Christmas hotel deals

Maybe it's because of the "credit crunch", but there are some great hotel deals in Devon and Cornwall this Christmas. We've hand-picked a few especially good deals for you below (and the prices shown are for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, for two people):

Browns Hotel in Tavistock (lovely townhouse hotel in the centre of the award-winning market town of Tavistock) - £100 per room - click here

Jurys Inn in Plymouth (modern city-centre hotel, close to the historic Barbican area of Plymouth) - £45 per room - click here

Imperial Hotel in Torquay (large resort-style hotel, perched on a headland overlooking the sea on the outskirts of the "English Riviera" town of Torquay) - £93 per room - click here

Porth Veor Manor hotel in Newquay (small hotel on the outskirts of Newquay, with easy access to the wonderful sandy beach at Porth) - £59 per room - click here

This is just a small selection of some of the great deals available at Devon and Cornwall hotels this Christmas. For a much wider choice - click here

http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/ - the insiders' guide to Devon and Cornwall

Cheap flight deals to/from Cornwall

Devon and Cornwall's own airline, Air Southwest, has launched an amazing deal on flights to and from Newquay Airport. Every seat on every flight (apart from the Grenoble route) is just £29 - and that includes all the taxes, baggage etc etc! It's for flights in January, and bookings have to be made by 28/12/08.

Book at www.airsouthwest.com

Best Sunday lunch in Cornwall??

In search of a bit of Sunday lunch in South East Cornwall, we tried the Smugglers Cott Restaurant in Looe. A delightful, cozy restaurant - warm and welcoming. Sunday lunch was one of the best carvery meals we've ever had. A choice of four meats (turkey, beef, lamb, pork) and a counter full of scrummy veg including delicious cauliflower cheese and lashings of hot gravy. All for about eight quid. After you've stuffed yourself, you can always take a bracing walk on Looe beach just up the road. Enjoy! (No website, but for reservations telephone 01503 262397)

Hotels in Plymouth

We've launched a new website www.hotels-in-plymouth.co.uk to showcase some of the best hotels in Plymouth, whether for a quick business trip or a well-deserved weekend break. The new site includes honest opinons on Plymouth's hotels, and links for great-value on-line bookings via Laterooms.
>>> Visit hotels-in-plymouth.co.uk

Falmouth Oyster Festival 2008

Falmouth Oyster Festival, a celebration of Cornish seafood, takes place from 16th to 19th October 2008 in Events Square, Falmouth.

The festival will open with a cookery master-class with celebrity chef Sophie Grigson followed by a packed programme of cookery demonstrations by leading local chefs, oysters, seafood, wine and ale, children’s shell painting, sea shanties, town parade, live music and marquees packed with Cornish produce and crafts. The festival has broad appeal and is a must for all oyster, seafood and marine heritage enthusiasts!

>> More information on the Falmouth Oyster Festival 2008

>> Hotels in Falmouth and nearby

Perfect Pate

Nothing to do with Devon and Cornwall as such, but we wanted to share with you our "perfect" recipe for chicken liver pate.

It's easy. It's foolproof. It's delicious. And best of all it's virtually fat-free!

>>> Click here for our Perfect Pate recipe

Camelot Castle Hotel - a great winter retreat

Camelot Castle Hotel is perched on a rugged headland just outside the village of Tintagel (the legendary birthplace of King Arthur!).

This has been one of our favourite Sunday-morning coffee spots for a while now. It's an imposing building, with amazing sea views, and a very comfortable lounge complete with inspired artwork by resident co-owner and artist Ted Sourton. The hotel is co-owned by John Mappin, an heir to the Mappin and Webb jewellery empire.

We've not stayed here yet, but we understand that the hotel has recently benefited from a significant investment in, and upgrade of, the bedrooms and bathrooms.

The Camelot Castle Hotel seems to offer very good value for money for a weekend break away from it all.

>>> Click here for more info and on-line bookings

Plymouth Airport flying high

Plymouth City Airport has been ranked as the second-fastest growing airport in the UK, according to figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority.

The airport, an ideal gateway to Devon and Cornwall, saw passenger numbers grow by 31% in June, bucking the trend as far as airports go.

The growth at Plymouth's airport has been attributed to the increased services by home-based airline Air Southwest, which has recently added services to Glasgow, Newcastle, Cork and Dublin - in addition to the established services to London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Jersey and Dublin.

>>> More information on Plymouth City Airport

>>> More information on flights to Plymouth with Air Southwest

>>> Hotels in Plymouth

Watergate Bay in Cornwall - a resort for all tastes and all seasons

We've posted a new page on the website covering everything there is to know about Watergate Bay in Cornwall.

Watergate Bay is a few miles east of Newquay, and has a great two-mile beach, a classy hotel, self-catering accommodation, a couple of bars, and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall restaurant.

Click here to find out more about Watergate Bay in Cornwall

Cycling the Granite Way

It was a beautiful sunny day in Devon today - ideal for a spot of cycling.

The Granite Way is a delightful cycleway linking Lydford with Okehampton in Devon. Some of it is on main roads, but the majority is on a thankfully mainly flat disused rail track. It's about 11 miles from Lydford to Okehampton and vice-versa.

There are plenty of nice picnic spots along the route, and a couple of pubs too!

You can download a leaflet about the Granite way here

http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

Late rates on summer breaks in Devon and Cornwall

If you've not yet booked your summer break, Devon and Cornwall offer good value this summer particularly with the exchange rate making Euro-zone destinations a less attractive choice this year.

We've hand-picked a few deals for you:

(all prices are per room per night, based on two people sharing, on selected dates only, subject to availability)

> St Rita Hotel, Plymouth, Devon - from £50.00 - click here

> Victoria Inn, near St Austell, Cornwall - from £52.50 - click here

> Cape Cornwall Golf & Country Club, near Penzance, Cornwall - from £60 - click here

> Palm Grove Hotel, Torquay, Devon - from £60.00 - click here

> Exeter Court Hotel, Exeter, Devon - from £69.00 - click here

> Atlantic House Hotel, Bude, Cornwall - from £69.00 - click here

> Hotel California, Newquay, Cornwall - from £80.00 - click here

Or for a full choice of Devon and Cornwall hotels, often with good last-minute prices - click here

http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

Rip Curl Boardmasters

The countdown to Europe’s biggest surf, skate and music festival has officially begun. The Rip Curl Boardmasters in association with Relentless Energy Drink will return for a 27th year to Newquay from 4th – 10th August 2008 for its biggest event to date and an epic week of world class action sports and music.

http://www.ripcurlboardmasters.com/

http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

Lounging Around at Plymouth Airport

Plymouth City Airport has opened a new Executive Lounge to serve business customers flying with home-based airline Air Southwest. The new lounge provides a quiet and comfortable hideaway for business customers, and is a delightful escape from the usual airport hubbub.

Plymouth Airport has seen a bit of a boost recently, with new flights to Glasgow, Newcastle, Cork and Dublin (and a winter-only service to Grenoble for skiers).

http://www.airsouthwest.com/

http://www.plymouthairport.com/

http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

Stay in luxury at the Old Tavistock Railway Station

We had the pleasure today of a "sneak preview" of new luxury holiday accommodation which has been created from the historic old railway station in Tavistock.

The station building itself has been beautifully preserved and restored, and now incorporates three spacious and unique luxury self-catering units.

Each of the three units has its own character - there's the Refreshment Hall, the Porter's Office, and perhaps best of all the Ticketing Hall - complete with original features including the ticket-office hatch!

The Old Tavistock Railway Station is in a quiet, elevated spot (no trains these days!) within easy walking distance of the charming and award-winning market town.

Click here for more information and on-line bookings

Aviation history in the South West

We have a new Special Feature on our website, plotting the history of Brymon Airways which operated flights to and from the South West from the early 1970's through until 2001. The feature includes links to a photo archive containing over 100 photos featuring Brymon Airways and its operations.

Click here to visit the Special Feature on Brymon Airways

Morwellham Quay

Morwellham Quay is an award-winning, evocative museum and visitor centre in the heart of the newly inscribed World Heritage Site and Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Just four miles west of Tavistock the historic port, mine workings and Estate, border the beautiful River Tamar. Amidst towering cliffs and gently rolling farmland, a lost world lives again.

So that's the official description. But we reckon this is one of the nicest tourist attractions in Devon - mainly because it is so low-key and uncommercial. You can pay if you want to experience things like the underground mine train. But it's completely free if all you want to do is wander around this remarkable heritage site. The mini hydro-electric power station, powered from the Tavistock canal, is worth a visit if nothing else. And there are miles of lovely walks around the site and along the River Tamar.

For more info visit http://www.morwellham-quay.co.uk/

Transat race starts from Plymouth

On Sunday 11th May, Plymouth saw the start of the Artemis Transat single-handed transatlantic yacht race, following a fabulous week of warm-up for the event in the specially created Transat Race Village within the historic environs of Plymouth's Sutton Harbour.

We were fortunate enough to be able to experience a close-up view of the race start from a boat in Plymouth Sound. An awesome sight as the fleet of Imoca 60 and Class 40 yachts headed out for their transatlantic adventure.

