 105 is the best one.  We do sell here the little yellow maps which are very popular and may be enough if you are just on foot/bicycle.

2. Have a look at the What’s On guide for Cornwall, and check out what is happening in the county during your stay.  It is so easy to get around the county from base camp, The Meadows, and so worth the drive for something special.  There are some great country fairs and vintage rallies, such as The St Ewe Country Fair and the Bocconnoc Steam Rally.

For the month of May, I have done this research for you, and here are just a few of events happening, and most of these are near by.

May –

Helston Flora Day – today, and so one to think about for next May!

Fowey Festival of Words and Music 9-16 May

Port Elliot Dog Festival – 9/5.  This has to be lots of fun.

Eden Classic Cycle Ride  – 10 May.  A chance to cycle around the whole of the Eden Project.

Lostfest – a one day Festival, with lots packed in with stalls, foodie, cider/cornish ale, music and just generally lots of things happening to make for a full day of fun. This is in Lostwithiel.

Not an event, but always a wonderful place, Heligan Gardens and the fabulous little piglets.

My understanding is that the film set at Portholland will be in place until around the end of this month.  Good idea to park at Caerhays and walk around to it on the SWCP.

3. Check out any offers for the Gardens of Cornwall, in particular those local to us, Eden and The Lost Gardens of 

Heligan. Last year Gardeners World did a great offer, and the gardens themselves had a great offer for those visiting both.  You should also look at arriving at the gardens under their own steam as there is often a reward for doing so.

4. Whilst away on holiday, this is a time to check out the lovely Country pubs that a stay cation is so great for. One of our favourite books, for ensuring you are heading for a great pub is to check out those in the area in Aistair Sawday’s Special Pub Book, or the Sawday website.  For those bringing their four legged friend, doggie pubs is also a great app to have on your phone, although Cornish Landlords and Landlies are far more accepting of dogs than other areas of the country, and it is unusual for a dog not to be welcome.

5. Check out your camping gear before you get here.  This will avoid spending the first day of your holiday visiting the camping shops to replace, buy things you have forgotten, or that you broke last time, and intended to replace, but never got around to it.

image

Catch mackerel with Chris from Aquila

6. This high season we hope to be offering food on two evenings of the week, but we know our campers like to cook up their own delights.  Holidays are a great time to try out new dishes, and being a fishy area Paella is a good one, and of course freshly caught (by you) mackerel on the bbq.  Bring some recipes with you, and have on board all your essential ingredients.  For campervanners we like the list The Campervan Cook Martin Dorey did in his book, and we have tasted his cooking, and it is good!!

 

Other Meadows News

We had a great turn out for May day bank holiday weekend, even though the weather was not the kindest.  However, early campers are we find a hardy bunch, and they all had their bbqs and fire pits going and did not let a bit of the wet stuff spoil their first camping trip of the season.  We had dogs in coats and hoodies, adults in hats and scarves one minute and tee shirts and shorts the next.

Cosy up in Mabel

Lottie and Mabel Caravans both were blessed with guests for the weekend who cozied up in them as they both have heaters, and thick duvets and so guests keep toasty warm.

The meadow flower is growing nicely, and at bank holiday a lot of the secluded pitches were occupied, and once again, those furthest in were the most popular.

Poldark – nearly all our visitors so far have made a visit to Charlestown to check out the harbour that featured in Poldark.  We even had guests walk there on the SWCP on one of the blustery days, which was very well done indeed.

Buses 

Following the sudden ending of the Western Greyhound busy company, we are now getting used to the new local bus services.  This service First Service 24 is proving very popular and reliable  John has even made a new bus stop sign as before it was a very Cornish bus stop and nobody wants to upset the bus driver by standing in the wrong spot.

It is great news that we now have a bus going to Gorran Haven, and also to Polgooth, handy for the Polgooth Inn.

Checking everything out from the bank of bluebells

News from Camp Dog Harvey –

Bank holiday was great for me, not too hot for working, and lots going on for me to look at. I also managed to fit in some nice walks along the river to the village checking out the bluebells, campion, a dipper, yellow wagtails  and some swifts along the way.

My girls’ eggs were very popular over the bank holiday weekend and sold out quickly.  At present I am trying to increase productively, but so far this is not going well.

