Busy bees – work & play time at The Meadows

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Comments Off on Busy bees – work & play time at The Meadows

Well the campsite gates are closed, and the bunting has been taken down and washed and ironed 😉 ready for next year. Lotttie and Mabel Caravans have been dressed up for photos, and now dressed down for winter, and our small  campsite seems very quiet indeed.image

To mark closing and surviving our first season I was treated to a new outfit – a green Boilersuit! It takes me back to when I was about 10 and my mum and dad bought me a Massey Fergi Boilersuit for Christmas. The new one has had lots of use already as we have been working very hard “down field”. It is now possible to see all the way down stream to our small wooded area. The view from what will be our new stream side pitches, is gorgeous over the hills with the sheep and cows grazing. The view is worth every one of the extra few paces to the showerblock in my opinion. We are certainly loving taking in the views working “down field”.

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Not quite an “amazing space” 

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For making hay when the sun shines

Before the “big storm” lots of the trees over the stream had already received a drastic haircut. The mass of brambles have also been attacked with some vigour, which is what they needed. Unsurprisingly, our finds have included a haymaker, 15 old aliminum windows, 2 old trailers, and an “amazing spaces” horse box.  These are in addition to our other recent finds, and our dumper truck has made life easier getting our finds up  field.

The wood we have taken down, has been logged, and is now seasoning, for all next years campfires so we have wood a plenty. Our wood piles are huge, and there is no danger of us running out.

We have almost finished the clearing stage of the work, and the bank area is to be raised from what we take out when extending the road, and creating our wildlife pond.

Our next task which we start on Monday is to de-silt the stream, and we have already made our sandbags. We expect it is years since it has been done, and another task that is new to us, and for which our digger will make easier. Once done the stream will have a much better flow, the water table on site should be lowered and it will look a much nicer feature. For 2014 we will have some new perches for guests to sit by the stream, made by Camp Daddy out of some of our biggest logs.

News from Camp Dog HarveyHarvey's day off

Boot-camp is well under way, and is great fun. We have been checking out lots of new dog friendly walks, beaches, and a few dog friendly pubs along the way.

The new SWCP walking book is getting lots of use, although the walks are never followed to the letter, and usually involve an extension or two.

What is amazing is how many fabulous walks there are so close to my home at The Meadows Campsite and which I can share with my guests. The beaches round here are all so lovely, and at the moment, Caerhays is my current joint favourite with Hemmick Beach.

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Mevagissey harbour in November

My favourite walk from Camp Gates is the Mevagissey circular walk, especially on a Sunday morning.  The walk there is on the Pentewan Trail skirting the edge of Heligan, stopping off at a nice little cafe in Mevagissey for coffee. There is usually a couple of old boys in there who enjoy a gossip! As the “pooch ban” is off now for Pentewan Sands, we return on the coast path, scrambling down to the cove that joins up with Pentewan Sands and finish the last section with a stroll on the beach, and a bath in the sea. We all like this walk, and I am off my lead for almost all of it, and the scenery and sniffs are just fab.

I was sent out on a mission to check out a few beaches close to Camp, and how good they are for those on four legs.  We all like Duporth, and we parked in Charlestown and had a very lovely walk to both Duporth and Porthpean along the coastal path.  The two beaches are very similar, and both very lovely indeed. The walk and views are lovely too, looking out to the Gribbin Head daymarker and around St Austell Bay.

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Carylon Bay from its best side

Carlyon Bay, is a little bit odd.  It could be fantastic, and if you look ahead out to sea and ignore the unfinished work it is.  This is a great big beach, so great for a fun.  Parking is also free, but there are a few steps to climb down.  We walked the whole length, scrambled up at the end and walked back on the coast path dodging golf balls along the way.

One afternoon, we knocked off early, and took a lovely walk from the gorgeous Gorran Haven, along the SWCP to Vault Beach.  I like this beach, and there were lots of sniffs, feathers, and best of all we had the beach to ourselves.  There are lots of lovely walks to be done taking in this beach, and also my favourite Hemmick Beach.

