Merlin Farm Cottages Mawgan Porth 2024

Merlin Farm Cottages Mawgan Porth 2024

It is holiday time again and Archie our Clumberdoodle was getting very excited as he sensed we were going somewhere as I started to lay holiday stuff out in our spare bedroom.

And yes we are going back to Archie’s favourite place – Mawgan Porth in Cornwall. However as you will have seen from my previous blog posts we have been to Mawgan Porth for a number of years and have always stayed at The Park.  However this year we are trying somewhere new and have booked a week at Merlin Farm Cottages which are eco friendly powered by solar, under floor heating and where they offer free electric car charging, which is a big plus factor when choosing a holiday as Steve drives an electric car.

Note

As I have done many blog posts about our holidays in Mawgan Porth I did not want to duplicate photos, so please read all my  previous posts where you will see a full range of photos.

Friday 10th May 2024

We left home in beautiful weather at 11.10 am and made our way down to Mawgan Porth stopping at Cardinham Woods for a walk and picnic.

We were not expecting to be able to check in to our cottage at Merlin Farm until 4.00 p.m. but whilst walking in Cardinham we had a text message to say that our cottage Porthcothan (which was the middle of the three cottages) was ready. Once we had finished our picnic lunch we headed on down and arrived around 2.15.

We were impressed with the accommodation which was in a lovely quiet and peaceful picturesque setting. It was large and airy and the furnishings were of high quality. It had all mod cons and everything we needed, even down to 2 white bath robes.

Merlin Farm Cottages Mawgan Porth 2024

We unpacked and enjoyed  a coffee and brandy by 3.00 pm.

Merlin Cottages are a little further from Mawgan Porth beach than The Park which took about 5 minutes to walk to the beach. From Merlin Cottages it took just over 20 mins via a fairly steep farm track which joins the path which leads passed The Park and on to the beach. This was okay going downhill but of course it was a steep uphill trek coming back.

It was a beautiful evening and Archie our Clumberdoodle  had  good run along the sand and a cool off in the pools.  He absolutely loves it here.

We then went to the Merrymoor Inn and sat in the beer garden overlooking  the beach with a Guinness a J20 followed by 2 gins as we enjoyed the early evening sun.

Then the walk back up to the accommodation.

Just for tonight I had bought a ready made lasagne and some garlic bread which just needed heating up and washed down with a glass of wine. Followed by a relaxing evening apart from starting our holiday uckers tournament. We only played one game and Steve won.

Then so to bed.

Saturday 11th May 2024

We woke up to a beautiful day. We had the croissants I brought with us for breakfast, then we walked down to the beach so archie got his daily fix. We then stopped at the Kitchen by the Beach which is The Park’s cafe/restaurant and booked Sunday lunch for tomorrow.

However we are most peeved when we saw news reports that the Northern Lights were seen down here in the south of the country including some wonderful photos that someone took actually on Mawgan Porth beach. They were also seen where we live in Ivybridge.

We actually did a cruise to the Arctic Circle in 2017 to hopefully see the Northern Lights then but only saw a very short display. Wish we knew that a few years after the cruise we would have had a free showing where we were on holiday in this Country and also where we live. There is a chance they might be on display again tonight, so I will keep my fingers and toes firmly crossed that I manage to see them.

Steve wanted to check out the free charging facility at Merlin Farm Cottages but encountered a problem. There are 2 Tesla chargers one being solely for the use of Tesla cars and the other is open to all makes. There is also a Podpoint that you could use but there was a charge.

Steve tried the 7kW Tesla charger but it would not communicate with his Kia Nero EV, so he called the owner . Unfortunately he was away but his Wife came down to try and help. She had a look and reset the chargers and then tried it on her BMW i3 and it worked fine. Steve then tried again but no joy so he plugged into the adjacent payable Podpoint which was untethered and that worked fine when using his own charging cable.

We then decided to do the walk to St Mawgan which is 1.4 miles away and have lunch in the Falcon Inn  sitting out in the garden but finding a table in the shade as it was very warm and sunny (I don’t like the heat and neither does Archie).

Steve had the battered fish and chips and he said it was one of the tastiest bits of fish with lovely crispy batter that he had tasted. I had a ploughman’s which was a huge plateful with 3 different cheeses a couple of slices of ham, mixed salad, sliced apple, pickled onion, celery, chutney, coleslaw, crisps and some lovely crusty bread and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

We then walked back and had a coffee at Porthcothan with the Dyson fan supplied blowing much needed cold air, as it was very warm outside.

We also opened the folding doors of the living room right out to let some more air in which Archie enjoyed.

As we had walked a long way in the heat archie crashed out and both Steve and I spent the rest of the day relaxing.

In front of the cottages is a large field which has a lovely horse in it that comes up to the fence to say “hello” and for a pat.

