01409 271284
Tamar Valley Cottages - Boutique dog friendly accommodation in Cornwall
  • Home
  • Cottages
    • View All Cottages
    • Hendra
    • Treneglos
    • Bodrugan
    • Penhale
    • The Cottage Grounds
    • Seasons at Tamar Valley Cottages
    • Location >
      • How to find us
      • Places to Visit >
        • Local Attractions
        • Local Beaches
        • Places to Eat Out
  • Availability / Tariff
    • View All Availability
    • Hendra Availability
    • Treneglos Availability
    • Bodrugan Availability
    • Penhale Availability
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Booking Request
    • General Enquiry
  • T&Cs

5 Reasons to Visit the Tamar Valley

20/4/2016

Comments

 
We feel hugely privileged to be located in the upper Tamar Valley as you can probably tell from our name.  It’s hard to imagine that the gentle river at the bottom of our hill is the same that is spanned by the Brunel bridge at Plymouth.  This remarkably unspoilt area is still completely new to many of our visitors so are our 5 top reasons for visiting the Tamar Valley.

Picture
The River Tamar, close to Cotehele

5 - The Best of Both worlds...

If you know anything about the Tamar Valley, it is likely that you’ll know it to be the border between Cornwall and Devon.  Our tiny village parish of North Tamerton is the only parish that extends east of the Tamar;  otherwise the 50 mile river forms the county boundary for its entirety.  But not only is the valley itself a stunning area to visit, but staying here gives you the best possible base from which to explore the South West. 

Where else can you stay that is a short drive from the breathtaking Cornish coastline and yet still close to Dartmoor, the largest area of wilderness in Southern England?  Where can you stay in true rural tranquillity yet be able to visit vibrant busy hubs like Newquay, Exeter and Plymouth?  Being within reach of some of Cornwall and Devon’s premier attractions means you’ll never be stuck for things to do and better yet, you can holiday in the quiet Tamar countryside without suffering the throngs of visitors and higher prices on the coast.

Picture
Picture

Picture
4 - Wild Encounters...

The Tamar Valley is long enough to encompass a variety of serene wildlife habitats, from ancient woodlands to mudflats, open grassland to reed beds.  Birdwatchers flock to the area to spot avocets and egrets,  spoonbills and peregrines, kingfishers and herons, and the Tamar Valley is even the site of a reintroduction program for ospreys. 

We have a large nesting box on one of our beech trees that houses a family of barn owls, and woodpeckers, siskins and nut-hatches are regular visitors to our bird tables. 

The valley is also home to stoats, otters, and water voles, as well as plenty British favourites such as badgers, deer and foxes.


3 - Thrill Seekers...

For sport-lovers, the Tamar Valley offers a diverse range of attractions.  Miles of footpaths south of Launceston allow you to fully explore the landscapes, whilst for cyclists there is everything from gentle riverside routes to the hair-raising downhill tracks at Gawton.  Multi-use trails such as ‘Tamar Trails’ even cater for horse-riders. 

If watersports are more your thing, have a go at sailing or windsurfing at Tamar Lakes near Kilkhampton, or hire a kayak or Canadian canoe further downstream. 

Added to all this, there are also high ropes courses, dedicated climbing walls, and if all of that isn’t enough, take a short drive to the coast and get on a surfboard!


2 - A-Mining We Will Go...

The Tamar Valley once produced a significant portion of the world’s tin and copper, and now forms part of the Cornish Mines World Heritage Site – the largest World Heritage Site in the UK.  Mining has been in the area for thousands of years, but in the last 2 centuries production expanded.  The ore was shipped by boat to Plymouth, then round the peninsula to the smelting stations in South Wales. 

Quays such as Calstock and New Quay give a glimpse of the industrial past, while Morwellham Quay offers a fantastic visitor attraction with a hamlet, quay, and copper mine complete with working railway.  And talking of railways, the Tamar Valley line is a beautiful scenic route from Gunnislake down to Plymouth, crossing the stunning Calstock viaduct en route. 

As well as the mining heritage, there are plenty of historic houses and gardens, including Cotehele and Antony House, and the rich naval and maritime history of Plymouth.

Picture
Morwellham Quay

Picture
© Copyright Stephen McKay
1 - Outstanding Natural Beauty...

Of course the principal attraction to the area is the stunning and diverse landscape.  In its early stretches such as its passage through our village, the valley is characterised by close undulating farmland and ancient woodlands, with pretty stone bridges spanning the water.

By the time it has passed through Launceston, the tributaries have fortified the river and the valley officially becomes an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ('AONB') with excellent access to footpaths and trails.  Steep sided gorges and tight river meanders can be found in close proximity to reed beds and wide marshes, while remnants of forgotten mines poke up between the trees. 

Most remarkably, the area is still unspoilt and charmingly rural with the only built up area being around the estuary in Plymouth.  Much of the area is protected, so developments are kept to a minimum, meaning we should all be able to enjoy this beautiful and unique landscape far into the future.

Picture
North Tamerton bridge

Picture
Our view of the Tamar Valley with Dartmoor lit by the sunset

Trails Map of the Lower Tamar Valley (1.5mb)
File Size: 1609 kb
File Type: jpg
Download File

Tamar Valley AONB - Website

We Love the Tamar Valley - Website

Picture
We are truly proud to occupy a little corner of this amazing valley, and we love to share it with our guests. 

To find out more about our boutique cottages, click here. 

Each of our cottages contains a comprehensive guide to local attractions so you can make the most of your Tamar Valley holiday.

Comments
    Picture
    View our boutique cottages

    Late Availability in our Cornish Cottages


    Tweets by @TamarValleyCott

    Click here to view our dog-friendly cottages


    Categories

    All
    Arts
    Attractions
    Autumn
    Beaches
    Bude
    Charlotte
    Christmas
    Cornwall
    Coronavirus
    Cottages
    Dartmoor
    Devon
    Dog Blog
    Dogs
    Easter
    Eating Out
    Family
    Food
    Gardens
    History
    Launceston
    Music
    Plants
    Poldark
    Recipe
    Tamar Valley
    Website
    Whatson
    Wildlife


    Picture
    Family friendly holidays

    Picture

    Picture
    Dogs are welcome!

    Picture
    Guide to Poldark filming locations

    Picture
    The best dog-friendly attractions

    Picture
    Our cream tea guide

    Picture
    Local filming locations

    Archives

    January 2021
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    RSS Feed

​We never sell or share your information with third parties.
Read our Privacy Policy for more details.

Telephone

01409 271284   /  07860 726957

Email

bookings@tamarvalleycottages.co.uk

Social Media


Tamar Valley Cottages, North Tamerton House, North Tamerton, Cornwall, EX22 6SA

Stargazy Solutions Web Design   -  © Copyright Tamar Valley Cottages 2018, All rights reserved unless otherwise stated