Exmoor House & Godrevy Sites

fatbelly
fatbelly Forum Participant Posts: 438
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edited June 2019 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Hi, next week we go on our Hols to Cornwall staying at Exmoor House Club Site for 3 days, Tretham Mill {commercial site} near St Mawes for 7 nights then Godrevy Club site for 8 days.

has anyone been to these sites, what tips can you give us re  best pitches, local pubs and restaurants & things to see.

Thanks

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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,146 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #2

    Godrevy - I don’t think there are good/bad pitches, just choose what suits. It’s all grass and dome slope. Visit Godrevy NT coastal area and climb to the top to see the seals, Philps pasties in Hayle, a trip to St Ives if you like that sort of thing, visit St Michael's Mount from Marazion, Philps pasties in Hayle, climb Carn Brae near Redruth, see the quaint villages and sandy beaches on The Lizard and Lizard Point itself, Cape Cornwall near St Just but avoid Land's End. That’s just for starters. Oh, don’t forget Philps pasties in Hayle. 

    Tretham Mill - I’ve never stayed there. Visit Caerhays, St Mawes itself and the castle, St Anthony Head, Nare Point, Carn Beach, Veryan Round Houses, the church at St Just-in-Roseland, Tolverne on the River Fal where D-Day troops embarked for Normandy. There are loads of places including numerous gardens.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #3

    Well that's covered the Cornwall bit well! For Exmoor House don't arrive early as you'll be queuing in a busy public car park. It's a small site and just a short walk into Dulverton, good local shops and pubs plus a little museum and tourist info office. Nice walks off site if you like walking and just a short drive away there's a car park for Tarr Steps and a nice pub near the steps which are part of an ancient clapper bridge over the river, lovely place to sit and watch the water.

    Further on past the Tarr Steps turn you'll see Exmoor in all it's glory and you can travel onto Watersmeet and the Lyn Valley, Lynmouth, Lynton and the Valley of the Rocks are worth a day out. smile

    Here's a LINK for the Exmoor National Park/Tarr Steps.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #4

    Not sure which side of St Mawes the site you're staying on is, FB, but there is a lovely walk along the estuary to the little waterside church at St Just in Roseland  (the new tearoom should be open now just up the road) - about an hour's stroll each way. Either start from St Mawes castle or, to do it in the opposite direction, drive to the church where there is ample parking.  In St Mawes itself you can take a boat trip to Trellisick House (NT) which has a lovely woodland walk and nice gardens - the boat goes on to Truro via Malpas where you could have lunch at The Heron overlooking the estuary before making your way back.

    From Godrevy there is a good coastal walk to Hell's Mouth and back (again, a nice cafe at HM before starting back). Park up by the lighthouse and walk up to see the seals in the cove below - on a good day you can spot 50 or more. Further up the coast there are walks over and around St Agnes Beacon - the bakery in the village does our favourite pasties but make sure you've worked up a good appetite before buying one! smile

    Further down the coast, Zennor is a good base for walking - it's some years since we've been there but the Tinner's Arms used to do good food.

    So there you are, no shortage of ideas - you'll  just wish you were staying longer! 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #5

    There's a good little harbourside bakery at St Mawes, get there early for pasties and if you can manage both take the ferry to Falmouth! wink

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #6

    Ooh! Forgot about a visit to Mawnan Smith for another great coastal walk around Rosemullion Head and you could double it up with a visit to Trebah Gardens and/or Glendurgan (NT) just down the road. smile

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #7

    And don't forget the King Harry Ferry! laughing

    Trethem Mill is the closest site to St Mawes so an excellent spot for the area. Have a coffee on the terrace at the Idle Rocks, worth it just for the views over the bay. The Rising Sun pub is ok for bar meals but there are some nice eateries all around that area.

    Have a good holiday, you're staying in some nice places! 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,060 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #8

    Sure are! We know the Godrevy area well, although never used the site. For a quieter beach than that on the Godrevy side of the Hayle River, (although they are nice) you could try Porth Kidney, parking at Lelant. The St Ives branch line is the best way to get to St Ives itself, parking is a nightmare, and you would struggle to get a big MH through town. There is a very nice farm shop cum eatery called Trevaskis Farms not far outside Hayle, great produce, PYO produce. For a wet day, the drive from top of St Ives, along the Lands End peninsula down towards Penzance and Marazion is great, taking in some interesting villages and history. Lots of Poldark filming locations, don’t miss Botallack Head and Zennor. Footpaths and walks galore, look out for seals and basking sharks.

    Roseland area is lovely as well, much more lush and green. If you like walking, best guides we have used are those by Bob Acton. 

    You wont be disappointed with any of the locations you are visiting, Exmoor coastline is lovely.

