8.4.13

Peace and Plenty








































































So, this is the tranquillity that lies beyond the pale green gate that I showed you in my last post. In our eyes, an unequalled retreat which we find very difficult to leave.

Boscrowan is a 25 acre small holding, located just outside Penzance in far west Cornwall, with two holiday cottages set in the most beautiful gardens. We have been regular visitors here for the last ten years and stay in Peace and Plenty, a two bedroom reversed level barn conversion overlooking the main farmhouse, gardens and orchard. The view of the summer house is my particular pleasure but there is so much more to delight in. Come on in and let me show you...


Our stay started as it always does with a friendly greeting from Boscrowan's owners, Elizabeth and David, followed by the first cream tea of the holiday. Elizabeth is a star baker producing mountainously large but light scones.



























A quick tour of the barn and we discovered new complimentary treats that surpassed our high expectations: fresh herbs, a trug of home grown veg, locally produced apple juice and stunning but simply styled fresh cut flowers from the garden.










































We think this holiday cottage exceeds where others falter because of the attention to detail: the fluffy white bath robes, stacks of board games and the well-stocked kitchen with its bread maker, food processor and slow cooker. Not exactly minimalist, I agree, but it's these thoughtful touches that make this holiday simply gorgeous.



















Handmade soft furnishings by Elizabeth add class and romance to the barn and the wooden kitchen units, made and fitted by a local carpenter, compliment the classic country style. Using Cornish builders and craftsmen, to convert and fit the barn, is a conscious decision to support the local economy. Also, David and Elizabeth's commitment to choosing stylish and robust quality fittings is a lesson in buying to last. 











The woodburner was a must for our cold week's stay and a simple daily pleasure was toasting our toes after a long walk. Logs are freely available and we were encouraged to use the stove rather than the central heating.























































Peace and Plenty has an impressive array of tourist awards. Particularly inspiring is their Green Tourism Gold award. Elizabeth and David are enthusiastic and passionate about environmental issues and encourage their guests to support this ethos by recycling waste, providing eco friendly household cleaning products, promoting the use of local transport and the purchase of local produce. They are generous hosts and allow guests to borrow from their stock of must have holiday resources such as wellies, bikes, buckets and spades, bodyboards and portable barbecues (non-disposable). 



Also, the barn has a picnic hamper and glass water bottles to sample the local soft water.

After months of city living I couldn't wait to don my walking boots and ramble around the gardens. There were fields of early daffodils just coming to an end, camellias bursting into bloom, amazing subtropical plants such as tree ferns, gunneras and a show-stopping statuesque agave. I learnt that this plant flowers once and then dies. A resourceful plant, its leaves, flowers, stalks and sap are edible and the stem can even be used as a didgeridoo once dried out. By the side of the agave is a huge conservatory nursing seedlings and frost prone plants and beyond it you can just see a glimpse of the newly constructed pond which is often visited by a heron.
































No wander around Boscrowan is lonely; Jess and Meg (border collies), three cats, ducks and hens all vied for our attention. Bird spotting was another simple pleasure - who needs tv when there is this much entertainment at hand?



























































Next door to Peace and Plenty is Ring and Thimble. A unique one bedroom thatched cottage complete with an Aga and roll top bath. It's in our plans to stay here sometime - child free. It has great views of the ducks who like to process up and down the grass bank outside.
























































Boscrowan is a perfect holiday destination for those who enjoy relaxing, nature, walking and simple pleasures like bird watching and cooking. Holidays rearrange my mind and I am now firmly set on enjoying entertainment which costs little money and doesn't centre around shopping. We might not live in the countryside but we are more determined than ever to access our local beauty spots and get outdoors more often. 

I leave you with one last image of Peace and Plenty.


After this epic post, I hope you don't mind, I won't be back until Wednesday when it'll be Nature in the home - Cornish style, of course!
























































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18 comments

  1. That's it I've packed my bags already.

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  2. What beautiful photos you have taken. Wow!

    This sounds like an incredible place to stay, no wonder you return. And isn't West Cornwall wonderful, we never tire of it.

    Sft x

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  3. It's a dream of mine to one day run such a place in West Cornwall.

    I'm glad you had such a perfect holiday.

    Leanne xx

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  4. This place looks so idyllic. Your photos are fabulous - they should use them for promotion pictures.

    If I ever make it across the pond I'm going to look into a stay there.

    x
    Jenny

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  5. This looks absolutely fantastic, beautiful photos.

    That really is the sort of holiday to re-charge your batteries with :-)

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  6. Thanks Claire for showing us what lay beyond the open gate. The charming cottage is well named and I'm so pleased you had such a wonderful holiday.

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  7. This all looks and sounds so wonderful - I just adore the look of english cottages and gardens. Funny how we both recharged away from our city dwellings around easter time with animals and land around us. (thank you for your very kind words on my latest post, it made me feel enveloped in warmth). x

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  8. Wow, absolutely stunning. And such a lovely ethic as well, supporting the local economy and living with nature. Beautiful.

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  9. Wow, what I'd give to stay there! :)

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  10. what a gorgeous place, all you could wish for! and such scones...mmm! Emmax

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  11. That looks a wonderful place to stay with every need catered for. We found a wonderful place to stay in Devon over 15 years ago and have visited it just as many times. There is nothing like going back to the same place each year and the owners feel more like part of our family after so long!
    Sarah x

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  12. Perfect! This reminds me of a few years ago when my spouse and I stayed at a National Trust cottage at Nymans Wood.

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  13. What a perfection, my sort of place to go on holiday.
    Ivan

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  14. It looks idyllic Claire. Your photos are beautiful...a wonderful advertisement for the place!x

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  15. Oh it looks wonderful! A real haven and retreat. Lovely photos too, by the way. Love that one of your feet in socks in front of the fire. x

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  16. Wow, this place looks wonderful! Your pictures are great too :)

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