Family & Dog Friendly Local Area Information
Mevagissey Harbour (4 miles)
Charlestown Harbour (4 miles). Several good restaurants and pop-up eateries with plenty of atmosphere. Home of the Shipwreck Museum.
Also famed as a film set for TV series, Poldark, and lots of movies which have been made here over the decades.
IDEAS for DAYS OUT and PLACES to VISIT - the majority are dog friendly (DF):
(Mileage in brackets indicates approximate distance from our holiday cottage).
NOTE Many attractions require advance booking. Most have cafes or restaurants on site or nearby.
Click on the relevant separate tabs for info on LOCAL BEACHES as well as SHOPPING & EATING)
- The Lost Gardens of Heligan (DF - 2 miles) - well worth a visit and barely a 5-minute drive away - Spend a few hours in the gardens, tea rooms and Lobbes farm shop. (They often have themed events and evening light displays too).
- Kingswood - Woodland Trust and the Pentewan Cycle Trail (DF - 2 miles) - great for dog walking, especially in the heat when dogs can dip in and out of the shallow river which runs along the cycle trail
- Hire watersports equipment, Pentewan (3 miles) or Porthpean (4 miles)
- Hire bikes and trailers (DF), Pentewan (2 miles) or Cardinham Woods (17 miles)
- Visit the quaint harbours at Mevagissey and Charlestown (DF - 4 miles in opposite directions)
- Take the Mevagissey to Fowey passenger ferry (DF - 4 miles) (weather dependent)
- The South West Coastal Path (DF - various start points) - walk some stunning local sections of this magnificent ancient route that starts in Somerset and follows the entire Cornish coastline and on through Devon to Dorset. Several short and long walks within a couple of miles of the barn.
- White River Place Cinema, St Austell (3 miles) - a great option for a rainy day
- Shipwreck Museum, Charlestown (DF - 4 miles)
- Wheal Martyn, St Austell (DF - 5 miles) - great for kids of all ages to explore and learn
- Pinetum Gardens, St Austell,St Austell (DF - 5 miles)
- Sanctuary Wood - The Woodland Trusts, near Gorran Haven (DF - 5 miles) - has fabulous views and is great for dog walking for the fit and active (it spans 2 steep-sided valleys).
- Caerhays Castle (DF in gardens - 6 miles)
- Football Golf, St Austell (DF - 6 miles)
- The Eden Project (DF - 7 miles) - often has concerts, themed events and evening light displays
- Lanhydrock House and Gardens - National Trust (DF in gardens - 15 miles)
- Cardinham Woods - Forestry England (DF - 16 miles)
- Trelissick House and Gardens - National Trust (DF in gardens - 18 miles)
- Bodmin Steam Railway (DF - 15 miles)
- Lappa Valley Steam Railway and Activity Centre, near Newquay (DF - 13 miles)
- Newquay Trampoline and play park, Newquay (16 miles)
- Cornish Seal Sanctuary - Sea Life Trust Charity, Gweek (DF - 28 miles)
- The Minack Theatre (DF - 50 miles) is one of the furthest attractions, some 50 miles West, but a truly remarkable place considered one of the world's most spectacular theatres
Watersports hire at Pentewan (3 miles). SUP, kayaking, windsurfing, wakeboarding, sailing, banana rides, boat trips, thrill rides.
South West Coastal Path (SWCP) Trenarran (Black Head) to Porthpean
There is so much to do and see and lots places to visit in the local vicinity as well as further afield.
Check out the St Austell Tourist Office for lots of local ideas.
Find and join the local Facebook Groups:
- St Austell Friends
- We Love Mevagissey
- Cornwall Beaches
- Love Cornwall and Devon
- Visit Cornwall
- What's on in Cornwall? Events and shows in Cornwall
There is an OS map and a guide book on the bookshelf in the barn listing beach information locally and further afield (location, parking, whether they are dog friendly etc)