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2019 #9
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  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810
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    edited June 2019 #10

    We stayed at Exmoor House last year, nice site. We pitched at the back of the site, right opposite the shower block, left of the dog walk. From memory, it felt a bit more spacious and quiet there. There’s not much in Dulverton itself, imo, but it does have a nice relaxed atmosphere and a picturesque bridge/river with what looks like a good pub overlooking, so do take the time to take the short walk from site. I don’t know if you’re taking young children, but a picnic by the river would be perfect. There’s also a park just the other side of the bridge with plenty of green space. It would probably be worthwhile looking at the reviews for more info.

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited June 2019 #11

    F & C Vans call at both Godrevy & Exmoor House Sites, fb ! Amongst the very best I've tasted for ages sealed   Completely ruined my diet I assure you  wink

  • Unknown
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  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810
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    edited June 2019 #13

    I think you misunderstand, I really liked it there, and wouldn’t hesitate to revisit. Not everyone gets a buzz visiting bookshops, I don’t. I have no requirement for McDonalds or slot machines. Yes, I was charmed.

  • Unknown
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    edited June 2019 #14
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  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810
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    edited June 2019 #15

    My apologies then, it seems I’m the one who misunderstood.

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    edited June 2019 #16
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  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #17

    Dulverton still has a lot of independent shops (good bakery) a farmers market and also look out for cinema sessions in the town hall. The Bridge Inn is popular with caravan site users as it's a short stroll away and has a good atmosphere, but it does get busy with visitors. Try some walks around the town, there are nooks and crannies to explore, especially up round the church where you can carry on walking up on to Exmoor. smile

    En route from the Tiverton side there is NT Knightshayes Court to visit. LINK

  • JollyKernow
    JollyKernow Forum Participant Posts: 2,629
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    edited June 2019 #18

    Morning

    There's some good advice above. I ran Godrevy Park for the last three years and you asked about pitches. If you look at the site map the horseshoe area is the most popular followed by towans view. Pitches 56 to 59 are the most used as they have a large grass area in front. The paddock and sea view are good if you have a dog as they are near the pedestrian gate.

    The sunset surf café at the back of the beach car park is nice but pricey, but 100 yards further is the jam pot café which does really nice cream teas. The red river inn in Gwithian village is now closed down so your nearest pub is the turnpike inn at Connor Downs. There are several pubs in Hayle, the nearest being the Cornish arms opposite the fire station, pricey but decent pub fayre. 

    A bus stops outside the site 3 times a day if you'd like a day out in St.Ives. Glen's fish and chip van visits on Tuesdays and Fridays (really good). 

    Enjoy.laughing

    JK

     

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #19

    Anyone going into St Ives by train should note that as from this month the park and ride is now newly built at St Erth station (over 400 spaces) and no longer as it used to be at Lelant Saltings.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,060 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #20

    Interesting EuroT, what is the former car park at Saltings being used for, if anything?

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #21

    As far as I know that car park remains open - until such time as it is redeveloped for housing. But apart from once a day, trains no longer stop there. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,060 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #22

    Thanks for that. It was somewhere we occasionally parked up to get train, but more frequently to do a bit of bird watching. Prime land for some nice houses though, Lelant is a very nice village. We can recall building of new houses on roundabout where “Merlin” used to wave at folks.......that’s a few years ago😁

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited June 2019 #23

    Better book a seat or it will be full of sacks of cats. wink

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,146 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #24

    But only coming back. 

  • JollyKernow
    JollyKernow Forum Participant Posts: 2,629
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    edited June 2019 #25

    Evening

    That will be St.Ives in Cambs. The rhyme talks about meeting the man with his 7 wives coming over the bridge. Born and bred there me, there's all the info in the town museum. 

    JK

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Freddy55
    Freddy55 Club Member Posts: 1,810
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    edited June 2019 #26

    A nice little town. Very pretty bridge/river, as I recall

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited June 2019 #27

    There's also one on offer in Dorset.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2019 #28

    Also an Estate/Country Park near Bingley

  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Forum Participant Posts: 438
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    edited June 2019 #29

    Hi everyone some fantastic tips there thanks to everyone. We'll note them all down. Thank you 

  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Forum Participant Posts: 438
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    edited July 2019 #30

    Well, we've arrived at our 1st site of Exmoor House Club Site and so far we're very happy. Firstly the weather is glorious which does make a difference, the warden who booked us in was 1st class and a credit to the Club. The site is compact and pitches do seem a bit close together but our pitch is on an edge and we seem to have a bit extra room.

    The village of Dulverton is right on the doorstep with a pub and a couple of cafes which suits us. The forecast for tonight is a warm pleasant evening so we're having a BBQ.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2019 #31

    This'll be ideal weather for heading up to Tarr Steps, FB. You can do a lovely walk along the river to Withypool and back and then anjoy a enormous cream tea at the farm when you get back  (remember to put the jam on before the cream of course!) smile