There were also a couple of geese and on this particular day I saw something brown in the middle of the field (quite a way away).  I stood for a while and tried to make out what it was and when it eventually moved it was actually a fox. Now if you look at the photo you can just about see a brown blob. I did take more photos which would have confirmed this, but unfortunately with the sun facing towards me I pointed the camera and hoped for the best, but they did not come out.

Sad I know but I watched the Eurovision song contest, whilst Steve was engrossed reading his kindle. Every few minutes after about 10.30 I went outside checking if the Northern Lights would make a showing again.  I did this up up until I went to bed at about 12.30 am but sadly saw nothing.

Sunday 12th May 2024

We woke up to another hot day (but looking at the forecast rain was on its way).  However after about an hour a rolling  sea mist came which reduced the temperature and the sun went in.

We thought as our lunch was booked for 12.30 we would have a couple of games of uckers before we walked down to The Kitchen both winning 1 game each.

We enjoyed a good roast beef and glass of wine.

Then of course it was down to beach where the sun came out and it was quite warm.  Archie had another good run, got very sandy and soaking wet.

There were lots of dogs on the beach which he just has to say “hello” to, however none ever look as filthy dirty as Archie does.  The Merrymoor then beckoned for a Guinness and G & T  and the sun was still shining.

It was then the walk back but stopping at the Cornish Fresh shop to pick up 2 pasties in case we were hungry later on!!  The last bit of the walk is up the steep path which just about finished us off so we are always glad to get back to the cottage. You could of course drive down to the beach, but when you have a dog he needs the walk!!

We needed a cup of coffee and Steve his brandy to revive us. As we were quite tired we played 2 more games of uckers with me winning both games which did not please Steve.

As we were still full from our roast dinner at lunchtime we did not want to eat the pasties, so they went in the fridge to have tomorrow.

We found a game of scrabble in the cottage and as we haven’t played that for years we had a game with Steve winning by just a few points.

Monday 13th May 2024

It doesn’t look as if we will be going anywhere tomorrow until later in the day as the weather forecast looks atrocious in the morning.

As expected we woke up to heavy rain. We enjoyed our croissants for breakfast watching the heavy rain.  As it was advised not to travel unless absolutely necessary we decided to stay put and have  another game of scrabble which I won. We also enjoyed the pasties I bought yesterday for lunch.

After lunch we donned our anoraks and went for our daily walk to the beach.  Apart from a few people with dogs the beach was deserted. It was still, raining but not so heavy. So far the day had been a bit of a right off with no signs of improvement so we stopped at the Cornish Fresh mini supermarket down by the beach  that sells everything, including the freshly baked pasties and picked up a couple of frozen ready meals (unusual brands that I had not come across before) that looked okay.

It was back up the steep path to the cottage and a welcome cup of coffee, once Archie had been dog blasted dry as he was quite wet.

We had another game of scrabble as we watched the rain come down and another game to me.

We quite enjoyed the lime and coconut ready meal with a glass of red wine followed by some Scottish brie and crackers and a relaxing rest of the evening. It had not been a good day weatherwise.

Tuesday 14th May 2024

We woke up to overcast and rain

We had croissants for breakfast and then in the car and made our way down to Pendennis Castle which is somewhere that Steve wanted to visit. It is a fortress which was constructed for Henry VIII which defended Cornwall against foreign invasion from Tudor times to the Second World War.

We did have some showers driving down but it dried up once we arrived at the castle. We had a quick stroll around some of the castle grounds and then down  to the headland passing the Falmouth Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre and Marine Office.  It was a bit windy but the sun did come out.

As it was about 1.00 pm and whilst the sun was out we decided to have a light lunch at the cafe in the grounds of the Castle. Dogs are allowed around the castle but the only place they are not allowed is inside the cafe. There is an outside seating area so I went in and ordered, guess what? a pasty. Whilst sat waiting for the pasties to arrive the sun went in and it turned very windy and cold. The waiter brought out Steve’s tea and saw that it was very cold and offered us a seat inside at a table just inside the entrance even with Archie. This was was a welcome relief to get out of the wind.

After lunch we had a proper walk around the grounds where there were lots of cannons, battlements and lookout posts, which had been very well preserved with some interesting  historical facts and exhibitions as you were able to witness the sights and sounds of battle through the ages.

We also walked in the moat which is now all grass which surrounds the Castle grounds.

 

We then went inside the Castle Battlements going across the rampart.  This circular part had 2 floors. The ground floor had the openings for cannons as well as some gun powder barrels on display, but it was not until the second floor that they actually had any cannon on show.

We then visited Steve’s sister who lives a few miles away and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and cake.

We then drove back to the accommodation before we walked down to The Kitchen at The Park for some tea. Steve had fish and chips and I had a burger (there was not much choice on the menu) which was very dry and overcooked.

Then back up the steep path and we got back about 8.00pm then a game of scrabble which I won. We watched some TV and then bed.

We had been lucky with the weather as we managed to dodge the showers so we stayed dry even if it was a bit chilly.

Wednesday 15th May 2024

We woke up to another morning of rain and cloud and feeling quite cold.

Enjoyed our croissants for breakfast watching the now heavy rain, and we decided that as the accommodation was so nice and we have exhausted the area as we have been here so many times we would have a game of scrabble which I won.

It was supposed to brighten up later which it did do as we decided to walk to the Falcon Inn again in St Mawgan as we enjoyed our lunch there a few days ago. However with the rain we had had some of the paths were very muddy. We arrived at the pub just after 1.00 pm and it started to rain again.

Although the pub is dog friendly there were no tables free so we had to sit outside on the terrace under a large umbrella as there was no shelter in garden and the seating was wet. The only trouble with that was that the table was right by the front entrance and the smokers came out of the pub to light up, so at times us non smokers had to endure their smoke which was not pleasant.

I ordered the ploughman’s again as I enjoyed it so much on Saturday but I was a bit disappointed as it must have been a different chef as there was no pickled onion, the bread was lot smaller and so was the salad, but it was still very nice.

Steve had the home cooked ham, egg and chips which he said was good but the eggs were a bit hard, and definitely not as good as the fish and chips.

We then walked back and carried on to Mawgan Porth beach for Archies’ daily run across the sand and floating in the large rock pools.  Then back to the cottage adding another 4 miles plus so totalling about 6 miles. We might be eating well but we are also doing a lot of walking. Talking of eating I picked up a couple of pasties from the Cornish Fresh shop just in case we were hungry later on.  (I know it seems like we eat a lot of pasties, but I love them and we are in Cornwall the home of the pasty!).

It was coffee back at Porthcothan and then a rest, as both our feet were aching and Archie crashed out as he was exhausted aswell.

We did have a game of uckers  later on with Steve hoping to beat me at this, as I was winning most of the games of scrabble but he didn’t as I won.

Later on in the evening we did feel a bit peckish so we consumed the pasties.

We had one more game of scrabble before bed and Steve was pleased as he actually won.

Thursday 16th May 2024

We woke up to sunshine and quite warm. Usual croissants for breakfast (I did take some with me and then replenished them during the week).  I did look at the forecast and although dry in the morning rain was forecast from 1.00 pm typical!!

As I said above Darryl the owner of the cottages had been away for a few days but he came and spoke to Steve about the problem he had had with the chargers. He said he would investigate further and for Steve to try again later which he did and this time it as all working fine.

We planned to do our regular trip to Padstow and then take the foot  ferry over to Rock. We had a lovely long walk along the beautiful sandy beach. Now Archie turns into a lunatic when he goes to the beach, running around like a mad thing, digging pits, doing sand angels and running into the sea. He is not that keen if there are waves but on Rock beach as it is very shallow so no waves.

It did stay dry whilst we were on the beach and on the return ferry journey, but halfway back the sky darkened as there was obviously rain on the way.

Whilst we walked into Padstow it started to rain. I got our pasties from the usual Padstow Pasty Shop to have for lunch with the rain now getting heavier. However being British we still sat on a wooden seat overlooking the harbour with hoods up and but enjoying the pasties nonetheless.

Then the heavens opened and the rain was torrential and we got soaked as we walked around the shops in Padstow sheltering when we could.

It was then back in the car and back to the cottages. By this time the sun had come out – typical and I was able to dog blast Archie dry outside before he was allowed inside.

It was now nice enough to stay outside in the garden and enjoy a cup of coffee.

It was then time to start packing for our departure tomorrow but we had one last game of scrabble and Steve won. Then we walked down to The Kitchen for our last meal. Steve had the fish and chips and I had a pizza. When got back we decided to have one last game of uckers and Steve won that aswell.

Results of our games throughout the week

Uckers 3 games each.

Scrabble 5 games to me 3 to Steve

Friday 17th May 2024

Last of the packing and packed up the car and drove down to The Kitchen and had a full Cornish breakfast before we headed home. However I have to say that it was pretty poor and not a patch on previously. We had to send the poached eggs back as the yolks were hard and either overcooked or left under the heat lamp too long.

We did complain and they cooked us 2 more which were okay. However when we tried to cut into the bacon that too was hard and rubbery, so we just left it.

I have to say that the food has gone downhill at The Kitchen. We have had some really good meals in previous years but not this time.

Footnote about the accommodation

Although the furnishings were lovely we did find the leather sofa uncomfortable. Now this is only our opinion as most people would find it very comfortable. It had very deep seats which meant you could not sit upright, which is not very good if like us, you suffer with bad backs. I did pile the cushions up behind me but that really didn’t work so we resorted to sitting on the chair from the bedroom and one of the kitchen chairs which again were not very comfortable.

Also to get to the cottages there is a long drive which is very steep at the top and the rest very uneven with ruts running down the sides.

Merlin Farm Cottages Mawgan Porth 2024