Bookings

It is great that we appear to be popular, and we like being on the smaller side, but this does mean we cannot accommodate all who want to stay. For the coming bank holiday, we are fully booked now on our main pitches, so all we have are our casual pitches and “proper camping”  (none electric).  However last bank holiday, we did have a few cancel at the 11th hour so we are always worth a try for cancellations and telephoning is best. For first time visitors, we are an adults only campsite, and dog friendly, close to Mevagissey, South Cornwall.  We make a great base for a walking or cycling holiday in Cornwall.

For the rest of the season, give us a try and let us know if your dates are flexible in any way, as we try to be ourselves.

IMG_7106

Look out for our camper van signs

You can call 01726 844383 or contact us by email .

For those who are booked to stay with us at Bank holiday, we are hoping that there will be fried eggs in the sky this time.  As usual if the weather is not so kind John and I will take full responsibility as Campsite Owners.

 

Happy Friday

Lynn, John & Camp Dog Harvey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our new gates will soon be opening………

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Comments Off on Our new gates will soon be opening………

Spring is definitely here, and the county is full of primroses, and some early wild garlic, and of course lots of daffs.  Our bank looks like it will be full of bluebells again this year which will be great for our early guests, and we also look like we will have lots of foxgloves this year.

We have not got long left now before our first guests arrive, and we have been busy, busy, busy, but there are still lots of jobs to do.

Even the hen house needs painting

Two pairs of hands never seem enough at this time of year, however, it is surprising what gets done in a day now with the extra hour on the end.  Of course, on a campsite the grass is a very important element, and we spend lots of time on ours.  This year will be the second year for the camping wings, and the grass is thickening and greening up lovely.  The wild flower meadow has had extra seeding and so hopefully we shall be seeing different flowers, although we do love the ragged robin and yellow flag irises.  The meadow has been topped for the second time since closing, and we shall soon be picking out the new spots for this years’ secluded pitches.

Most of the good old grass protecta that we have added to year on year, for our natural effect hardstanding has disappeared.  All hook up pitches are now hardstanding grass pitches, but just look like and are grass. We also now have four new campervan hardstanding grass pitches for the vanners who like to “proper camp”.  It seems there are quite a few of those,  as the pitches are already proving popular, and are situate on the fore meadow.

The paint brushes and ladders have been out, and most of the painting is finished, but some Cornish mizzle has got in the way today for outside.  The girls Lottie & Mabel are going to be painted next week, and then we can start getting them ready for the bank holiday weekend when they both have guests.

We are now on to making lists!  Nothing like a must be done by…………….. to get some jobs done.  The last day before opening is the best, as that is for bunting, butterflies, table plants, and full on beautifying.

deb's pictures 017Spring is the time for weeding and all the beds have been weeded, hedges cut, and we are about to plant some more plants.  Heligan gardens is a great place for new plants, and we shall be making a visit next week.  We shall first do some research about plants that rabbits do not find tasty.

Others news and happenings…….

For those who like a very tasty burger, the Hub box is opening down on Pentewan Sands in what was formerly Driftwood Beach Bar.  Our guests will be able to walk down and have a burger and a Cornish beer looking out to sea.  Unfortunately, the Hub Box is not likely to be pooch friendly.

Knee High Theatre and the Asylum are returning to Heligan Gardens this year, for another month of theatre entertainment.  The 2015 show is 946. This event was extremely popular last year and well worth booking tickets if you are staying with us between  25 July- 23 August . Check out the details including early bird tickets. The little video certainly makes it seem a must do.  It would be a dark walk back to The Meadows, but some of our guests did do it last year, but a large bright torch would be a definite must.

Since returning from our winter jolly, Mevagissey has been very busy with a large film crew.  I had never realised how many people and units were involved in this sort of thing.  The village had more bunting up than The Meadows, and there was quite a bit of filming too at The Rising Sun pub at Portmellon.  The filming was for Bad Eduction The Movie.

Bedruthan Steps – oh what a wonderful beach.  We had guests, who went back here day after day during there stay so we thought we would check out why.  A very beautiful beach, and lovely walking either way on the south west coast path.

