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Cornish spas and saunas
Self-care treatments with The Wellness Concierge
We recently caught up with our friends at The Wellness Concierge, previously named Hauora at Home. A Cornish beauty service, The Wellness Concierge offers luxury treatments within the comfort of your home or a self-catered holiday retreat.
Here’s their director, Sara, discussing their latest rebrand and what’s coming up for 2023:
“In 2021 The Wellness Concierge was born, at a time when I was looking to make meaningful change in the rural beauty and wellness industry. My dream was to create a mobile, five-star service that authentically took into consideration the holistic wellness of our clients. I felt that I could use the knowledge that I had amassed over my 20 years in the industry to create a service that was deeply authentic and engaging.
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The clamour of modern life means the demand for self-care is more prevalent and time sensitive than ever. In a world where our lists are never-ending and our schedules demand us to juggle multiple commitments, time has become our greatest currency.
At the Wellness Concierge, we give you some of that time back. We specialise in five-star treatments delivered straight to your door. By removing the commute to treatment appointments, you can reclaim these moments to spend with yourself or your family. Our concierge team will organise your various treatments, giving you the space and freedom to relax.
Check out our locations and retreats across North Cornwall.
The shift to upmarket, at-home treatments is a conscious approach to modern wellness. The Wellness Concierge is looking to move away from the preconceptions of mobile beauty and redefine at-home self-care for the 21st century.
Another way that we do this is to lean into our values that make up the foundations of our business. We want to put a spotlight on the entities that support us: our therapists, the landscape that surrounds us and the community we exist within. A thriving business must do good whilst doing well, and we believe we are supported by the local communities that we live within. We strive to give back to these groups that make our work possible, and at present, we work with The Women’s Centre Cornwall. We also work alongside Ecologi with a view to becoming a climate positive company.
We offer a selection of treatments from massage to manicures, personal training to yoga and all in the comfort of your home or holiday home.
Experience tranquillity with yoga on a Cornish beach, where the serene coastal backdrop enhances your practice and rejuvenates your spirit.
We truly hope you connect with our evolving wellness service. We pride ourselves on growing with and for our clients. We want to see our service through your lens and the lens of our dedicated team. If you have any questions for us please reach out on hello@thewellnessconcierge.co.uk.”
If you’re interested in their range of at home treatments, browse their new website to find out more.
Book a self-catering retreat and enjoy some self-care by the sea.
Style your home with Cox & Cox
Looking to breathe new life into your home interiors? Cox & Cox create furniture and home décor designed to give you that refreshed feeling, transforming your space into a calming haven.
We recently spoke to Creative and Product Director Dani Taylor about her top picks from the upcoming Autumn collection, and how you can make your home feel welcoming as the seasons change and you begin to spend more time indoors.
“Retreating indoors is an exciting shift that brings the opportunity for rewarding seasonal updates. As our homes are doing more but remain our retreat from the world, we look at evolving our style for multi-functional use-not changing it- because home is the welcome familiar as soon as the front door opens. Here’s my shortlist for versatile living, so that you always feel good arriving home, whatever the floorplan.”
Interested in staying in our most luxurious holiday cottages? Check out our luxury coastal cottages.
Shop the Cox & Cox collection here.
Here’s Dani’s top picks:
NEW Amelie Chest of Drawers – £1795
This fantastic looking sideboard will work as you change rooms, or when you move–it suits a variety of uses. I imagine it in a compact hallway, affording ample surface for styling as well as essential storage-it can adapt into the living rooms or bedrooms when you grow as a family.
Brass Double Bulb Wall Light – £75
If you want to add a reading nook or study area into a room, then a successful way to mark the spot is with lighting. Our plug-in wall lights are a super easy way to be versatile with your space because they don’t need to be wired.
Maroq Golden Rubber Doormat – £30
Alongside our classic door furniture, we now have an extensive range of doormats so that giving that first impression of your style couldn’t be easier-a simple but easy way to refresh your home for the season.
NEW Cane Webbing Armchair – £895
For multi-functional spaces to work well it’s good to clearly zone by function. This occasional chair works really well in an open plan space because its feature cane webbed back is made for being on show.
Linden Brass Full Length Mirror – £225
With a slender, antiqued brass frame and large mirrored surface, our statement full length mirror will make the perfect addition to your bedroom or hallway, making any small space feel instantly larger.
New Ada Dinnerware from £55
Autumn is one of my favourite seasons– I enjoy creating a cosy home that’s welcoming to guests, which is why it’s the right time to invest in dinnerware- the versatile Ada dinnerware will complement your pared-back cosy style in autumn and still look fresh in spring. Available by style in sets of four.
Browse the full Cox & Cox collection here.
Check out our locations and retreats across West Cornwall.
Discover six stunning spots to watch the sunrise in Cornwall, each offering panoramic views and unforgettable moments along the coast.
Summer fragrances
Smell is a uniquely powerful sense, generating strong reactions and evoking distant memories. As the long sunny days prompt more wild flowers to bloom, we explore the natural scents that shout out summer – with help from sustainable flower delivery business Petalon and natural bath & body brand land&water.
First off, we’re heading away from the salty air, surf wax and sun cream scents of the beach, to the coast path and deeper into Cornwall’s verdant undergrowth and hedgerows. Here you’ll catch the fragrant scents being released by plants and wild flowers coming into bloom.
With the first flush of spring now fading, there’s an abundance of flowering plants ready to step into the breach. From the sweet smelling honeysuckle climbing over its hedgerow fellows, to the aromatic leaves and tiny lilac flowers of pennyroyal. Going by mentha pulegium in Latin, pennyroyal’s leaves can be steeped in hot water for a strong, wild mint tea.
If you’re on the hunt for rarer scents than these among the undergrowth, The Lizard is where to head. Home to an ancient and unique geology, many rare species and sweet smells can be found in one of the UK’s most biodiverse regions.
Check out more of what West Cornwall has to offer and explore our holiday lets in The Lizard Peninsula.
Want to stay in a luxury holiday house with a view of the sea? Check out our cottages with sea views.
On a summer’s evening walk through fields, you might encounter the orange-scented smell of the fragrant orchid. On heathland or even sandy dunes, you might pick up the gentle fragrance of wild thyme – also identified by its purple-pink flowers between May and August, growing close to the ground. Chives, another fragrance reminiscent of the kitchen, grow wild on The Lizard, with its recognisable small pink flowers.
Image credit: Petalon
Floral fragrance
Surround yourself with the fragrance of summer blooms grown on these shores indoors… At Petalon’s Cornish farm, it’s a particularly busy time of year, says Petalon co-owner James. “We have to be in the field cutting flowers early enough to beat the day’s heat,” he explains. “Then we’re in the studio making up bouquets, by the time most people are thinking about setting off for work.
“In terms of the bouquets themselves, the summer is defined by abundance. Even the dwarf sunflowers we grow still have such large heads, and the delphiniums and larkspur are so tall, we can barely fit them inside the box!”
When it comes to bouquets for the nose, the Petalon team include a heady mix in their deliveries. “Sweet peas will continue through early summer and smell just amazing – particularly in a delivery bouquet, as their sweet scent really fills the box,” he says. “By late summer we’ll be using lots of mint and geranium stems, both of which have a deserving reputation for their incredible smells.”
Image credit: Petalon
Other stars of the season are lupins, ready to send as the pink and purple varieties appear in hedgerows around the county. Then there are poppies, with a longer flowering life than those defying the odds to bloom along Cornish stone walls.
Alongside the rows of flowers for cutting, the hedgerows around the Petalon farm see the bright yellow gorse shining brighter than ever. “Gorse smells like sweet coconut to us,” adds James.
The season inside
Waking up to seize the day or coming back indoors to relax after a day on the beach, what scents summon long summer days?
Pix Ashworth, founder of land&water, knows summer has arrived when she notices pairs of small-white domed flowers appearing on the woodland floor.
Image credit: Goodrest Studios for land&water
“Lily-of-the-valley signals the approaching summer to me; fresh, light and crisp,” she says. “For me, the longer days mean evenings on the coast path or in the garden witnessing explosive growth and fragrances. The ‘hot-lips’ Salvia (so-called for its bi-colours of red and white) is a big favourite for both its gorgeous minty aroma and its enduring flowers; I have several dotted around the garden.
“And I definitely have a mint leaning, using it wherever possible – be it in salads, summer drinks, or with new potatoes.”
Image credit: Goodrest Studios for land&water
When it comes to time indoors, mint is a favourite fragrance for how it “draws the outside in, mimicking that big sky freshness”. For relaxing evenings indoors after long, active days outside, Pix opts for calming essential oils.
“Skin products containing chamomile, to soothe skin redness or irritation from too much sun or bites and stings; and sandalwood, for peace and calm, are a natural draw,” she adds. “Together with sweet almond oil and sea buckthorn oil, we use both these essential oils in our All Elements Skin Balm to help calm and rejuvenate.”
Pairings such as frankincense and clary sage also hold a lot of appeal for Pix, because blending scents is about achieving invigoration and relaxation, “that sweetspot of emotion”.
