Fancy a surf lesson whilst on holiday in Mawgan Porth, look no further than Kingsurf Surf School.

Kingsurf Surf School has operated at Mawgan Porth, Newquay, Cornwall, as a B.S.A. approved surf school for 11 years. Their base offers warm, dry changing facilities and is ideally situated opposite their own privately licensed beach – guaranteeing uncrowded perfection in a unique, unspoiled location.

1.How long has King Surf been running? Tell us a bit about the school.

Kingsurf first opened in 1999, and I took over the running of it in 2007. We’re so lucky with our position as we’re the main surf school on what has to be one of Cornwall’s loveliest beaches – Mawgan Porth. Our ethos is ‘live the dream’ so we try not to forget why we set up this school in the first place, which was to allow us to be by the sea, surf every day and generally have fun! This keeps us super happy and is then in turn given to our customers through our standard of customer service!

2. How long have you surfed for?

I have surfed since I was 17 (now 29 so I’ll let you do the maths!). Started off bodyboarding when I was 7 and loved the sea ever since.

3. What’s your top tip for a beginner surfer?

My top tip for a beginner is to get advice from someone who has been doing it for a long time. The sea can be a dangerous place for someone with no knowledge of it.

4. Where is your favourite place in the world to surf, bar Mawgan Porth?

I love Costa Rica. It’s my dream place as the temperature is always warm, the people are extremely relaxed and the swells are consistent.

5. What’s your favourite memory of surfing?

When I was 18 the sun was shining, the surf was pumping and I was joined by a pod of dolphins. What a birthday present, thank you mother nature!

6. Sum up surfing in three words.

Lifestyle, fitness, enjoyment.

7. What are the average surfing conditions like at Mawgan Porth?

There’s always swell at Mawgan Porth, if there aren’t waves here, you won’t find any anywhere else in Cornwall! it works throughout the tide and is fairly uncrowded.

8. If you had to pick one surfer that has inspired you or who you look up to, who would it be and why?

There is an awesome surfer called Donovan who has a very retro style and a chilled out attitude to life, and plays great guitar music. He seems like someone who’s living the dream!

9. What’s your trademark move?

My trademark move is a big carvey cut back.

10. If you could take one celebrity surfing who would it be?

We do get a few celebs at the surf school! But I won’t name names. It would be fun to take Will Ferrell in!

 

You might think you’d have to jet to Los Angeles or seek out the sun in Cannes to follow in the footsteps of A-list film stars, but you can get on the movie trail much closer to home by experiencing some inspirational film locations right here in stunning Cornwall.

 

“Cornwall is a unique location,” says Rob Harris, a renowned film publicist who’s worked in the industry for nearly 30 years on huge hits like Gladiator, The Perfect Storm and Black Swan. “Its dramatic coastal vistas and charming villages make it a perfect place to capture the beauty of England.”

Time and again location scouts across the film spectrum, from Hollywood blockbusters to classic British films, choose Cornwall to play a starring role alongside the cream of acting talent. “There’s a timeless quality to Cornwall’s landscapes,” says Fiona Frankham, former location manager and South West Screen’s production services manager. “It instils an absolute sense of place when you see it on the screen.”

A handful of Cornwall’s A-list film locations

 

Falmouth

Undisputed king of Hollywood Brad Pitt, Lost’s leading man Matthew Fox and a boat load of zombies rolled into town in August in 2011, when Paramount Pictures filmed scenes for apocalyptic zombie thriller World War Z , released this year, at Falmouth Docks. Filming took place in and around the harbour and several hundred local people were involved as extras and assistants to the crew. “There was a fantastic atmosphere,” says Jeff Taylor, second assistant director at Paramount Pictures. “Filming went really well and it has been a real pleasure working here.”

 

Holywell Bay

This stunning horseshoe-shaped bay on the north coast puts in a brief but spectacular appearance in the opening scenes of Die Another Day (2002). Pierce Brosnan, making his fourth and final outing as James Bond, surfs into the bay on an undercover mission and, though the scenery is guaranteed to be just as breathtaking in real life, we can’t promise waves quite as large as Bond’s CGI ride.

