Sycamore Cottage

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Sycamore Cottage, Townshend
Reviewers: Deb and Mike Bridges 

There can be few locations better placed for visiting than the southern end of Cornwall. Central to the skinny bit of land between St Ives to the north and Penzance to the south, Townshend, near Hayle, allows easy access to both coasts. Lands End is only 17 miles away in one direction and Falmouth 18 miles the other way. Sycamore Cottage is one of four identical eco-friendly cottages set in a neat row on Sunrise Farm. 

Wildflowers are grown on a grand scale, making it a particularly beautiful spot for a late spring or summer break. Helen and Richard Angove are the third generation to live and work at Sunrise Farm, having taken it over in 2011 and begun a major restoration project, including building the holiday cottages – The Woodland Collection has won Cornwall Tourism’s Dog Friendly Business of the Year 2022. 

Their farmhouse sits a short distance from the cottages and it’s nice to know they’re on hand should problems arise. We missed the wildflowers on our two-night, early autumn stay but having the 30 acres of meadows just a few yards from our gate was wonderful. We’d barely chucked our bags through the cottage door before we were trolling the mown paths in the sunshine, down to a woodland garden, where we found wild ponds and a few fairies. Each cottage is accessed via a back gate into a paved, fully enclosed garden, with amazing areas of contemporary planting in gravel and stone beds and a horizontal arrangement of plants along the fence – very Chelsea Flower Show. 

There’s outdoor furniture, a barbecue and, even better, a warm shower, so no worries about returning with a muddy or sandy dog. French windows lead straight into the open-plan kitchen/dining/lounge area, which is fresh, bright and pleasingly uncluttered. Mainly cream, white and grey, there are splashes of colour in the carefully chosen pictures and soft furnishings. 

The furniture is leather, the floor is laminate, and the work surfaces are marble. The downstairs toilet houses a washing machine and is spacious enough to provide useful storage for shoes and rucksacks.

The dining table seats six and the lounge features three two-seater settees, grouped around a Smart TV and, my favourite, an uber-modern letterbox fireplace set into the wall, which gives off an instant cosy feel at the touch of the remote control. The overall impression is one of good quality furniture and fittings which are as stylish as they are solid.

As well as the essentials – tea, coffee and a pint of milk in the fridge – we found a cream tea waiting for us and, for Ula, there was a large dog box to dive into, full of treats, toys, a bowl and a blanket. There were tools for the barbecue and even a handy cool bag, complete with picnic gear, which was a thoughtful touch. The kitchen was fully equipped, with a built-in electric cooker, ceramic hob and dishwasher. 

Having only two nights away, we weren’t planning on using anything more adventurous than the kettle and the first evening we ventured out to the Packet Inn, in the nearby village of Rosudgeon. We had a lovely meal there, which was towards the gastro end of the pub food scale.

Back at the cottage, we found the bedrooms to be very inviting and restful. Soft, grey carpet leads up the wooden and glass staircase and continues along the landing and into the three rooms, two of which are doubles (one king-size and one standard double) and the other has bunk beds. Each has its own en suite shower room, with a rain shower. The rooms aren’t particularly large, but the space is well used, with all having plenty of shelving and hanging space, plus a wall-mounted Smart TV. The beds are comfy, with lovely, puffy duvets and crisp white bed linen. I chose the room at the front, not for its king-size bed but because it had the best space for Ula’s bed (dogs are allowed upstairs on their own beds but there is a stair gate, if you prefer to sleep alone). It was close to the road but, after 11pm, vehicles were few and far between. 

It’s funny how little things can make you happy and discovering a touch lamp and a plug socket for my phone charger right by the bed was a definite result. The other double bedroom is at the back and has fully glazed French windows which look out onto the gardens, across the wildflower meadows to a far-reaching view of the countryside beyond.

We opened the curtains the next morning to a damp, dreary day and headed over to The Big Green Shed, which is an on-site bistro. ‘Shed’ doesn’t really do justice to the colourful and inviting premises, where dogs are welcome inside and out, and mere words can’t do justice to the breakfasts on offer either. 

Mike tucked into a full, Full English and my smashed avo and poached eggs – so often delivered in Lilliputian proportions – was definitely enough to keep me going all day. 

With the day shaping up to be pretty wet, we decided to visit some creatures who might appreciate the weather and headed over to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at Gweek, where we learned a great deal about the work of the sanctuary, which goes beyond rescuing seals and, where possible, returning them to the wild. There are large swathes of land given over to conservation projects, including an area devoted to beavers, and there are woodland paths to enjoy. Dogs are allowed everywhere, except in the hospital building. 

By lunchtime, the rain was easing and we moved on to Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens at Gulval. The extensive gardens are bursting with exotic plants and, with the aid of the map, you can happily while away a couple of hours, seeking out the sculptures, some of which cleverly incorporate the distant view of St Michael’s Mount, which can be glimpsed at many points. Oh, and there’s a really nice café too!

Taking a detour back to the cottage, we dropped in on Gwithian Beach, where there’s simply miles and miles of golden sand which, being after 31 August, was entirely restriction-free. It all goes on at Gwithian – surfing, families picnicking, horses cantering along the sand and dogs having fun. With a watery sun trying to peek through, it was a hive of activity but there’s plenty of space for everyone.

Back at the cottage, we got chatting over the fence with our immediate neighbours – Sue, Ian and Anna – while their handsome Labrador, Milo, trotted back and forth, proudly showing off his new Cornish pasty soft toy. There were dogs in all four of the properties. The gardens between pairs of cottages can be opened up, if more than one family is holidaying together, which is what the occupants of the other two cottages had done. It’s a sociable arrangement and we were all soon on cheery waving terms.

After a quick wash and brush up, we made our way to nearby Goldsithney and the Crown Inn, which was a nice, traditional pub, offering above-average pub grub. Perfect.

The next morning, we took Ula to meet up with Milo in the massive field which has been fully fenced for the use of doggy guests and, at the time of our visit, robust agility equipment was being installed, to further enhance the experience. Damp squib about covers it, I think, with Ula totally ignoring Milo’s half-hearted attempts to instigate a game of chase. Maybe clocking the car being packed up had caused her mood to take a nosedive, but we enjoyed another chat with Sue and Ian anyway.

It was our last day and, sadly, The Big Green Shed wasn’t open but we’d hatched a plan to take a run down to Marazion, for a closer look at St Michael’s Mount, which is a tidal island accessible via a granite causeway at low tide, or by ferry if the tide is in. The island isn’t dog friendly but the craggy, green hump, surrounded by sea and topped with its iconic castle, makes quite a dramatic sight, when viewed from the beach.  We were keen to get on anyway, as we’d earmarked The Rockpool beach cafe, back at Gwithian, for a late breakfast, followed by a final blast on the beach, before making tracks for home.

With so much to see and do in the area, two nights away was never going to be enough. But unfinished business gives us a reason to return and next time, as well as spending time on the beaches, we can take in The Minack Theatre, St Ives and Lands End. And I don’t think I could ever get enough of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary.

Helen and Richard make their guests, both human and canine, very welcome and, outside the busiest months of July and August, they’re more flexible than some holiday property owners with regard to the duration of bookings. My advice – stay as long as you can.

Sycamore Cottage, Townshend, review by Deb and Mike Bridges and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 75 .  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine