Due to a last-minute personnel change, our stay at Seaview holiday park in Gorran Haven was a multi-generational affair, writes CHRISSY HARRIS.
My husband had to work and my son decided he probably should work for his GCSE exam the following week. So, my mum and dad joined me, daughter Alice, 13, and dog Penny for a two-night break in this lovely part of Cornwall.
It feels proper Cornish around St Austell (or ‘Snozzel’, as it’s often affectionately called). The pits and mounds from the once thriving china clay industry define the landscape inland, while the beaches are slightly less showy than the vast expanses of sand and breakers on the north coast.
Seaview, a holiday park with an outdoor pool, gym, coffee lounge and sun terrace, is excellently placed to explore the area. Our luxury lodge was the perfect base, with three nicely sized bedrooms. Mum and dad arrived first and bagged the best one. I had the twin and Alice took top bunk in the third bedroom.
We were all very nicely spread out in our spacious quarters, which included a modern fitted kitchen/diner area and comfy living room. It was comfy mostly because of the giant L-shaped sofa in there. There was so much to go around. We each landed on a section and claimed it as our own for the rest of the weekend. Penny is a not-allowed-on-the-sofa dog, but she was more than happy spread out on the super-soft rug.
It was a good set-up for her, in general. It’s lead walks around the holiday park but there is a special dog exercise area for a free-range sniff etc (for which there are loads of poo bins). And the beaches! The nearest one was Hemmick, a dog-friendly sandy beach at the bottom of a steep, narrow lane. That seems to put off most people, so the coast really was clear.
We thought briefly about walking from Hemmick to Goran Haven along the cliff path but some members of our party took one look at the steep ascent and made a bit of a face. So, we opted for the not-so-steep walk the other way to the wonderfully named Porthluney Cove, also known as Caerhays beach.
We walked back to Seaview along the road and were pleased to arrive at our designated sofa sections. Then we got takeaway fish and chips from The Haven in Gorran Haven, had a glass of wine on our sunny terrace and were all in bed by 9.30pm. It must be that Cornish air….
South West Holiday Parks offer first class holidays lodges in Devon and Cornwall. See more at southwestholidayparks.co.uk.