Pentewan Cycle hire – if you don’t want the hassle of bringing your own biles down to Cornwall, Stuart has got lots, including some brand new ones for this imageseason. Hire can be arranged so they can be dropped off and collected direct from The Meadows

Food & cocktails – 

The very popular wood fired pizzas cooked by Simon Sarah of Kernow Forno and their team will be back this season, which is great news.

Fish & Chips – being worked on, so watch this space.

Some form of cocktail and cider bar – just waiting on the approval of our Licence, and then the camp genie may rub the magic lamp and it could appear!

imageNews from Camp Dog

I have had my cousins visiting this week from “up country” and so we have been out and about and I have been showing them my favourite dog friendly walks. We are all very hardy and so walked in gale force winds on the SWCP to Padstow, luckily with the wind from behind so we literally blew there.  Our favourite day was walking the  Hall Walk from Fowey to Polruan with two ferry rides, and a gorgeous lunch at the Lugger Inn in Polruan. My second favourite day was walking on the SWCP from Carne Beach on the Roseland around to Portloe with lunch at The Ship, Portloe (carpet & log burner).  Of course, we also had to do the Mevagissey circular walk and climb down the 200 steps to have a run around on the beach, and a pint at The Fountain Inn. There are so many dog friendly walks taking in dog friendly pubs in this area, and so my cousins made a great choice of holiday destination.

A regular

There has been a few deck bathing days and so I have been twitching.  Spottings this week are lots of buzzards, pheasants, kingfisher, woodpeckers, jay, and so many tits and finches. Unfortunately, as well as the very generous amount of bird food, they also have been munching on the grass seed.

IMG_7102Bookings – these are certainly keeping us busy especially with our flexible booking system! We do still have availability for advance booking, but for some weeks it is a little tight.  If you are flexible with dates please let us know when enquiring in the special requirements section.  We do always try and give you other options.  The Meadows Campsite is for adults only (and dogs), and is close to Mevagissey and Heligan Gardens. To book you can contact us here, or telephone 01726 844383.  We are usually working outside during the day, so please do leave a message as we always  check and return calls during our refreshment breaks.

 

 

Countdown to opening has begun……………

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Comments Off on Countdown to opening has begun……………
IMG_0464

Last day of Feb

We seem to have returned in time for the first signs of Spring, and some lovely sunny days. January and February can be a little wet in Cornwall which limits the work we can do on site.  It was a good time to be away, but it was a good time to return, and we are loving working outdoors again.

IMG_0452

Porthcurno

Getting lots of jobs done in the week, we still have time for our Cornwall outings at the weekend.  If it is grey in one place in Cornwall, you can usually find sunshine in another part, so we tend to go where the weather looks best.  Last weekend we took a trip out to Porthcurno, and walked around on the SWCP past the Minack Theatre to another couple of beautiful coves, and a nice surprise of a little beach cafe for a coffee stop.  Cornwall is just so full of surprises.

IMG_0463IMG_0462

 

We drove back the scenic route, through Mousehole and stopping off at Newlyn and the very popular Tolcarne Inn for a late lunch A lovely old pub, serving delicious fish and dog friendly too. It was John Dory for me with mussels and my first taste of polenta, and good old fish and chips for John.  A small blackboard menu and the fish was as fresh as fresh, a good choice and one we shall definitely be returning to. Newlyn has a very good fresh fish shop so we picked up some scallops and squid and then returned home to light the fire.

On Sunday we headed off to Fowey and walked on the lower path to Golant which is very lovely, and then returned on the higher path for the fabulous views.  At the moment, we are trying out parts of The Saints Way, so that we can add this one to our walks, and give some first hand review of it. We stopped off for a drink at The Star at Tywadreath on the way back which is another good and proper pub, and then it was home for roast lamb.

Monday was back to work, and opening time is fast approaching, and there is still lots to do.

S7000019

Five towers, and all still standing

We now have a whole row of wood towers ready for the ever popular fire pits, and surely we cannot run out this year!  The hedge has had his hair cut, this week, and the chickens got new bedding as what comes off all goes through the shredder as we don’t like wasting anything here.

The butterflies are on order……………… watch this space – inspired by something I spotted whilst lunching in a NZ winery, and I have been on the hunt since!!