Indulge in the flavours of spring with fresh recipes, perfect for the season’s vibrant palette.
Take your work away
Is it time to take your work on holiday? Could a place by the sea be just the place to right the professional balance, giving you a new perspective on the daily routine and a fresher focus? We spoke to three coastal workers to find out how it affects their working life…
The world of work has had many cycles of change, but in the last couple of years, workers have experienced one of the most dramatic shifts, from working from home to hybrid working to working from anywhere.
It’s time for an ‘aworkening‘ to these new possibilities. Taking your work away to the sea could be more than just a change of scene. We caught up with three professionals working on very different projects and businesses to find out what being close to the sea means for their working life.
Visiting Cornwall for a workcation? Have a look at our holiday lets perfect for extended stays and working.
Studio by the sea
Artist Kitty Hillier recently started working exclusively from her studio looking out to the Penryn River as it flows towards the sea. It’s a tidal stretch with a shifting landscape, and bustling boat community right on the doorstep. Whether it’s a fleeting encounter with a Redshank, to making a new home in a boat – “like a giant sculpture really” – being this close to the water has an important role to play in Kitty’s work.
“During the day, a key part of my practice is walking. From here, I can get on to the coast path straight away. In the spring and summer, when I open up the main door of the studio, I can see all the way through, down the river,” says Kitty.
“All year round, I feel very close to the tides, and the weather. If it’s really windy, I’m tuned into that: what’s happening around me, the sounds and direction of the wind. One of the boatyard community will let me know if we’re expecting a really high tide, when the water can come in just past the studio door.
“I’m constantly collecting stuff, starting points or something that helps me resolve a painting. On the coast path between here and Flushing, it’s often very quiet, and particularly at low tide you have these amazing encounters with wildlife; it massively informs what I’m making.”
As well as the solitary time watching the coastal wildlife, or on focused work in the studio, there’s the bustling boatyard and vibrant artist community round the corner.
Check out more of what Falmouth has to offer by staying in one of our bespoke retreats in Falmouth.
“The boatyard here is wonderful, everybody is helping everybody else, whether it’s helping you carry something or giving you some advice; it’s a great community.
“Not far from me are Jubilee Wharf, Fish Factory and Grays Wharf studios and art galleries, where I have shown my work and I’ve done workshops. Since I started working here, I have collaborated a lot more and I regularly meet up with artists in these locations.”
Discover Kitty’s work and workshops – with St Ives School of Painting and Grays Wharf – at https://kittyhillier.co.uk/ and on Instagram @kittyhillier
Seaside growing
Beside Little Petherick Creek and overlooking the Camel River as it flows into the coves and bays between Rock and Padstow, Ross Geach’s workplace is Padstow Kitchen Garden at Trerethern Farm.
Image credit: Gemma Shapcott
There must be something in the sea air by the creek, as well as supplying a selection of the best eateries in the area with a bevy of local, seasonal produce – from salad leaves to renowned sausages – the kitchen garden’s honesty box farm shop made it into the Financial Times magazine How to Spend It’s top 50 food stores in the world in 2021.
“The farm has been in my family since the 18th century,” says Ross. “Initially I trained be a chef with Rick Stein, but I enjoyed being on the farm more than the kitchen; being outside, with lovely views, what’s not to like. So I started growing here and its turned into quite a big kitchen garden; it’s around 7 acres now.”
Image credit: Gemma Shapcott
The exposed coastal position of the farm dictates the pattern of work. It means “beautiful views, down to Rock in one direction and over to Bodmin Moor in the other”, but often challenging weather conditions for growing. “Nature has a really good way of evening itself out. I’ve really noticed that over the ten years of working in the garden. If you have a really bad start you have a longer season. If you have a really good, early start to the season you’ll probably have a shorter growing season.”
The farm is workplace and space to get away from it all. “We do spend a lot of our time on the farm. My partner and kids, we’ll go out into the farm to have tea on a bench; it’s completely quiet, with no one else around.”
Image credit: Gemma Shapcott
When he’s not soaking up the vista from the fields, Ross heads down to the quieter spots along this popular stretch of coast to find a “rock to sit down, with a beer, and make the most of watching the tide come in or go out” or will head out on the water in the family kayak.
The Padstow Kitchen Farm Shop is open 7 days a week from 08.30am to 2.30pm during the winter months, with extended hours in the spring and summer.
Free your workflow
No matter what you’re working on, finding the space to think freely is essential. Novelist and non-fiction writer Wyl Menmuir’s home office is a mile from the beaches of Cornwall’s north coast. A world of constant change, the sea is a dependable source of creative inspiration, mental space, exercise, rest and much more.