 

Charlestown

If there’s a corset or cutlass involved then Charlestown is the Cornish film location of choice. Its immaculately preserved 19^th century harbour and resident tall ships put it on every locations scout’s authentic period list. Recent big-screen credits for Charlestown include Johnny Depp’s Alice in Wonderland (2010), The New World starring Colin Farrell (2005), The Three Musketeers with Kiefer Sutherland and Charlie Sheen (1993) and the adaptation of Mansfield Park starring Jonny Lee Miller (1999). You might also recognise it from small-screen standouts Hornblower (2002), Rebecca (1997) and Moll Flanders (1996).#

 

Boscastle

Prague may have provided the main backdrop for the Hughes brothers’ 2001 Jack the Ripper flick, From Hell, starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham – but this striking fishing harbour on Cornwall’s north coast played a supporting role. Boscastle also appeared in award-winning actress Brenda Blethyn’s 2000 film Saving Grace, which later spawned Martin Clunes’s TV hit, Doc Martin, filmed just down the coast in Port Isaac.

 

Antony House

Tim Burton was looking for “a perfect, pocket-sized mansion; something beautifully symmetrical, with intimate interiors, wide views and landscaped gardens” for his surrealist, Gothic remake of Alice in Wonderland (2010). He chose Antony House near Torpoint from a list of more than 30 houses. The early 18^th century mansion provided the only real location for the film that saw A-listers Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, along with rising star Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre, 2011), transformed into outlandish versions of the favourite storybook characters.

Written by Roo of Roo’s Beach.

Having grown up in the Midlands we have always gravitated to towards the coast  for our family holidays, our nearest coast happened to be North Wales with it’s dramatic mountains, far too many sheep and always more than it’s fare share of fog and rain!! With this embedded in my memories forever, when I first came across the North Cornish Coast much later on in life I wouldn’t get over the similarity to the dramatic beauty of Wales. The most appealing part about Cornwall was its difference in temperature, less rain and when the fog did come it only ever lasted for a day or so as opposed to several weeks at a time!

Our love of Cornwall started when the children were little and we had to try and make the decision whether to follow our best friends to live in New Zealand or whether we could just spend as much time as possible in Cornwall to try and emulate a similar lifestyle – luckily Cornwall won and our relationship with Mawgan Porth began nearly 13 years ago. We happened upon Mawgan Porth and were drawn by it’s huge, dramatic cliff lined beach with crashing surf and endless rock pools, definitely a beach to suit all with something to entertain everyone whatever the weather. I still believe that of all the countries I’ve travelled to and all the beaches that I’ve visited around the world Mawgan Porth is the most beautiful, especially when it’s almost empty with the tide fully out and the sun shining!

Finally we couldn’t bear leaving anymore so we moved lock, stock and barrel in the Spring of 2011 and started our new life in Cornwall; we’ve never looked back! The kids have embraced coastal living, all becoming active members of Newquay Surf Live Saving, King Surf weekly kids club and generally getting into the sea at every opportunity. Having settled fully into the local community which is full of interesting characters and a wonderful mix of eccentric personalities I decided that there was a business opportunity to launch a lifestyle and retail brand bringing together all of my favourite items from the various places that I’ve lived and visited into one place.

Roo’s Beach was born from a collection of ideas to design products that currently aren’t available on the market and to bring brands to Cornwall which don’t have any distribution in the South West. Bringing fashion led design and fun to the North Coast beach scene is our aim! With the recent hot, hazy days in Cornwall keeping us girls at Roo’s Beach out of our sun scorched office the beach has become our perfect excuse for us to come up with new ideas, designs and concepts for the brand. That’s how the Pop-Up on Porth beach came about. We acquired a new plot on the beachfront of Porth and it became apparent pretty early on that it would be a wasted opportunity to not do some over the summer which could ultimately bring fun into the local beach scene. The new Pop-up store looks onto the ever changing seascape of Porth, with a great local community and energy (being in between Newquay and Watergate Bay) the store puts on weekly ping pong tournaments, has a outdoor/indoor seating area and stocks some brands exclusive to Europe.

Note, the Mawgan Porth shop is now closed and Roo’s Beach can be found in nearby Porth

WILD SWIMMING IN CORNWALL

There is something particularly freeing about wild swimming with the salty water, fresh air and endless horizon stretching ahead of you. Being surrounded by water on three sides, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to wild swimming in Cornwall. Whether you are looking to swim in the calms of a river, beside the sandy shore of a beach or brave the wilds of the Atlantic, we share our top five wild swimming spots in Cornwall.

 

Lusty Glaze, Newquay

This hidden cove is alive with wild swimmers and coasteerers’ all making the most of the choppy surf from the Atlantic. Whether you want to swim in the shallows or head further out to sea this is a great place to begin your wild swimming adventure.