Note to my four legged guests – Carlyon Bay, Duporth & Vault Beach are all year roundpaw

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St Just in Roseland Church

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Gorgeous Towan Beach

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St Mawes

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St Just in Roseland

Just a little bay along the way

In view of our busy time ahead, we took this weekend off to recharge our batteries.  We have enjoyed two long, but fabulous walks around the St Mawes area.  We visited Towan Beach, Porthscatho, Gerrans Bay, St Mawes itself, St Just in Roseland and Froe Creek.  Here are just a few little pictures of our days out.  St Mawes is gorgeous, The Royal Standard at Gerrans Bay made a lovely lunch stop, and the whole area which is really very close to Camp is fantastic.

My girls (our chucks) are laying very well indeed at the moment so must be happy hens.  Its a good job we all like eggs, in one form or another and my favourite is softly boiled on top of a bit of Bakers.  Keep up the good work girls.

Other Meadows news

The parts of the website, best left to the experts are currently being updated to reflect our 2014 changes.  If this is not complete by the time you read this, then it will be so in the next few days.  We are amazed how much thinking ahead everyone is doing, though the 2013 heatwave has no doubt helped everyone is doing for 2014.  Great though to have a camping or caravanning trip already planned for 2014 to look forward to.

Mabel Caravan – has been treated to some gorgeous bits and bobs ready for her 2014 guests.  Being on the classy side, I treated her to some gorgeous pearl fairy lights.  I have also made some nice liners for her cupboards, and lots of other bits and bobs.  One sunny day, I set up the table and took some pics for the website.  Mabel Caravan’s garden will get completed in early Spring.

Mabel and Lottie Caravan are both lovely for a special stay away as rather “quirky accommodation”.  If you want to book a stay in one of our vintage caravans, then please contact us by telephone or email.

Bookings – if you want to book in early at The Meadows Campsite, Pentewan, and have a holiday to look forward to, we of course are happy to book you in.  Please either contact us here, or telephone 01726 844383 to make your booking.  We are a small quirky campsite, close to Mevagissey, and great for Heligan Gardens and Eden.  We are also dog friendly, a park for adults only, and cater for campervans, caravans, tents (all shapes and sizes), and motorhomes. The Meadows is ideal for a walking, or cycling holiday in South Cornwall.

 

 

What a fab few first days………………….

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Comments Off on What a fab few first days………………….

imageWell, we have been blessed with sunshine and fantastic guests at The Meadows at the start of our new, and indeed first season here.

The site has really come alive with our guests setting up their pitches, and relaxing in the sunshine.image

Spot the tent - secluded pitch.

Spot the tent – what a secluded pitch.

All our facilities have gotten the thumbs up especially the hot power showers in our wet rooms, and our new deck.

The reception and shop are looking very colourful, and out of the window it is like spring watch with the bird feeders full of goldfinches, blue tits, great tits and coal tits. Unfortunately, the Kingfisher did not make an appearance this weekend, but the owls have been hooting well in the evenings.

To celebrate our opening weekend, we had a bbq on the new deck with John’s home-made burgers, sausages & home-made coleslaw. The stove was properly christened too with some onions and garlic slowing cooking – ooh ooh the smells at the Meadows this weekend.

Our first cakes have been made, and so our first guests were our guinea pigs and with a dollop of Cornish clotted cream everything went down a treat. We need to get baking again, to replenish stocks for our next guests.image

Martin Dorey was a guest here as well this weekend, with his lovely family. In true Campervan Cookbook style Martin cooked up a paella on a very smart dutch oven, so there was a trade of goodies, and aromas. The paella was delicious, and the recipe is on it’s way to us. There was also some traditional marshmallow toasting over the fire. We shall be looking in to one of those ovens for our “dish of the day” nights in the summer. There was certainly no shortage of food this weekend.

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The Meadows shop declared officially open by Martin Dorey

Martin was very kind enough to “officially” open The Meadows Camp Site shop, and try out our eggs, supplied by “friends with hens & ducks” in Pentewan. The eggs are already very popular, and so we hope the chucks can keep up with the demand. Hopefully, we will soon be getting some of our own chucks as well so that will take some of the pressure off.