“If I’m stuck with a plot, or I need to solve a creative problem, I won’t find that at my desk.”
“It’s a rare day that I don’t see the sea for one reason or another. It might be for inspiration. If I’m stuck with a plot, or I need to solve a creative problem, I won’t find that at my desk,” says Wyl. “I get myself out to the sea. It’s something about being able to see the horizon; the whole environment of it helps me to get into this creative space.”
On the other hand, when Wyl is taking a break from work, he goes for a coastal run, surf or swim to take him away from concerns he has or whatever is on his mind. It’s a cure all, “I use it for pretty much everything,” he adds.
He’s spent the past few months finding out it’s not just him, discovering “almost as many reasons to spend time by the sea, or in the sea, as people” for his first non-fiction book The Draw of the Sea. While scientific researchers have made recent discoveries about the mental health benefits of spending time near or in blue spaces, Wyl’s study – out on Aurum Press in July – is concerned with the human stories of the myriad relationships we have with the sea.
Image credit: Aurum Press
Out swimming with cold water swimmers, he discovered more about the primal relationship we have with the water, “there is this sense that the cold is uncomfortable, but there is this physical draw, a dependency on that cold-water reset.” It’s also somewhere where we relinquish control: “The sea is always reminding you that you have no control – and that can be freeing.”
Find out more about Wyl’s forthcoming book The Draw of the Sea, published in July 2022 and available to pre-order now.
Step beyond the office, choose a place by the sea to take your work away
Discover 10 compelling reasons for a Cornwall workation, blending productivity with relaxation amidst Cornwall’s stunning coastal scenery and vibrant local culture.
Meet artist Jo Downs
Jo Downs’ handcrafted glasswork of echoes the beauty and hues of Cornwall’s landscapes and reflects her passion for the coastline.
Imagine a lifestyle entrenched in the beauty of Cornwall’s spectacular coast. Well, for designer Jo Downs, that’s what the daily grind is all about – as she captures the light, colour and detail of this county in her beautiful, handcrafted glasswork. We meet Jo at her Launceston studio to discuss her endless creativity and 25 years of dedication to her craft.
Interested in staying in our most luxurious holiday cottages? Check out our luxury coastal cottages.
TRUE PASSION
I never doubted I’d be an artist. From childhood, I sketched, drew, and had plans to be a potter. But glass, it seems, had other plans for me. I first tried fusing glass at university, and the glorious lump of colour I created got me totally hooked. I couldn’t get over the brilliance and beauty of it. A whole world of creativity opened up to me right then, and I’ve honestly never looked back.”
BIG IDEAS
I started my career at the deep end, designing large scale installations for hotels and cruise liners. Creatively, it was thrilling, but technically it was very demanding and really taught me the art of perfecting fused glass. Big ideas are no good if you can’t make them a reality for your client. You need to perfect the skill and understand the science that brings the beauty out in fused glass. It’s such a unique material.”
MY INSPIRATION
I came to Cornwall in 2001 and it totally changed my life. The visual inspiration here is endless, and it’s something I’ve poured it into my work ever since. I walk and run on the coast, and my home looks out over the sea, so I’m surrounded by the details and textures of Cornwall every day. Anyone who loves my work loves Cornwall – their passion is the same as mine – and it’s a passion I really love sharing.”
MY GALLERIES
I opened the first Jo Downs Gallery in Padstow in 2005, and now have galleries in St Ives, Fowey, Tintagel, and Launceston (and also one in Surrey). They’ve become a real icon of the Cornish high street, with window displays that showcase all the dazzling colours of the coast, and I’m so proud of that. They’ve allowed me to showcase my large-scale work, and a range of smaller ‘take home’ pieces that celebrate the beauty of Cornwall.”
Thinking about staying in St Ives? Have a look at our luxury St Ives holiday properties.
MY STUDIO
My studio is my sanctuary. It’s state of the art – not like thefirst little kiln I had in my bedroom when I was a student – and that luxury allows me to really push the boundaries of what’s possible in fused glass. My work is about capturing beauty in glass, and my studio is the perfect space to think, to draw, and to test out ideas in the kiln, with the radio on and my Jack Russell, Izzy, by my side.
MY FAVOURITE THINGS
I’ve designed lots of collections, but of course I have my favourites. ‘Cornish Pilchards’ is the most recognised and perhaps the best-loved of my designs, and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year! And my wall-mounted Shoaling Fish and Leaf collections were a real game changer for me, and have led to so many wonderful spin offs and bespoke designs, including a stunning range of chandeliers.”