 

Summerleaze Tidal Pool, Bude

An enticing mixture of wild tidal pool swim and lido: there’s a rocky base, a shoulder of dark volcanic rock at one end and regular invasions by tidal swells. Diving is not recommended due to shifting sands, meaning it’s depth varies with the changing tides.

 

Swimming the Brisons

Each year die hard wild swimmers take to the Atlantic to swim from Brisons rock to Cape Cornwall, just off Lands End, it’s strictly a skins swim only!

 

Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth

Wild swimmers can often be spotted early in the morning at Gyllyngvase Beach. It is one of only six Blue Flag 2012 award winning beaches in Cornwall.

 

Padstow to Rock

Each year around 100 people swim from Padstow to Rock across the Camel River. This is one of only a few events that anyone can enter, so long as you can swim one mile in open waters.

 

So grab your goggles and jump in!

 

We are very lucky to be based in North Cornwall and to have so many of our holiday cottages and apartments looking over some of the best beaches Cornwall has to offer.

We thought we’d show you exactly where our holiday homes are located and reveal what’s in store for your stay with Beach Retreats.

Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay Beach is west facing and sandy, stretching out for two miles making it popular with families, couples, dog and of course surfers. The beach is exposed to incoming swell from the Atlantic making it an excellent place for watersports. There are great places to eat and drink at Watergate Bay including, The Beach Hut and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall.

Mawgan Porth

Mawgan Porth is a picturesque village with everything you could need. It has all your essential shops, plus great places to eat and drink. However, its jewel in the crown is Mawgan Porth Beach. Sitting at the bottom of steep cliffs, this large sandy beach has rock pools, the rolling surf and amazing sunsets.  No wonder The Times named it one of the best beaches in Britain

Porth

Porth beach has a long tidal drop making it popular with families as there is loads of space for children to play and build the best sandcastles North Cornwall has ever seen! Coastal walking is very popular in Porth with paths linking east to Watergate Bay and west to Lusty Glaze and Newquay town centre.

Fistral

Fistral needs no introduction, it’s the world famous surfing beach drawing thousands of visitors and surfers from around the world each year.

The Camel Estuary

The River Camel’s Estuary stretches from Wadebridge downstream to the open sea at Padstow Bay.  At Wadebridge, the Camel is still a small freshwater river but it soon opens to form a broad, flat Estuary, a vista unlike any other in the county. One of the great ways to explore this part of is by bike – the Camel Trail follows the Estuary all the way and is hugely popular with families, couples and dogs.

Search for your Beach Retreats Holiday now.

 

Self catering without the catering.

 

A Beach Retreats holiday endeavors to be as relaxing as possible, that is why we provide everything you could possibly need so that all you have to do is jump in the car with a suitcase and enjoy. Consider your Beach Retreats stay a home from home.

Not only do you not need to worry about bringing anything extra with you, you now don’t need to worry about catering either. This summer we have launched the first Chalet Host experience in the UK which you can book now!

Stay in Levan, a four bedroom, eco-house in The Village, Watergate Bay, for seven nights with the added chalet host service and receive:

Five breakfasts, cold and hot, and provisions for the remaining two mornings.
A freshly-baked cake five days per week.
A three course meal with canapés to start plus wine five evenings per week.
Wine and staple goods provided for the week.
Daily light clean and tidy.

(A sample menu can be found here. Our service is very flexible and we cater for any dietary requirements you or your party may have.)

On the remaining two days our Chalet Host can recommend lots of places to eat in the bay and beyond.

We can guarantee that by the end of your stay your Chalet Host will be one of the family, but unfortunately you can’t take them home with you. Our chalet host’s are extremely knowledgeable about Cornwall and local things to see and do, they can help you plan your holiday and make the most of our beautiful county.

To book, call us on 01637 861005 or check availability and prices for Levan.

“A weekend in a coastal holiday property. Good food; beautiful scenery. No clocks.” How hard could it be? Time telling junkie Clare Howdle gets put to the test…

The deal was simple. Spend a night in 3 White Lodge, a two bedroom property in picturesque Mawgan Porth. Enjoy everything it has to offer with just one rule. Give up clocks.  At no point could I know what time it was, or put myself of risk of finding out.

A self-confessed scheduler, I knew it would be tough. But I was willing to give it a go – until leafing through the brochure revealed how well equipped 3 White Lodge was. There was a flatscreen TV, satellite, broadband, even choicely positioned iPod docks for playing my favourite tunes. The full meaning of ‘no clocks’ began to dawn on me. No TV, no radio, no iPod or even phone. I nearly bottled it there and then. But my competitive nature got the better of me. I could do this, right?