A few useful links:

For a gallery of photos featuring the run-up to the start of the race, and the race start itself, visit the Sutton Harbour Group photo gallery on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sutton_harbour_group

To follow the race live on-line visit the official Artemis Transat website: http://www.theartemistransat.com/

Mousehole hideaway

A visitor to http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/ contacted us recently to ask for a recommendation for somewhere nice but simple to stay in West Cornwall, convenient for Lands End. We had no hesitation in suggesting the Ship Inn at Mousehole. It's a lovely, unspoilt, traditional pub right on the quayside in the delightful harbourside village of Mousehole, just down the coast from Penzance. The rooms are simple but comfortable, and the Ship Inn has a nice, good-value restaurant (or there are more fancy restaurants in the village to choose from).

>>> Click here for more information on the Ship Inn, Mousehole

Transat comes to Plymouth

The Transat single-handed Transatlantic yacht race starts from Plymouth's Sutton Harbour on Sunday 11th May. In the week running up to the spectacular start of the race, the historic Barbican and Sutton Harbour area will be transformed into a race village open to the public, with entertainment, food, drink, and nautical interest. Visit the official Transat website for more information. And for information on hotels in Plymouth if you're planning to visit, click here to check out our hotel pages including helpful reviews to help you plan your stay.

A chilly Easter

Easter has, of course, fallen rather early this year, and those who headed down to Devon and Cornwall for a long Easter weekend were greeted with some rather chilly and showery weather (although, as my brother often reminds me, there is no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothes!).

On Easter Monday we decided to brave the showers and head for the North Cornwall coast.

First stop was the Bedruthan Steps Hotel (pictured here) for a delicious coffee and homemade biccies. The Bedruthan Steps is a long-established, family-run hotel at Mawgan Porth near Newquay, in a spectacular location overlooking the golden sands of Mawgan Porth beach. The hotel is famed as a child-friendly hotel for the well-to-do, and has been extensively and considerately refurbished in recent years to create a fabulous luxury family hotel - >>> click here for more information

After coffee we headed into Newquay. To be fair, Newquay is in need of a bit of regeneration - the town centre is a bit basic, and the bars and pubs are really geared towards the "youth" market. But the beaches (especially the surf-heaven of Fistral Beach) are spectacular - especially on a wild and windy day like today.

For a civilised end to the day, we headed to Padstow for a pot of tea, and papers, at the very welcoming and comfortable Metropole Hotel - >>> click here for more information

>>>> Visit our website at http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

A taste of Morocco.... in Plymouth!

The Souk is a Moroccan meze bar and restaurant, overlooking Sutton Harbour in Plymouth. Step inside and you'll be greeted by the sounds, sights and smells of a tastebud-tantalising Moroccan restaurant. A great lunch, including a drink, for about seven quid!

For more information on The Souk, and other great restaurants in Devon and Cornwall, click here to visit our Restaurants page

A "Grand" weekend

We had a great night away with the family at the Grand Hotel in Torquay.

The Grand is a well-managed, traditional, large hotel, right on the seafront in Torquay on the "English Riviera".

Nice lounge areas, a decent leisure centre and good food. If you book a dinner-inclusive package, you can choose from anything on the a la carte menu, which makes it particularly good value. Breakfast is a very comprehensive buffet (although they seem to have trouble producing toast, which consistently arrived only half-done!).

The rooms vary a lot, in terms of decor, location, views etc - so it's worth making sure exactly what type of room you are booking.

In summary, a very decent, good value, quality seaside hotel, ideal for a family getaway any time of year.

>>> Click here for more info

Metropole Hotel, Padstow

The Metropole Hotel in Padstow is situated high above the harbour, with great views across the Camel Estuary, but still within easy walking distance of Padstow's multitude of shops, great restaurants and atmospheric pubs. >>> More info

Rail plans for Tavistock

There are some very interesting plans afoot to bring the railway back to Tavistock. The Kilbride Group is proposing to reinstate the old railway line from Bere Alston to Tavistock, which would potentially provide an hourly rail service from Tavistock into Plymouth, with a journey time of about half an hour.

For those who regularly commute from Tavistock into Plymouth, this would provide a much-needed alternative to the congested road trip into the city. And of course it would also give Tavistock a welcome tourism boost.

And perhaps most importantly in the context of the climate-change debate, it would have the potential to dramatically reduce the number of cars trips between the Tavistock area and Plymouth. Let's hope that local and national government recognise that this is a real opportunity to divert a small slice of the income generated from road tax and fuel duty into sustainable public transport.

For more information visit http://www.kilbridegroup.com/tavistock/

Cotehele Spring Food Fair

The annual Spring Food Fair, promoted by the Taste of the West organisation, takes place at Cotehele House on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th March 2008, 10am-4pm. It's free to get in, and you can enjoy the very best of Cornish food and drink to taste and to buy. Actually, this is a lovely time of year to visit Cotehele anyway, because of the spectacular displays of daffodils throughout the grounds and gardens.