ONE TO ONE
Creating bespoke work is my favourite thing to do. It’s a special thing to design a one-off commission for a unique space. People express their individuality through their design choices, and a commissioned piece is the ultimate example of that. If I can spin my client’s aspirations into a spectacular glass installation or artwork, I will, and if somebody says it’s not possible, I’ll have tons of fun proving it is!”
Embark on an adventure chasing waterfalls in Cornwall, discovering the hidden natural gems and breathtaking cascades of the region.
Images from an installation at Dragon House, Mawgan Porth.
Yoga on a Cornish beach
We invited Next Wave Yoga to be our latest guest blogger, to give you plenty of inspiration for a relaxing Beach Retreats stay…
Let’s set the scene:
It’s 8.30 am on a Monday morning with Next Wave Yoga. Instead of being near the end of your morning commute to work, or rushing the kids off to school, you are on a beach in Cornwall. Perhaps it is not just you, but the whole family is there with you. The beach is still quiet, there are only a few people walking their dogs. Instead of being sat on a train or in traffic you are sat on a yoga mat with sand between your toes and the sound of the sea and birds. Your yoga teacher asks you to close your eyes and for a few minutes just allow yourself to really listen to everything going on around you, to be ‘present’ and enjoy where you are in that moment.
Visiting Cornwall with an electric car? Check out our holiday lets with electric car (EV) charging points.
It’s hard not to enjoy where you are when you are sitting on a beach with the sun on your back and listening to the sound of the waves. For the next hour you are guided through a yoga class that has been created specifically for you, with careful guidance and assistance when necessary. This ensures you have plenty of time to come back to ‘that place’ of just being still and listening to the world before rolling up your mat and heading off for breakfast.
What a great way to start the day.
We are exceptionally blessed in Cornwall to be surrounded by beautiful coastline, hidden coves and tucked away woodlands that are open for us to use as our ‘yoga studio’. Instead of four walls, air conditioning, false lighting and the person next to your mat being less than an inch away from yours, we want you to be able to experience space, the ability to move freely and breathe deeply. If you have never stood and intentionally taken lung fulls of fresh sea air before, you are in for a treat.
Fancy staying in Watergate Bay? Check out our luxury holiday properties in Watergate Bay, Newquay.
The outdoors is part of a Cornish lifestyle and our environment is our greatest asset. We want to share it with you.
Over the years we have received an abundance of research into the effects of our modern and indoor lifestyle on our physical and mental health. Studies have shown how positive just a simple walk in the park or stroll across the beach can be and the longer you spend outside the more positive those impacts are. Just a 20 minute walk can improve short term memory, boost creativity, reduce stress and anxiety, allow for clearer thoughts, lower blood pressure and even reduce inflammation in the body.
Yoga also helps with all of these things – combining the two is pretty magical and the beauty of the practise is, it can be done anywhere you have space to roll out a mat. A lot of the yoga classes that we do are actually within holiday homes like Beach Retreats’ making use of the wide terraces, private gardens and beautiful views from open plan sitting rooms. This makes it easier for the whole family to join in.
We understand that your time away is precious so we bring the yoga studio to you.
It may be that you want to have just one class to end your stay or daily classes to really reap the full benefits, create your own vinyasa flow, experience yin, yoga nidra or even just master your Downward Dog – the choice is yours. You could even turn a day of your stay into a mini yoga retreat to include a morning and afternoon class, massage treatments, sound baths and even a cookery class with a nutritionist.
We want you to feel free to create what you need to help you truly, relax, recharge and ultimately go home feeling like you have a new found love for ‘self care’ and can take on the world. Maybe after one more Savasana…
For more information visit nextwaveyoga.co.uk or bespokeretreats.com.
A little more about Next Wave Yoga
Next Wave Yoga was created to make the benefits of yoga and massage accessible to all. Founded by Amy Williams, an experienced level 3 massage therapist and passionate yogi, we are a truly holistic approach to relaxation and healing based in Cornwall offering group yoga classes, private yoga classes, massage treatments, unique bespoke retreats and much more.
Next Wave specialises in tailoring experiences to the individual. That means anything from creating a plan for dealing with stress and anxiety through yoga or helping your aches and pains with deep tissue massage or getting all f the family together for some yoga fun on the beach.
It’s no secret that we think massage is a little bit magic. Helping to alleviate aches and pains, improve circulation, aid the lymphatic system, helps the body recover for sporting activities and injuries quicker and creates more space and mobility in the body. For the ultimate treat let us turn your beautiful holiday home into your own private spa for some time to truly relax and unwind.
Want to learn more about how to make the most of your travel? Read our blog on how to do slow travel.