Withdrawal symptoms started the moment we got in the car. Gaffa-taping up the clock on the dashboard I started to shake. How would we know what time we could expect to arrive? How long had it taken? How would the rest of our day subsequently pan out? I was in trouble. And getting lost on a coastal road didn’t help. The Sat Nav was so tantalisingly close. I couldn’t. Not this early on…

Despite the mind numbing temptation, we made it to Mawgan Porth without succumbing to the lure of digital devices. Things rapidly started looking up. The dazzling sunshine and crisp blue skies gave White Lodge – perched on a cliff-come sand dune, just a stone’s throw away from the sea – a beautiful, welcoming glow as we approached. Unlocking the double patio doors and stepping inside, we were beaming.

The apartment’s fresh feel and seaside style hit a welcome note, but singing out even sweeter were the Cornish goodies from food4myholiday.com. A selection of local specialties – from milk, to eggs and bread, to sausages, marmalade and apple juice – lined the kitchen cupboards. I had no idea what time it was, but with such delicious food to hand, suddenly it didn’t matter.

A cup of tea and a Cornish shortbread or two later we hatched a loose plan. Scouting walk to the beach, surf, cream tea, relax, then out for a pub dinner. That sounded about right. The sun was high in the sky. There should still be time. From right outside the apartment a path led straight to the shoreline, where we saw towering cliffs, ocean stretching into the distance, a coastal path clinging tantalisingly to the cliffs. From the wet sand I guessed the tide had just dropped back and the resultant perfect, shoulder-high glistening peelers were too inviting to ignore. We cut out walk short, bounded back to the lodge and, within moments, were clad in rubber wetsuits, boards under arms, wading through the shallows.

The crystal clear water, fun waves and friendly atmosphere – not to mention the pod of dolphins that decided to join us (I kid you not) – made for a near-perfect surf. It may have been later than planned as the sun was beginning to set, but I hardly even noticed. It was time for tea regardless, complete with locally baked scones, strawberry jam and lashings of clotted cream. Followed by Scrabble. Then a little nap. We missed the serving window at the local pub but we didn’t care. The brisk walk down the hill then back again mustered up more of an appetite for a store cupboard supper anyway; Cornish sausage and yolky free range egg frittata.

When you take away time things change. Without the electronic entertainment that clocks bring with them, there’s more talk. More jokes. More sing-a-longs and game playing. I was liberated from digital dependence and loving it. As was my stomach. Without the constraints of self-inflicted meal times, we indulged whenever we wanted – including late at night, when crusty bread and Davidstow cheddar beckoned.

So to sleep, full and happy. And awake contented. Sizzling back and a lazy breakfast giving way to a strapping stomp along the cliffs. Sunshine, endless Atlantic views, fresh air. We had left over frittata I our back pack and smiles on our faces. But inside I was sad. Because I would miss not having clocks more than I missed having them. Soon I’d be back to normal; iPhone glued into hand and four little numbers illuminated in the corner of my laptop, governing my day. But for one glorious weekend, time couldn’t touch me. Life took over and it had been swell.

I wanted to grab every friendly walker we passed and tell them the secret, implore them to try it. It was all I could do to prevent myself from standing bellowing out from the cliff top “Do it, please. Just once. Stop all the clocks. Stop. All. The. Clocks.”

But I didn’t much to my other half’s delight. Instead I’m telling you. Do it. Just once. Stop all the clocks. It’s worth it. I promise.

Click here to see our other properties in Mawgan Porth.

Cornwall is full of top quality, award-winning artisan ice cream makers. Whilst on holiday in Cornwall, why not make it your mission to try as many different flavours of ice cream as possible?

Starting at Mr B’s ice cream parlour in Hayle where the ice cream is made fresh each and every day, seven days a week, using both locally sourced products and fine Italian ingredients. Mr B’s make 100 flavours of ice cream in total from Strawberry Pavlova to Jaffa Cake, Rhubard and Ginger to good old fashioned Chocolate.

Opt for the large tub of five flavours if you can’t chose!

Moomaid of Zennor, Porthtowan, is next on our list. Moomaid’s parlour is just a few steps back from the popular surfing beach, so you can sit back on the terrace outside and watch the action as you indulge.

”Nobody can resist Moomaid” they claim – and it might just be true. Limoncello, Almond and Amarena Cherry, Pink Champagne Sorbet…their flavours are original and alluring; a small siren call from the freezer.

