SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND: HARLYN BAY
DISCOVER THE HOTTEST HOTEL OF THE YEAR IN CORNWALL’S MOST-STYLISH BUT UNDISCOVERED CORNER
Need a break? The latest outpost of The Pig hotel is the solution
WHAT TO KNOW
It’s easy to think there are no undiscovered corners of Cornwall left. That is, until you get to Harlyn Bay: a pretty slice of Cornish paradise on the north coast of the county, where the pale lemony beaches still host Mr Whippy ice-cream trucks and the sea is not, as yet, choked with hundreds of surfers. It has one of the most picturesque coastal walks in the country and, with Padstow just two miles down the road, your food cravings will be more than sated.
The Padstow Farm Shop, just outside town, is laden with local bounty, perfect for picnic fare. For something smarter, try Paul Ainsworth at No6 in the centre of town.
WHERE TO STAY
The Pig at Harlyn Bay is the hotel opening of the year. Just a seven-minute walk from the beach, the transformation of this Georgian pile has been in the works for more than a year – and the results do not disappoint. Laidback, but stylish and fun, The Pig at Harlyn Bay has the trade mark low-key loveliness that has made The Pig one of the country’s favourite hotels. There is a beautiful bar with an excellent cocktail list, a restaurant that serves up glorious, locally produced food and wonderful, limb-loosening massages in rustic little huts at the bottom of the vegetable garden. There are 11 rooms in the main house (3O overall, within the grounds), most with a Roberts Radio at the side of the bed and a plunge-style bath at the foot of it, but it’s the four shepherd’s huts that offer something truly unique. (We recommend Garden Wagon Four, for total seclusion; or Garden Wagon One, if you want to be a part of the action.) Specially commissioned for The Pig at Harlyn Bay, each has a wood burner, a freestanding bath and all the meaningful extras that many hotels have now done away with (a Nespresso with pods, a full-size kettle and, oh joy, real milk) as well as outdoor showers. Take a morning rinse under one before setting off for The Pig’s full English breakfast, followed by a two-hour coastal walk and experience one of life’s joys.