In search of the best Sunday Lunch

On our website http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/ we've launched a new feature promoting the best Sunday Lunches in Devon and Cornwall. You know the kind of thing - prime roast beef, delicious vegetables, proper gravy, and all the trimmings.

We've listed a few suggestions of places to enjoy a great Sunday Lunch in Devon and Cornwall, but more importantly we're inviting you to suggest places which you've tried and which offer delicious and good-value Sunday Lunch. Click here to visit our Sunday Lunch feature and to submit your recommendations!

Devon and Cornwall photos

The weather has gone a bit wet and windy in the South West today, but over the last few weekends we've had some lovely bright sunny days, and have used the opportunity to take some new photos for our photo gallery. Do have a look, and enjoy a photographic tour of Devon and Cornwall.

And if you'd like to submit your own photos for our planned Guest Gallery, click here for more information.

Sunday lunch in Bideford

A trip to North Devon today, mainly to see family staying in Barnstaple.

As we had time to spare, we enjoyed a very pleasant (and filling, and good value) sunday lunch carvery at the Royal Hotel in Bideford (pictured here). For more information visit the Sunday Lunch page at http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

Bideford itself is a pleasant riverside town. There's not a huge amount to see, but there's a nice walk along the river bank.

Onwards to Barnstaple, for tea at the Imperial Hotel in Barnstaple where family were staying. The Imperial is a quiet, comfortable, traditional hotel right in the heart of Barnstaple and overlooking the river. Click here for more information and our thoughts on the Imperial Hotel based on a previous stay.

Air Southwest increase flights to Devon and Cornwall

The South West's own low-fare airline, Air Southwest, is offering more flights to Devon and Cornwall from the end of April.

The airline is adding new daily flights to both Plymouth and Newquay from Glasgow and Newcastle, and new services from Cork and Dublin to Plymouth. The popular Cork-Newquay link is also being introduced from the end of April.

The new services are in addition to Air Southwest's existing flights to Plymouth and Newquay from London Gatwick, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Dublin, Bristol and Jersey.

More information

Beautiful Fowey

A very nice day in Fowey today. A bit grey, but mainly dry.

Coffee first at the Fowey Hall Hotel. The Fowey Hall is a rather splendid country-house style hotel with comfortable lounges and real log fires. Despite the sumptuous surroundings, coffee was actually pretty good value at £5.00 for the two of us including home made biccies, and there were plenty of papers to read too!

After coffee we parked in the car park at Readymoney Beach (an odd name for a beach!) and enjoyed a very pleasant stroll into the delightful estuary town of Fowey. Lunch at the Ship Inn (delicious homemade soup, sandwich and a sinful portion of chips). The RFA (Royal Fleet Auxilairy) ship Sir Bedivere was in port for her last visit to her "adopted" port of Fowey before retirement from the RFA in the next few days. Tenders were laid on for a trip to the ship, where we enjoyed a fascinating tour of this well-travelled vessel.

For more information on our meanderings around Devon and Cornwall visit http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

A day out in North Cornwall

A beautiful day today - cold and crisp, with clear blue skies. A day out in North Cornwall seemed like a good plan.

Coffee at the slightly strange but beautifully situated Camelot Hotel, on the clifftop at Boscastle. Comfy sofas and nice coffee, with a few choccy biscuits to keep us going.

Headed back into Boscastle village, and ignored the "pay" car parks and parked on the roadside instead (it's amazing how many people don't read the plates which show it's ok to park on the roadside in winter, and pay to park in the car parks instead!). A brisk walk down the steep path to the castle ruins was rewarded with fabulous views of the rugged North Cornwall coast.

Lunch at the Mote Restaurant in the lovely (and mainly unspoilt) fishing village of Port Isaac. Devilled mackerel was delicious - not too boney.

Followed by a nice drive to Polzeath, where the surf was clean and decent, resulting in quite a few hardy surfers in the water. For our part, we stayed firmly on land but did get a bid wet playing "dodge the wave"!

Tea in Rock - thankfully quiet at this time of year - on a sunny terrace overlooking the stunning Camel Estuary. How lucky we are to have all this on our doorstep!

For photos from our day out today, and the best "insiders' guide" to Devon and Cornwall, visit our website at http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

Cycling the Camel Trail

Even if you're not normally a fan of travelling by bike, the Camel Trail makes for a great day out - not least because it's mainly flat!

The Camel Trail is an 18 mile multi-use route available for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. And being mainly flat, it is also mostly suitable for disabled access. The trail runs from Bodmin , via Wadebridge, to glorious Padstow, largely following the route of a fomer railway line. Click for more