It’s Secret Season, where we explore what there is to see and do across Cornwall during the cooler, quieter months.
The Story of Emily is a brand-new visitor attraction where a rich history collides with modern technology. The rather refreshing ‘no phone’ rule in the main areas allows surprises to be revealed to new visitors along the way. We spent a sunny Saturday in March here to experience it for ourselves (without giving too many secrets away of course)!
Discover
- A self-guided tour of the refurbished, neo-Georgian rectory
- An immersive audio-visual experience in the War Rooms
- South African heritage dishes in the glass fronted restaurant
- Beautifully finished grounds including the kitchen garden, stables and fields
- Resident animals including miniature Shetland ponies, chickens and turkeys
- A shop packed with South African produce and books
Opening last summer, but keeping a relatively low profile, The Story of Emily most certainly deserves a place on the podium of Cornwall’s top visitor attractions. Located in the picturesque, leafy village of St Ive near Liskeard, this immaculate and well thought-out ‘no expense spared’ venue is brought to you by the owners of estates across the globe including The Newt in Somerset.
Here, the Anglo-Boer War is explored using the story of humanitarian and pacifist, Emily Hobhouse, brought to you through a creative and immersive experience. Whether you are into your history of not, it would be hard not to be impressed by the site as a whole and a different type of experience to enrich your time in Cornwall.
On arrival, we watched the introductory video in the cinema room before heading into The War Rooms, a strikingly modern building with a magical entrance hall. Once inside, you explore an abundance of different areas and rooms, almost forgetting where you are! Here, we learnt about Emily’s impact on events in the Anglo-Boer War, a topic we knew very little about, having not been covered in schools. Highlights included the experience of a typical Boer homestead and travelling by train with Emily.
After The War Rooms, we enjoyed lunch in the beautifully designed restaurant. Here you can choose from an array of South African tipples including Rooibos iced tea, Bitter Lekker and fire pit coffee. It was a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the views across the kitchen garden. We particularly enjoyed the resident turkey parading up and down the glass outside!
Between the four of us, we tried almost everything on the menu. As a vegetarian, a personal favourite was the ouma onder die kombers with a side of roosterkoek bread with farm butter.
After lunch, we enjoyed a leisurely mooch around the grounds which were starting to come alive with spring flowers, before stepping back in time and heading into The Rectory. Here, you can explore the Victorian world of the Hobhouse family set in 1875. Emily Hobhouse lived here from her birth until she was 34 years old.
Using headphones, each rooms reveals a different story. There are three floors to discover, with the top floor giving the opportunity to dress up in Victorian costume.
We could leave without having a peruse of the shop, picking up some reading matter on the subject and some South African jams to try.
To see a video of our experience, head to Instagram or Facebook.
For opening times, ticket prices and planning your visit, head to the Story of Emily website. It is worth noting that dogs aren’t allowed on site and the experience is suitable for children aged 12 over.
Stay under 30 minutes from St Ive on the dramatic coastline at Whitsand Bay or a little further along the coast in the historical fishing village of Fowey.
