AN INSPECTOR CALLS

He pays his way... and tells it like it is

WHEN Paul and Lesley Staple ton bought Trewornan Manor in 2014 it was in a terrible state.

Nine years later, this seven-bedroom Grade II-listed Cornish manor (with two further rooms in the courtyard) is a beautifully presented B&B in 25 acres of grounds and within easy reach of the area’s famous towns and beaches: Padstow, Rock, Port Isaac, Constantine Bay, Trevose Head.

‘We’re not finished, but we’re getting there,’ says Paul. No one could argue with that. There’s a generosity of spirit here, from the moment you walk in and see the homemade cakes lined up on a rustic dresser just off the main hall.

Next door to the cakes (made by Paul’s mother, who lives in an annexe) is a huge sitting room, with comfy sofas, wood burner and table laden with drinks: beer, wine, spirits.

You help yourself and jot down what you’ve had in a book (£4 for a glass of single malt is a steal).

The bones of the building are magnificent, with floor-to-ceiling windows, flagstones, Cornish slate. Heaven knows what the restoration has cost the Stapletons but they’ve pulled it off with aplomb.

When we book for a Saturday night there’s only one room available, which may well be the best and certainly the most expensive.

Porthilly (all rooms are named after beaches in the area) costs £225, for which you get windows looking in both directions and one of the biggest bathrooms you’re ever likely to encounter.

Rather than make our own tea, a member of Paul’s team arrives with a pot of Earl Grey and two pretty cups and saucers, after which we head into nearby Wadebridge for dinner at Onda, a modern Italian that has been open for only three weeks. It’s packed and we love it, even though our main courses take an age to arrive.

First thing I spot the next morning are two buzzards circling the garden. Then we enjoy a stupendous breakfast, with Paul doing the fetching and carrying and Lesley in the kitchen.

We leave full of admiration for this hard-working couple and for this glorious stretch of the North Cornwall coast.

Trewornan Manor, Trewornan Bridge,

St Minver, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 6EX

Tel: 01208 812359 trewornanmanor.co.uk Doubles B&B from £165 ★★★★★