Over to Callestick Farm, near Truro, not far from Perranporth beach, down green lanes that wind past cider orchards and quintessential cottages you arrive at Callestick Farm. Using cream from it’s own dairy heard Callestick Farm’s ice cream is deliciously authentic. Here you’ll be confronted with yet another selection of mouthwatering flavours from Gin and Lemon Sorbet to Lemon Curd or Toasted Coconut.
There is also a viewing parlour where you can learn all about the ice cream making process.

Roskilly’s is a well known brand across Cornwall, which you are likely to find in a number of cafes and restaurants, we have sampled ours in Coast Cafe, Newquay. Roskilly’s Organic Ice Cream has won a haul of awards and have even teamed up with Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall to create the very first River Cottage Ice Cream.
They, like many others, offer a sumptuous range of flavours from Malty Mystery to Orange and Mascapone.

Finishing our list is Treleavans, another famous brand found across the county. With yet another strikingly imaginative selection Treleavans produce Vodka Pink Grapefruit, Mojito Sorbet, Millionaire’s Shortbread and even Cornish Blue Cheese and Pear! Fill up a tub and enjoy it sat on the beach watching the waves.

Tregothnan is not the kind of garden where you’ll see coachloads of people queuing at the entrance. It’s not usually open to the public, so if you want to see this utterly magical place, you’ll need to book a private tour – but if you love the idea of sneaking into one of Cornwall’s most off-the-beaten-track gems, then put Tregothnan on your must-see list.

The Tregothnan Tea Plantation and Botanical Gardens is at the head of one of the Fal River creeks; the steep valleys tumbling towards the water provide a stunning backdrop to the gardens. Arriving by motor launch (all part of the tour) is a suitably intriguing way to begin your exploration. It’s a corner of Cornwall that’s positively awash with history; the current house was built in 1652, although the estate was there long before, having belonged to the same family since 1335. The entrance to the kitchen garden dates back to Plantagenet times, making it at least 600 years old.

The first ever English plantation and the only English tea producer in existence, Tregothnan produces world-class tea, a combination of near-perfect growing conditions in a unique microclimate and the estate team’s obsessive attention to detail. It’s not just fields of tea plants you’ll see, though – Tregothnan is also home to botanical gardens that are designated a ‘safe site’ for the protection of extremely rare and endangered plants and trees from all over the world, including the Dinosaur tree, which was, until fairly recently, thought to be extinct. Some of the plants here are so rare that Tregothnan has more of them than are thought to be growing in the wild.

Once the head gardener or one of his team has led you through the estate – 40 hectares of flora, foliage and history the like of which you’ll never have seen before – it’s off to the Edwardian summer house for an indulgent cream tea starring, of course, a variety of Tregothnan teas. As you would expect, the price of a private tour at Tregothnan is somewhat higher than the average garden entrance fee; this is one for special occasions.  The estate limits numbers for private tours, so booking ahead is a must.

Explore further

Tregothnan Estate
Tresillian, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4AN, Tel. 01872 520000

There’s a slight ‘Brigadoon’ quality to Boconnoc – like the mythical Scottish village, some days you can see it, most you can’t as it’s open to the public on Sundays in May only, no other time. No gift shop, no tea room – the estate is totally unspoilt so it’s no wonder Boconnoc has been used as a film location for a variety of prestigious period dramas.

This glorious estate dates back to the Domesday Book; the architecture there now is 17^th and 18^th century. As you arrive, you would be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled into a Jane Austen novel. Boconnoc House, at the end of a dramatically sweeping drive and surrounded by pristine formal laws and its own church, is a perfect piece of architectural history. Inside is room after room of extravagantly grand proportion and elegance. If you take a guided historical tour of the house, you’ll see the bedroom where King Charles I hid during the Civil War. Outside, the Georgian Bath House gives you a hint of the lavish lifestyle of previous occupants.

200 acres of woodland, deer park, valley and lake give you plenty to explore. May is the chosen month for public access for good reason; the gardens are filled with azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons in bloom during the month.

In the grounds you’ll find the fascinating water turbine-powered Boconnoc Sawmill, recently restored and now busy producing oak beams, lintels and similar products from the estate’s own timber – these are available to buy.

The public access days in May allow you to wander the gardens; occasional dates for guided tours which enable further access to the estate are publicised on the website – booking is a must for these. The story of Boconnoc is staggering and features an array of royalty, Prime Ministers and other movers and shakers from the mists of time, so for history buffs the tour will be really special.  Other events through the year include steam fairs, sheepdog trials and a Michaelmas Fair – all information can be found on the Boconnoc website.

Explore further

Boconnoc House & Gardens
Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0RG, Tel. 01208 872507