Pitch names – we downed tools early yesterday as it was bright blue sky and so very sunny, and headed out to Vault Beach and collected some material for our new signs.  The Brooks’ family are the artists and so when everything has been collected, Camp Daddy John will be getting in touch with his creative side, and I shall be directing!

New for 2015

DSC_6543

Gorgeous Mevagissey

Since we arrived in South Cornwall, we have noticed changes in Mevagissey, and it seems to be going up and up.  There are some lovely places to eat, and new places opening all the time.  Our favourite coffee stop is The Cafe on the Quay, and for lunch we like The Sharksfin, especially now it is warming up and the doors are open on to the quay.  There are some lovely little shops in Mevagissey, and of course being a fishing village there is no shortage of places to call in to for a pint or two. You can buy fresh fish on the quay, cornish pasties, and fish and chips.

Recently Fat Face have opened up on The Quay, and we look to be getting stand up paddle boarding opening up too.  Paddle boarding was huge in NZ, especially in the calmer harbour waters, and down the rivers.

If you like holidaying early summerthen Mevagissey Feast Week is a great time to visit. You can walk in to the Mevagissey on the trail which takes about an hour, or catch the bus and avoid car parks. Feast week this year is 28 June – 4 July and the first day is a usually a great day to head down, especially if you like food.  Check out what is happening for the week.

We all love Mevagissey and the neighbouring Port Mellon walking out on to Chapel Point too.

IMG_6785

Well, we will be soon

Bookings

After two great summers, we all seem to have faith in making it three in a row and our bookings reflect this.  Don’t hang around if you want to come and stay this summer, as nobody else is.  We appreciate that not everyone wants to holiday Saturday to Saturday, especially with the delightful A30 and so we offer a flexible booking system.  This does make our pitch planner, look a bit of a miss match sometimes, but we don’t mind that and it always allow space, for those just dropping by whilst touring this lovely county.  If you want to advance book a stay at The Meadows Campsite then you can contact us here or by telephone  – 01726 844383.  Just a reminder we are an adults (16 and over) only campsite.

News from Camp Dog Harvey

IMG_0991

Vault Beach in the winter

It was nice having my early morning walks on Pentewan Sands, but unfortunately 1 March has passed, and so it is once again out of bounds for me.  However, Vault Beach and Gorran Haven are my favourites anyway and I quite like being chauffeured some days to my walks.

I cannot say I am working too hard at the moment, as being Head of Security is an easier role when the gates are closed. Now it is warming up, I shall be swapping the back of the settee for the sunny deck for my afternoon siestas.

 

 

Our winter holidays…….

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Comments Off on Our winter holidays…….
S7000118

NZ high season

One of the questions we both get asked the most is “what do you do in the winter?”

Well, so far for our first  two seasons of campsite life, our answer has always been “working on the campsite, and walking with Harvey on the SWCP on our days off”.  Working very hard for the last two years, we have completed the major work on site, gone through two seasons as real novices to this, and so we thought we had earned some good down time this winter to recharge our batteries. We also thought we may be find a few good new ideas along the way to bring back to The Meadows.

IMG_2214

We enjoyed lots of walking

We like a summer holiday very much ourselves, as you cannot beat sitting out in the warm evenings, swimming in the sea and walking in shorts and T-shirts. Well, everything looks so wonderful if the sky is blue, and the sun is shining and generally everything is blooming.  England is our favourite Country, but we do both love NZ. As our desire to run a campsite came about during our own NZ campervan trip, we thought we would make another trip there this winter.  We spent a wonderful 7 weeks, only experiencing one day of rain, and exploring many amazing places along the way.

