The Tamar Valley
North Tamerton House
North Tamerton House was built in 1852 and was the rectory for the village church until 1989. The grounds consist of a wide variety of flora and fauna including beech trees, rhododendrons and camellias, some of which are hundreds of years old and are a great pleasure to many visitors. This helps to give the grounds their tranquil and unspoilt feel and helps frame the wonderful panoramic views of the surrounding area including Dartmoor.
Please feel free to enjoy the grounds: various seats have been placed throughout so you can sit and take in the wonderful sounds of the gentle breeze through the trees, the wildlife and the local livestock— perhaps with a drink in one hand and a book in the other!
For children there are several safe areas where they can play or relax and various toys, games and equipment are available.
North Tamerton Village
North Tamerton Village is a small hamlet on the Devon and Cornwall borders situated roughly 8 miles south east from the sandy beaches of Bude and 8 miles north from the town of Launceston.
It is bounded to the east by the River Tamar which delineates Cornwall’s border with Devon; however, the border extends across the river making North Tamerton the only Parish in Cornwall that extends east of the Tamar. Within the village lies the beautiful 15th Century Parish church dedicated to St Denys which boasts a 70 foot tower and some exquisite ancient carved pew ends. The famous Victorian priest and poet Reverend Hawker, known for introducing the Harvest festival to the Christian church, was once a curate here. There is also a Methodist Chapel and village hall.
Local Towns and Villages
The historic market town of Holsworthy can be found 5 miles to the north and boasts good shopping including Waitrose and Co-op supermarkets, a weekly farmer's market held each Wednesday, and with local leisure facilities such as a riding school and swimming pool.
North Tamerton is 8 miles north from Launceston, the ancient capital of Cornwall. The town has a number of shops and restaurants and a range of interesting places to visit including Launceston Castle and Steam Railway.
Bude is 8 miles south of North Tamerton, boasting a canal walk, pristine beaches with water sports like kayaking, paddleboarding and surfing. Dive into the Bude Sea Pool, an iconic tidal pool maintained by volunteers, you will always spot someone in the water, whatever the weather. You can traverse the South West Coast Path and enjoy far reaching coastal views. Bude town offers many independent shops and cafes/restaurants to enjoy, also some interesting artisan shops along the bottom of the canal walk.
Boscastle is a small village with even smaller working fishing fleet. Boscastle became known for the catastrophic floods of 2004 that nearly destroyed the entire village. Now it is home to arts and gifts shops, pubs and an excellent farm shop just a mile before you enter Boscastle. Approx. 18 miles from North Tamerton.
Local Attractions
Dartmoor
Dartmoor renowned for its stunning landscape including ancient granite Tors is less than an hours drive from the cottages. The moors also present the opportunity to see the famous Dartmoor ponies.
Bodmin Moor
Famous for appearing in the TV series Poldark and the Beast of Bodmin, Bodmin moor is less than an hour in the car from the cottage and offers stunning landscapes where guests can enjoy some beautiful hiking.
Eden Project
Guests can easily access the Eden Project from the cottages, where two enormous biospheres house thousands of plant species from around the world.
Cycle Routes
The cottages offer a number of a number of cycling routes directly from the door, including access to the North Cornwall Trial.
Local Beaches
Bude
Bude is a local dog friendly beach approx. a 20 minute drive from the cottages. Summerleaze is the main beach, this joins Crooklets Beach when the tide is out, this can also be accessed via a separate car park. Bude is known for its beautiful beaches, stunning coastal walks, and some of the best fish and chips in Cornwall.
Widemouth Bay
Roughly 20 min drive from us, good dog walking beach (one end of the beach ‘Black Rock’ is all year round, the rest of the beach has seasonal restrictions). Plenty of parking/toilets and a very good café.
Crackington Haven
A delightful shingle cove that boasts a gorgeous stretch of golden sand and numerous rock pools to explore when the tide recedes. (Seasonal restrictions do apply, please check before you go) There is parking opposite the beach, a pub (The Coombe Barton Inn) and a café (The Cabin Café).
Sandymouth Bay
Just the North of Bude you can find Sandymouth Bay, a National Trust beach, popular but unspoilt beach of pebbles and sand, backed by incredible twisted cliffs and small waterfalls. Car Parking and a café.
Visit Cornwall
Visit Cornwall website has a good guide to dog friendly ‘All year round’ beaches, take a look at this link for their Top 10 https://www.visitcornwall.com/things-to-do/beaches/10-dog-friendly-beaches-all-year-round
Local Walks
South-West Coastal Path
It’s hard to select parts of the local coast path to recommend, as it is all truly beautiful and represents a significant part of the Cornish Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The stretch between Tintagel and Bude is particularly stunning, encompassing steep cliffs, dramatic headlands and tiny coves. Take a look at the official website to plan your route; https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/
Dartmoor
There are hundreds of fantastic walks over Dartmoor, ranging from the quick and easy to the long and arduous. The most accessible part to use are the areas of Foggintor, which boasts the ruins of houses and a water-filled quarry. Merrivale, which includes the remnants of a Bronze Age settlement – both can be accessed from the car park (PL20 6ST). Plan your route via, https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/
Bodmin Moor
Smaller in size than Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor still features the same wilderness landscape punctuated with rocky outcrops. Made famous by the novel Jamaica Inn, it’s and area steeped in superstition. Closest car-park PL32 9QJ.
Ruby Way
The Ruby Country is the are of unspoilt countryside between Holsworthy and Hatherleigh. There are many walks listed on www.ridetherubycountry.co.uk . Closest access point is Tuckers Café PL15 9RL.
Kit Hill
The highest point in the Tamar Valley with walks encompassing the remnants of industrial heritage and offering panoramic views. PL17 8HW
Camel Trail
One of the most popular pathways in the country, an 18 mile multi-use trail that follows a disused railway line between Padstow and Wenford Bridge. Bike hire companies can be found in Wadebringe/Padstow/Bodmin and Wenford Bridge. Take a look at https://cameltrail.co.uk/ for more information.
Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail is an 180 mile figure of eight loop, exploring all the diversity and beauty North Devon has to offer. Footpaths and bridleways take you through unspoiled countryside, it’s the longest UK traffic free cycle path. Take a look at https://tarkatrail.org.uk/ for more
Local Dog Walks
Boyton Mill
A charming short walk, offering a brief moment by the Tamar before entering an ancient forest where an Iron Age fort can still be made out. The walk loops back around, past the old mill. Much of the walk is farmland, where dogs must be on lead, inside the woodland they are allowed off-lead. Park by the bridge at Boyton Mill (PL15 9RG) and follow the Public Bridleway signs.
Cookworthy Forest
Owned by the Forestry Commission, Cookworthy Forest is an impressive conifer plantation. Good off-lead dog walking, there is a car park up a land on the left after the Cookworthy Forest Centre (EX21 5UU).
Holsworthy Woods
Holsworthy Woods has a variety of open paths and trails for you to explore. Good off-lead dog walking, has a small car park.
EX22 6RW
