PROPERTY DETAILS

Tregeare, PORT ISAAC

At Tregildrans Quarry, Pendoggett you are a five minute drive from some of the prettiest villages and most spectacular coastline in Cornwall. You can buy fresh mackerel, scallops and crab in the fish cellars at Port Isaac within 10 minutes of leaving your tipi, go sea kayaking under soaring cliffs at Port Quin or take a surfing class on Polzeath`s trend setting shoreline.

There are 40 authentic style North American tipis made of cotton canvas on a framework of locally sourced wooden lodge poles, bound with twine and hessian rope. These majestic structures reach up to more than 18 feet high, giving you a generous living area. Compared to an ordinary tent, a tipi interior gives you an amazing sense of space and light. Every time you duck in or out of your tipi door you are aware of the sensation of moving through a different world - at times it`s a nomad`s tent, at others a ship on the high seas with the creak and slap of mast and sail - you decide… Each tipi is fitted with an external hat to keep the rain out and is equipped inside with the basics you might need for your visit. You will find custom made groundsheets and warm Turkish rugs on the ground and lanterns on the poles.

You`ll get your own camp stove and cool box. Kitchen essentials are also provided from teaspoons to teapot - with a full inventory sent to you on completion of your booking. And of course you`ll be welcome to use the pots and pans on your outside fire. The tipis come in three sizes, medium, large and extra large.

MEDIUM TIPI The medium tipi will sleep 2 adults comfortably or two adults and up to two young children but if you are bringing a travel cot we would advise booking a large tipi.

LARGE TIPI The large tipi will sleep 4-5 adults comfortably and 4-6 if at least one is a child but to comply with Health & Safety requirements we cannot allow any more than 6, including babies.

EXTRA LARGE TIPI We have two extra large tipis, one sleeps 6-8 and the other 6-10 adults, 6-9 and 6-12 respectively if 1/2 or more are children.

The Tipis are situated in one of two village fields, one of 11 tipis and one of 6 tipis. The other tipis are situated singly or doubly in private clearings. Double private sites comprise one large and one medium tipi or two large tipis. Private sites have their own `garden` bordered by trees and hedges. Although private the sites are sometimes quite close to other tipis and you will usually see the tops of other tipis nearby, smell their woodsmoke or hear the murmur of voices.

Staying in a canvas tipi with family or friends, living close to the earth and the rhythm of nature, is an extraordinary experience. It`s a mixture of old fashioned camping in a beautiful place, with a very modern desire to be more environmentally friendly than just about any other holiday could be. This is the place to explore the landscape of your imagination, the place of your childhood dreams, where you first found adventure, where fish splash in the lake at dawn and sparks rise from your campfire at dusk.

Staying in a tipi offers something for everyone: couples wanting a romantic break and families on a summer holiday, older campers not bothered by school terms, walkers, surfers, painters, bird spotters, university reunions and special birthday weekends. It`s also perfect for grandparents with grandchildren, honeymooners, wedding anniversaries, fathers and sons, groups of girlfriends with children.

WASHING FACILITIES There are flushing lavatories (one with limited wheelchair access) and hot showers situated at either end of the site, with an additional showers-only block more centrally located near the warden`s cottage. Water comes from standpipes for your cooking and washing up which you will need to heat up back at your tipi - our basins are plumbed for cold water and are intended for handwashing only. We`re lucky enough to be off the National Grid which means you can`t use/recharge any electrical appliances on site.

FIRES You can cook over a crackling campfire with the scent of drifting woodsmoke is part of the archetypal camping experience. Few modern campsites allow any sort of fire. Making your own fire is positively encouraged so that you can enjoy the primal satisfaction it offers. The guidance notes on arrival give advice and safety tips such as using the special trivet provided to help make cooking easier. Also outside you`ll have a locally made table with bench seating for family meals.

THE LAKE Clear blue one minute and shifting greens the next, Tregildrans Quarry lake is a real Swallows & Amazons experience. You can swim and bathe in the water, fish for rainbow trout, use the boats and canoes to row and muck about, or just sit and watch the swallows and dragonflies dipping the water.

FISHING You`ll need to bring your own rods and fishing licences, but there are lifejackets if you don`t have your own. The lake is fenced off from the main path and secured by a gate with a childproof catch so no little ones should be able to wander in by themselves - but be aware that there is no lifeguard and children must be supervised at all times. If you want to bring your own kayak or Topper to use on the lake by all means do so.

SHOPPING There are village shops a couple of miles away in just about every direction, or a little further to Wadebridge for bigger stores. The guidance notes gives information on local produce, organic outlets etc. The new washing and drying facility is aimed at giving you somewhere to rinse and dry sandy towels and wet clothes even when the weather is unkind.

SCC GREEN STAR RATING - 4 STAR Self Cater Cornwall has created its own Green Star Ratings per property. We asked our owners to complete an assessment of their green commitments. Further details of our ratings can be seen in the Green Tourist area of our website. If you require more detailed information of this property please contact us.