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Camp Dog has been enjoying all of the fuss he has received from the guests, but I don’t think he quite knows what to make of it all.  At the moment he is sitting under my desk in the reception, and this spot seems to be second favourite to the deck, for sleeping of course, not working!!! He has been out walking down the Pentewan Trail this weekend, and he also participated at the BBQ

We have been very keen to get feedback from our guests this weekend, and so far so good.  Ladies (and any gents with a blow drying need) the complimentary hair dryer, and mirror are on order, and will be here soon. Ice cream will be on its way in to the shop, and I am just completing my ice cream research before placing the first order.  It is at present between Roskillys & Callelstick, and both are absolutely delicious, with lots of great flavours.  John is at this very moment making the phone charging cabinet to be installed in our reception, another example of up-cycling as it will be a bespoke wooden one!

All of our guests seem very pleased with the naturalness of the site, the setting and the general rustic feel. Our guests have also been admiring the restored treasures on display, and most now containing plants.image

It would be our pleasure to welcome you to The Meadows as your base to enjoy this beautiful area of Cornwall.  Why not leave the car on camp some days, and enjoy the walking to Pentewan Sands, Heligan Gardens, Mevagissey, and exploring Kings Wood.  We are happy for guests to just turn up, and pitch up.  However, to book in advance, please contact us here, or telephone 01726 844383/07712599745.  Our touring park is 3 miles from St Austell, dog friendly and caters for tents of all shapes and sizes, motor homes and caravans, and we look forward to seeing you this season.

 

 

Sitting around a camp burner……….

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Comments Off on Sitting around a camp burner……….

Whilst it may not have felt like it on 31 January when we turned up with our two 7.5 lorries, to find the owner still very much ‘here’ ,there are ups to buying the site from a collector (and in lot of cases burying) of everything.

If you have been a visitor here before, or have had the time to read all of my blogs you will imagehave some idea of what we took on.  Although at that time, you had to see it to believe it. If not, in summary, before the ‘nice’ work to the site, we had 13 skips, and the same tonnage  amount of scrap metal go off site.  We also ‘passed on’ an old bristol crawler, and other machinery and hope these will in time restored to their former glory.

John and I like ‘old’ things, in particular me being a farmer’s daughter ‘old’ farming machinery related. Unfortunately the landrover and horsebox were beyond saving, tho we did rescue the feral cat who had made the landrover his home. I have mentioned before our ‘treasures’ and with some hard work, tlc, and help with the shot blasting (Andrew) and painting (mum and dad Bowler)these are now looking superb and being put out around the site to share with our guests.

 imageimageThe Meadows Team are very much in to ‘up cycling’ and so for our landscaping everything used is from what we have found, for the paths, sleeper & stone walls, granite roller & trough and old tyres used for the sign and for planters. Old harbour railings were also used on our new steps.

Due to over enthusiasm for ‘getting on with everything’ & a phone going through the washing machine we do not have all of the before pictures. Here are some of our treasures that our guests will spot on site.

Before

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As for the heading, the stove is to be placed on our brand new deck.  It comes with hot plate, and we are now on the lookout for an old black kettle.  We intend in the evenings to have the kettle on constant boil so our guests come with their mug & tea bag and fill up.

To see everything in situ and what we pave done on site,  please do come and stay with us at The Meadows touring park in the Pentewan Valley, Cornwall this year.  If you have been before, we hope you like the changes we have made without having taken away the ‘natural’ look.  We cater for motor homes, caravans and tents of all shapes and sizes, and we are near to Heligan Gardens, the Eden Project and great Cornish beaches.  We have ehu and hardstanding grass pitches.Please enquire here, or telephone 01726 844383/07712599745

Countdown to opening has begun……………….

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Comments Off on Countdown to opening has begun……………….

Here at The Meadows, we (John, Camp Dog Harvey & me) are all really pulling all the stops out for opening to welcome guests on 1 May.

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Ready for laying……..

Well firstly we laid 800 square metres of ‘grass protecta’ finishing last Friday evening.  It took the  two of us almost three days to lay, with camp dog supervising.