S7000166

Freedom camping

We stayed on many campsites, as well as a few farm stays, including one with family.  We spent time both on the North and South Island and we enjoyed wonderful long walks, wineries, visiting family, and just generally had a fabulous time.  So as work on site, came to a temporary halt whilst we were away, I will share with you some pictures of camping the NZ way.S7000142S7000145 S7000135

 

IMG_0258

Most easterly campsite in the world

 

IMG_0055

News from Camp Dog Harvey

I am not very good in the heat anyway, but it would have been nice to meet my cousin Monty.  Nz did not include me, but I have had my very own holiday at the Woodthorpe Health Farm in the Midlands.  I enjoyed some lovely winter walks with my new coat around Charnwood,  and a trip to Norfolk. It has been early to bed and early to rise, two good square meals and not too many treats, and evenings in front of the log burner.  My extra padding has been reduced, my six pack is back and I have returned home in fine form. I am now back in Cornwall and this morning enjoyed a lovely walk on Pentewan Sands in the sunshine to see the big waves.DSC_6754

Now that I am back, I shall be getting out and about enjoying my favourite local walks, and also hopefully finding some new ones to add to my walking journal.  As well as dog friendly walks, I am always on the lookout for new dog friendly pubs, even though I have a good list already.

Other Meadows News

Prior to downing tools at Christmas, we were very busy completing jobs, most of which involved wood in one form or another.  Now we are back, and feeling reenergised, we are ready to get stuck in with our list of jobs to be done in time for opening on 30 April. Our first job is creating our four new campervan pitches on our fore meadow. The grass protecta to make the grass hardstanding is on order, the pitch names have been chosen and so these pitches  should be done next week. These new pitches are already proving popular with our early VW Campervan bookers.

We have come up with the names now for all our pitches, but we still have the signs to make, and we are hoping to make these out of left over materials, and things found whilst out and about.

It is still a little early to get the paint brushes and bunting out, and we are keeping Mabel and Lottie with their covers on for a while still yet.

BookingsIMG_7102

Working on basic admin, i.e notebook, pen and iPad, and being away for such a long time, we carried on with bookings as usual whilst away.  Once again the theme is book early and have a camping trip to look forward to. Even “proper campers”, the hardy bunch are booking early this year, and we are keeping everything crossed for a good summer like the last.

Already, for the height of the season, electric hook up pitches are very limited.  If you are thinking of staying with us for your main summer holiday then please do think about booking early.  Our vintage and quirky caravans Mabel and Lottie are also proving to be very popular again this season.  The Meadows is an adult only campsite close to Mevagissey, so very handy for The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Charlestown and Fowey.  We are a dog friendly and indeed a generally very friendly campsite.

Thank you to all those who have booked to stay with us so far for the 2015 season and we look forward to seeing you all in a few months time.

 

Lynn, John and Harvey

 

 

For those on jolly countdown…………..

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Comments Off on For those on jolly countdown…………..

IMG_6785We cannot believe that we have already reached the half way point of our second season, and time is certainly flying by. There is a very relaxed, informal atmosphere on site, with some very chilled guests who having been making the most of our pop up saviours.  Cream teas, wood fired pizzas and gooey choc brownies, and Steve’s Mojitos have been going down a storm.

The weather to date has been extremely kind for a UK Summer and fingers crossed it will be very similar for the rest of the summer, followed swiftly by an indian summer for the latter part of our season.  Surely this is not asking for too much.

For those with their jolly still to look forward to, and to help both our guests, and ourselves out as we are all busy people, I am setting out below some information for faqs on the days before arrival, and to save you trawling our site.  As those who have visited us will know, we run the campsite just the three of us, and one of the team, as cute as he is does not always pull his weight so most of the work is left to Camp Daddy and I.

Don’t upset the Head of Security

For those arriving Q “What is the earliest time we can arrive on site” 

We know you are very eager to start your jolly, but we can only dedicate our time to you from 12 noon on the day of arrival.  John’s breakfast baguettes are very popular in particular for those packing up and leaving us on the morning.  Also grown ups often don’t get up at the crack of dawn, especially if the cocktail van visited the night before!! To avoid mayhem on the site as there is nowhere to park you especially caravans and motorhomes, until we have waved off our guests departing the pitches, and then given them a mow and a tidy up.  We are ready for arrivals and inspection, for 12 noon.

This also means that you get personally shown to your pitch, and given the full run down on the local map, dog friendly information, and what’s hot and what’s not, and also what is happening on site that week.  It also means that when you are departing, we will have time to cook you a baguette and make you a pot of coffee to set you up for your journey should you so desire. We are just down the road from both Asda and Tesco, and the fabulous Lobbs Farm Shop at Heligan for stocking up before setting up.

