The Old Farmhouse, sea & country views - sleeps 7

For Christmas and New Year dates please send an enquiry. Our Grade II listed farmhouse is thought to date back to the early 17th century. Iin a quiet location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it has perfect sea and countryside views and on-site parking - the perfect base for exploring Cornwall. Hillsborough comprises three properties, the Farmhouse, the Hayloft and the Boatshed. All properties are fully self-contained, each with their own private outside space. Our 400 year old farmhouse is beautifully quirky. Step through the porch and onto the original Cornish slate floor – ideal for muddy walking boots. The slates take you into the dining room or straight through into a traditional kitchen complete with a Cornish apron sink*, a large cooker with ceramic hob and a farmhouse table and chairs. Washing up is almost a pleasure with the view of the sea and fields of cattle, but there is, of course, a dishwasher. There is also a small utility area with a washing machine and tumble dryer. For relaxation there is the cosy snug, with a small collection of books and two comfy sofas to snuggle up on while reading. If you have Spotify or similar or you carry your music library on your mobile you can stream it directly to a Yamaha WX-010 wireless streaming speaker using Apple Airplay or MusicCast. If TV is your thing then retire to the comfortable lounge, also with sea and countryside views. If there’s not much worth watching, just look through the glass doors – the lack of light pollution means that on a clear night you can see millions of stars. Downstairs there is also a toilet and a shower room with toilet. Upstairs you will find the master bedroom with king-sized bed and views both of sea and countryside, the second double room with countryside views, a twin room and a single room. The family bathroom has a magnificent roll-top bath and a separate shower. The sink has views – you guessed it – out to sea. There is also a high chair and a travel cot available but we do need to know in advance if these are needed. Please note, we do not provide bedding for the cot. Just 200 metres away from the Farmhouse is the SW Coast Path, ideal for walkers. The way to the path is via our closest neighbours, an award winning farm shop and cafe – breakfast there is guaranteed to delay your walk, but the café is a welcome sight at the end of a long trek. Just make sure you arrive back before the they close at 4.30. About 20 minutes’ walk away (2 or 3 minutes by car), Boscastle is famous not just for its Elizabethan harbour but also the floods which devastated the village in 2004. It is now once again a charming village with plenty to occupy you – eating places galore, gift shops, crystal shops and hotels. If magic is your thing then the renowned Museum of Witchcraft and Magic is a must. If you like traditional music call into the Wellington Hotel on a Wednesday evening for a traditional Cornish singalong. For something louder, go to the Cobweb Inn on a Saturday night, you won’t be disappointed … it will be loud. From the harbour you can explore the beautiful surrounding area with ancient woods, the old village of Boscastle with cottages dating back to the 15th Century, the site of the Norman Castle and the medieval strip farming system which is still in operation on the cliff top. And there is much, much more, not least the stunning coastal views. The Spar Shop in the village opens at 6.00 am – early enough for the keenest walkers, and supplies nearly everything you need. You should also try Bottreaux Filling Station for more unusual items, including a range of free-from products. As mentioned, Boscastle Farm Shop is sometimes difficult to leave – locally produced fruit and veg, Ruby Red beef and wonderful bakery items are available to buy and the café has an amazing choice of cake and puds. Further afield, there are lots of places to visit within half an hour, including Bude and Launceston. Within an hour you can be in Rock or Padstow and an hour and a half will find you in St Ives, Mousehole or Marazion with beautiful St Michael’s Mount. (For information, Marazion is pronounced Marazyne – it took us a long time to realise that they weren’t two different places.) Hopefully you will find everything you need for a comfortable stay. The kitchen is equipped with all necessities including microwave, toaster, kettle and a very useful slow cooker – just fill it in the morning before you go out and come home to a lovely smell and beautifully cooked food. We don’t leave any foodstuffs in the Farmhouse – we wouldn’t like to use someone else’s sticky sauce bottles or slimy cooking oil bottles and we assume you wouldn’t either. We do leave a few tea, coffee, sugar, salt and pepper sachets to get you started and you will find some milk and butter in the fridge, with a loaf of bread and some jam – all local from the Farm Shop. We clean so you don't have to! That's why we leave very little in the way of cleaning products in the Farmhouse. Unfortunately we can't always be around (we're working on it) but we use a great housekeeping team who are your first point of contact in the unlikely event of any problems. All we ask that you leave the Farmhouse tidy and leave a note of any accidental breakages. We are currently collecting books for our snug, but we want our books to tell a story, aside from the story they already tell. If you read one of the books in the snug, please write a short note inside – just your name, what part of the country you’re from and any thoughts you may like to note. That way we can build up a much more interesting “guest book”. Of course, if you start reading a book and don’t finish it, feel free to take it home with you and pass it on. If you finish reading a book here we’d love you to leave it for other guests, after writing it it! *Like a butler's sink We hope you'll visit the Old Farmhouse soon - I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do. The whole of the Old Farmhouse and garden is available for your sole use. We leave you in peace to enjoy your stay. If you need anything we can be contacted by text, phone or email and our management team is available in an emergency. Hillsborough is very quiet. Apart from Boscastle Farm Shop the only neighbours are the sheep and cattle in the fields, sea birds and beautiful peregrine falcons who nest on the cliffs we overlook. So the only noises you should hear are moos, baas and the eerie screech of the falcons when they are hunting for food. The area is also a feeding ground for greater horseshoe bats which apparently can sometimes be seen at dusk. The nearest railway station is Bodmin Parkway, 22 miles away. There is a bus service but to get the best out of the area you do need a car. We have ample car parking on site. Please note: Due to the virus our housekeeping teams will be disinfecting all surfaces, door handles etc. Unfortunately this means we are having to add a cleaning charge of £30 to each booking which will cover extra time and materials. We apologise for this.