Hardstanding grass pitch waiting for a mow

Hardstanding grass pitch ready for mowing

It is green in colour and so blended in straight away. After day one the grass was already coming through the first ones laid.  Now after a week a lot of it is barely visible which is just amazing. Good job I was quick off the mark getting an initial picture.  We cannot wait for our guests to try out our new pitches which are ‘hardstanding green grass pitches’. We are so pleased as the natural look of our small touring park has been retained.

The old harbour railings found on site have now been sanded, painted and finish off our new shower block steps lovely with a big thick rope though them.

There has been a lot of digging going on, and my dad got stuck in with this on a recent visit.     Having not been tended for many years there were some humongous weeds that came out of the ground. We are ready to plant up now our new beds which John has edged with old sleepers and stone found on the site. We are thinking of lavender and hydrangeas, and we also have an old granite trough to plant up too.

This weekend the shower block is being painted and there will be some more landscaping. going on. Erecting our shop will be last before opening.  I could name and shame the company who have let us down with delivery, as the first delivery was cancelled because we live in Cornwall!!!! We are at least getting on with the base and the deck where our guests can enjoy their breakfast baguette, or coffee and cake. John’s sister Jayne from Devon came to visit last weekend with a sticky date and ginger cake. It was the nicest cake I have ever eaten and so that is one ‘we’ will definitely be making.

Everything here is really greening up, and the birds seem to be having a great time. We seem to have our own resident kingfisher which has been spotted now a few times fishing in the stream.  We think this is really special and hope it stays.  We also have a large buzzard’s nest at the top of a tree which may get used this year.

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Quality control

Camp Dog has been keeping the pigeons at bay who have been trying to feast on grass seed. This has been in between fiinding all the best places to snooze in the sun, on site, whilst still managing to keep one eye open for his supervisory/security role ;). CD has also been testing the quality of the stream water for drinking. It has got the ‘paws up’ and indeed CD says he prefers it to his usual Evian.

Thank you to everyone who has already booked to stay at our lovely small & dog friendly touring park on the edge of Pentewan, St Austell, and close to Mevagissey.  We look forward to welcoming you with sunshine. If you have not already booked, then please do give The Meadows touring park a try.  The Pentewan Valley really is a beautiful spot, in Cornwall and so close to the likes of Heligan Gardens and Mevagissey.  John is also all geared up for cooking his breakfast baguettes, and we will both be baking.  You can enquire here, or telephone 01726 844383/07712599745. We welcome motor homes, caravans, and tents of all shapes and sizes.

 

 

You are never too busy for a walk…………..

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Comments Off on You are never too busy for a walk…………..
CD in boots

CD in boots

It is very full on at the moment here at The Meadows with our site renovation work.  However, life is never too busy to put your boots on (even me) and get out for a walk. Just set the alarm clock an hour earlier. It is now light until at least seven in the evening, so two walks minimum a day is a good starting point, and then I work at my best ;).

PLEASE – no laughing at my boots!! These are not a fashion statement.  As you may all know, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are the vet’s best friends, and hopefully although I have been better in this warmer climate these will help my sensitive pads.  These boots come highly recommended by dogs, who are proper working dogs, huskies, and mountain dogs and the like, so they must be good for Camp Dog.

We are so lucky here being situate in the Pentewan Valley, as we have so many walks on the doorstep.  So whilst no long jaunts as The Meadows Team (that is me Camp Dog, John & Lynn) have been very busy preparing for opening our gates on 1 May, I have done lots of short local ones.

As we are dog friendly here, and hope to see lots of you four legged friends this season, I want to tempt you with  what is waiting for you here and what a beautiful part of Cornwall this is. Camping and caravanning on the edge of Pentewan village, and close to Mevaggisey is great for everyone, and there is so much to see and do.

Turning directly right out of our gate, you are straight on to the Pentewan Valley Trail and heading off I will call it a gentle climb up out of the valley with woodland, and lovely views over the countryside.  After about 20 minutes, you will reach a sign, and you can either take a left and head off to Mevagissey for a stroll about this gorgeous harbour town with lovely shops, and eating places, a lot being dog friendly.  Alternatively you can carry straight on to The Lost Gardens of Heligan.  Dogs are welcome here, and there is also Lobbs Farm Shop and cafe where you can just enjoy coffee and cake, though I do think as it is a shop dogs must sit outside, and catch the crumbs.