Also as you enter the valley you have the lovely Kingswood with a great parking area, and the dogs on board will leave you in peace to set up if they have exerted a bit of energy first.  Those guests who have been walking, or to Mevagissey for brunch pre set up have suffered far less from tent tourettes (not mentioning awnings 😉 on arrival, and that is fact!!

Q “What is the latest time we can arrive on site”  Our answer to this is at a reasonable time, and to be able to set up in the light .  We are “owls hoot softly after 10pm” and so we would not want you to be setting up any later than that.  If you are arriving after 7pm please do let us know so we know you are definitely coming.  If our office is closed, we live on site, and so please come on to the deck and wave your arms around. If that that does not work, our telephone numbers are on the office door.

Q “Where can we exercise our doggie” We are very dog friendly as those who have visited us will know.  However just as you would not want anyone DSC_6759exercising their dog on your pitch, we do not accept dogs being exercised on the areas that are for the “proper campers”, or other people’s pitches. The trail runs from right outside our gate and parallel to our site, and this is the best for early mornings, and before bed time.  We do of course have a dog parcel bin for you.  Of course the trail is also great for many lovely long day time walks and not having to take the car.

Q “What night is pizza night” This now seems to be important to those planning a short stay, and not wanting to miss out.  Pizza night is Tuesday 5-8pm and pre-ordering is required.  Cream tea and cake is usually Thursday afternoon, and sometimes Earl the van will call in on other days.

Q “Changes to Bookings” Please note that we are now more or less fully booked until early/mid September, and we have turned lots of people away, and made a pitch plan.  If you have to shorten your trip for any reason, then we are very sorry that you will miss part of your stay. However, please note that on arrival we require payment for the full balance of your booking, and refunds will not be given should you leave before the end of your booked stay. We feel we are very reasonable people, and we do not want to go down the line of the more commercial parks collecting payment, not less than 28 days prior to arrival.  Please play fair is what we ask and which the majority do, as we do have to run the campsite as a business, and it is, we feel a very relaxed one!!!

Extending your booking – we will try to accommodate this where possible, but we will not always be able to do so.  Please come and see us should you want to stay longer, and we will see what we can do.

IMG_7114Lottie & Mabel Caravans – as the beautifying takes far longer arrival is any time after 3pm, but again we don’t expect you to hand back the key until 11am on the day you leave.

For those who have reached the end of their stay, and are departing The Meadows Firstly, and most importantly  we hope by then you will have had a fabulous stay, and we hope you will leave wanting to return one day. Our departure time is 11am which we hope gives you time to pack up in an orderly fashion, and enjoy breakfast on our sunny deck should you wish before setting off home.

Reviews – you can give your  honest feedback on UK Campsites, Trip Advisor and Cool Camping.  This gives me the opportunity to say a very, very big thank you to the many of you who have given reviews, and trip advisor seems to be the current favourite.  Thanks to you guys we are presently ranked number 2 for St Austell speciality places to stay :).  We wish we had more hours in the day to respond to you all personally as we appreciate the reviews so much and they keep us confident that we are on the right track!!!!

General – “do we need to book” – unless you are arriving on foot, or on a bicycle an advance call would be wise even if just for an odd night.  However, we do often have gaps between bookings for the odd night  or two.  This means if you are in the area touring this beautiful County we are worth a try, and your luck could be in. And lastly, as of course I could not miss it out and for the final time

We are just for grown ups, and it is simple as that!!!!!!!!  We have now heard all the jokes and more, so please can we have some new ones for August to make us laugh all the way the end of the season:).  

You can also check out our faq for more information, and our website generally including our camping etiquette

Right a quick run down on what is still left to enjoy this summer in this delightful part of Cornwall Fowey and Charlestown Regattas St Ewe Country Fair  Boconnoc & Sticker Steam Fairs The Meadows Paella Nights, courtesy of Sams Vans – subject to there being enough interest.  We have quite a few takers already, so please let us know on arrival.

For any guests who stayed with us in early June you may recognise this fella “Milo”. “Milo” and the girls had a fabulous holiday, and really got out there and explored.  Thank you for the photos Anne, Sarah & Milophoto 4photo 3photo 1Milo pics

Lynn  on behalf of the team.

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
image

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.

IMG_0955

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.