Late Availability...

We have a number of weeks still available in October including two in the Farmhouse, we are having a lovely run of weather with temperatures holding and plenty of sunshine. And of course from October 1st all the beaches are open to dogs across Cornwall so it's a great time to be down here! One of them is Crackington Haven which is a lovely spot on the coastal path just north of Helsbury, with a great pub and sunsets like this it takes some beating.

Dog Central at Widemouth Bay...

Stunning, bracing day on the North Coast yesterday, Widemouth Bay was full of dog walkers, I say full but there was plenty of space for everyone and the ratio of humans to dogs was about 1 to 1. Lovely atmosphere, lots of sniffs and a nice lunch at the Bay View.

Your chance to vote for the Best Dog Walk in the West

The second annual competition to find the best dog walk along the South West Coast Path has been launched this week backed by the Kennel Club’s access advisor Stephen Jenkinson, an expert on where dog owners can go and what they can do in the countryside.

Dog owners are invited to nominate their favourite walk from all 630 miles of stunning Coast Path, stretching from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset.

It could be a two-mile stroll with your four-legged friend through a fishing village in Devon, a longer trek across open fields in Cornwall, or a short scamper across a dog-friendly expanse of sandy beach in Dorset – one thing’s for sure, you won’t be short of options.

To see some of the walks highlighted as particularly dog friendly, view the selection on this map and select the name of your favourite from the drop down menu on the sign-up form for your chance to WIN!

The deadline for the competition is February 28.

You can vote by clicking here.

Comprehensive Online Beach Guide

Cornwall has a unique and magical coastline with over 400 beaches that are accessible on foot. Collectively they are the most varied in character of anywhere in the UK and arguably in the world. The North Coast has iconic sandy beaches backed by either high windswept cliffs or sand dunes and exposed to the Atlantic swell and wind which produces outstanding surf. By comparison the South Coast is more sheltered with wonderful coves and backed by a legendary coastal landscape with picturesque fishing harbours and stunning estuaries.

This new web site has detailed information on every beach however big or small. Just click on to the section of coastline of interest and then to the beach required. Alternatively click on to the A to Z list of beaches if the name of the beach or cove is known.

www.cornwallbeaches.org.uk

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2012 Entry 8

Sharon Etzel and her family travelled all the way from Germany to be with us, she sent this lovely review of her holiday:

"We drove practically non-stop for 13 hours from South Germany to get to Helsbury Park for our first visit. We arrived, unpacked the car and went out for a dog-walk down the valley. Literally within minutes of arrival, after a pretty exhausting journey, we were agreeing that it was worth every mile and that we would definitely be coming back in the future!

We had a fantastic fortnight at Helsbury Park. Over the years, we have stayed many times all over Cornwall, but in terms of accommodation and location, we have never had it so good.

Thank you so much for providing such a wonderful place to stay. As I wrote in our feedback form: We loved it, our teenage boys loved it (and that's an achievement in itself!) and of course, our bearded collie Talisker loved it.

OK, the weather wasn't wonderful, but that certainly didn't stop us having a fantastic time, because Marhayes was so comfortable, the grounds so lovely to walk in - and the weather often improved as we drove the short distance to the north coast.

We had a magical experience one morning at Helsbury down towards the river: we were stopped in our tracks by the sight of a fox close by, ears pricked, intently watching some small animal in the grass, leaping into the air and diving after its breakfast."

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2012 Entry 7

Julia Woodcock and her friends stayed, with their dogs Charlie and Doris, in Broadview recently, she said: "We had another great visit, despite the weather.   Our friends thought it was amazing and couldn’t get over how dog friendly everything was, not just at Helsbury but everywhere we went in the area. Here are a few photos of the dogs I thought you might like."

Helsbury Dog Photo Competition 2011 Entry 17

Nigel Payne and his family came to stay at Helsbury in the Spring and he sent these great shots of Tilly and Tiggi rock climbing at Trebarwith Strand, and this comment: "We had a great stay in Helsbury Park and the weather was sunny and hot all week long which for April was an added benefit to our week. The photo, one of many, was taken when the tide fell at Trebawith Strand, a great place to take the dogs and then you can sit on the cliffs edge and watch the sun go down, superb!"

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Looking for a walk suitable for all the family?

Visit www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southwestcoastpath for easy-access coastal walks along fairly flat paths that are at least 2’6” wide, have a minimal cross camber, and no steps or stiles. So far twelve easy-access walks have been added covering all areas of the Coast Path and more will be added in future.

A detailed map and description of each one with photographs illustrating the nature of the walk can be printed from the website. Variations in gradients, camber and path surface, as well as the width of any gates are all noted so that people can make their own minds up about whether the walk is suitable for them.

The walk descriptions have been developed by the South West Coast Path Team, led by Ros Love who said ‘I am delighted that we have been able to provide this information for those people who may not find it easy to use all parts of the Coast Path. I hope that the easy-access walks will help and encourage many more people to discover the stunning coastline of the south west. These are Coast Path walks that people of all abilities can enjoy together.’

The easy-access walks are an addition to the existing online library of over 50 Coast Path walks of varying length and difficulty in all parts of the region. Something for everyone – the South West Coast Path National Trail.

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It's not all about dogs...

Check out this video of one of our guests on the hill at Helsbury - bit of extreme sports - Watergate Bay eat your heart out!

Part 1: The Long Walk



Part 2: The Run

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