At the moment for my morning walk, I join the Pentewan Valley Trail on the other side of the road.  Crossing the bridge, I decide depending on my mood of the day, whether to take a left or a right.  Both directions take you by the pretty Little Winnick River.  There are lots of opportunities and marked tracks to divert off in to the woods which I often do, and going round in a big circle back on to the trail crossing lots of bridges made out of tree trunks on the way.  The Kings Woods are also very good for mountain bikes, though I prefer exploring them on four legs.image

The walks above, are my normal day to day walks, and I do appreciate how lucky I am to have such fabulous walks right on the doorstep.

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Pentewan Sands

At the weekend, we often walk down in to the Pentewan Village down the trail, and to the Pentewan Sands beach.  Pentewan is a very pretty village, and the walks out of the village on to the coastal path make great walks though be prepared for some ups and downs, as of course you are in Cornwall.  Indeed without the climbs, you would not have the fabulous views.

I hope the above has made you want to call up my owners and book a stay this season at The Meadows Touring small and dog friendly park, and you can try these walks for yourselves. You can also be “green” by leaving the car on the park, and also your owners will not have to worry about getting a parking space!!!! You can enquire here, or telephone my owners Lynn & John 01726 844383/07712599745.  We all look forward to seeing you this season so you can explore this part of Cornwall in the UK, and you can may be find some doorstep walks that you can share with me, and that I have not yet discovered.

 

 

If its good enough for Chatsworth House …………..

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Comments Off on If its good enough for Chatsworth House …………..

We have had another very busy week at The Meadows.  We missed out on the snow, thank goodness, and whilst it has been cold, there has been a lot of lovely sunshine.  It seems only right to work outdoors on the sunny days and our site foreman agrees.Site Foreman

For those familiar with the site, how it was when we purchased, the natural look had been taken to the extreme.  The site had gotten a little wild, and some of the natural features like the stream were hidden away.

Taking out brambles, is hard work, but we are nearly there.  John has dug a few trenches this week to help with drainage, and these have been filled with pea gravel and should we get any rain :), the rainwater will go off in to the stream, and flow away to the sea, via the Little Winnick River.

Before....

Before…….

Post brambles & new steps

Post brambles & steps waiting for railings…..

Clearing the site as much as we have has been a huge task, but now we can start putting back, and making everywhere look good. The old tractor tyre, mangle and granite roller, harbour railings which we saved, have all been moved in to their positions ready. We can now start finishing off jobs such as the new steps, rockery, and laundry area and making them look nice.

Some more big work is set to commence next week, and involves a large flattening roller, and “grass protecta”.  We are so very keen to keep the natural look here at The Meadows and so we have spent a lot of time researching how to achieve this, whilst also ensuring “happy campers” in the event of not the kindest of weather.  “Grass Protecta” as recently installed at Chatsworth House seems to provide us with the ideal solution.  This needs to go down now, and so it is all systems go.  Grass Protecta is a form of heavy duty green plastic mesh, and can take a lot of weight on it.  Once down the grass goes through the mesh, and so will become invisible, but will provide hard standing and the site will stay Meadow like, and green.

We are taking delivery of 800 square metres, so we shall be eating lots of Easter Eggs this weekend, to build up our muscles, for rolling the grass first to get it flat, and then for the laying.  With the spring sunshine, and fast growing time of year, you will need to be quick to even know it is there, and not just grass.

Now the brambles are clear, we have identified a new pitching area by the stream.  With this in mind, and knowing how lots of campers like their comforts we have an extra Ehu box on order to be fitted in a week or so to provide four lovely pitches all with Ehu.

Another job for this week, is the relaying of the road way.  This won’t be green, but it is a road and roads are not usually green.

We are very disappointed at having to turn away Easter Campers, and please do come and stay with us when we open in May.  You can either enquire here or telephone Lynn or John 01726 844383/07712599745. The Meadows welcomes motor homes, caravans and tents of all shapes and sizes at our small, dog friendly park in the Pentewan Valley.  We are very close to the Eden Project, Heligan Gardens, Fowey, Mevaggisey and lots of other popular Cornish attractions.  We look forward to welcoming you this season.