After our St Mawes adventure in February, we followed it up with another trip down to Cornwall in May. This time to Bosinver, near St Austell.

I wrote a little post saying that we’d booked to go, back in September of last year, and we’d been looking forward to it for the best part of 8 months.

That said, when you book so far in advance you can’t always guarantee the weather and even though the days leading up to our holiday were warm and dry, the week that we were there was not.

It rained and rained. Perfect weather for ducks in fact.

But the wet weather didn’t dampen our spirits and my three boys and I had such an amazing time.

Village People

Bosinver Farm Cottages is almost like a little village in it’s own right.

There are 20 separate dwellings on the site; everything from chocolate box cottages to a state of the art eco-house.

I’m going to write a dedicated post about the accommodation. I was lucky enough to check out a few of the houses whilst I was there and they’re so beautifully presented they definitely deserve a little write-up of their own.

Plus I took far too many images to squash into one blog.

I managed to clock up nearly 2000 captures in the week that we stayed at Bosinver. Oops.

I think that’s a lesson learned to be honest; I’ve really, really struggled to edit them down and have given myself quadruple the workload as a result.

But there was so much to see — and photo opportunities at every corner — it was really hard to curb my enthusiasm for capturing it all on my camera.

The site is totally beautiful.

Leafy lanes and enchanted glades, bluebell walks and a Gruffalo trail. You could easily go to Bosinver for a week or more and not have any desire — or need — to leave the land it sits on.

(Particularly as you can have Tesco *other supermarkets are available* come and deliver your supplies whilst you’re there!).

Country Living

Our accommodation was lovely.

We stayed in Jack’s Barn — a 4 bedroom cottage with a gorgeous, large open-plan kitchen and living space.

We slept in the two upstairs bedrooms but there were also another two downstairs — a double and another twin room.

Apparently Jack’s Barn hasn’t had the full ‘Bosinver makeover‘ treatment yet — so it wasn’t perhaps as stylishly finished as some of the cottages I looked at. But it felt cosy and welcoming; every inch the perfect country retreat.

Home From Home

One of the things I noticed about the accommodation was that it felt really homely. And I don’t just mean the way it was furnished.

There was handwash and loo roll in all of the bathrooms and eco-washing up liquid and dishwasher tablets in the kitchen. Teatowels and dishcloths were provided and you’re welcomed to your home-from-home with a beautiful bunch of handpicked blooms — from Cornish Farm Flowers — on the table.

Little touches like that make the world of difference, in my eyes, and elevates Bosinver from ‘ordinary’ self-catering accommodation to a totally new level.

There were locally produced frozen meals — and fresh farm eggs — to buy from the reception; perfect for those of us that fancy an easy meal but can’t be bothered to pop out further than a couple of yards.

Plus board games, tennis rackets, buckets, spades and crabbing nets to borrow during our visit.

The attention to detail is unlike anywhere I’ve ever stayed and the family team that run it, treat Bosinver Farm Cottages as an extension of their own home; which of course it is.

Elaine on reception has a wealth of local knowledge. On one particular day, when it was raining in Bosinver, she advised us to drive the 40 minutes to Newquay; as they had sun forecast all day.

Which we did. And enjoyed a glorious afternoon on the beach as a result.

But if you don’t want to travel — but the weather isn’t playing ball — there are still plenty of things to do inside at Bosinver. There’s a games room, soft play and the most fabulous indoor swimming pool complex (complete with sauna and steam room).

Time to Play

There are also a gazillion things to do outdoors too.

Venture into the woods for an afternoon of Forest School training — more about that in another post — or try your skills on the climbing wall or zip wire.

Adults can bounce on the full size trampoline, whilst the littles set up house in the cutest, most well equipped, play cottage that you’ll ever come across.

Meeting The Bosinver Residents

But all those things aside, ultimately, Bosinver is a farm and the main thing that kept us all amused — day after day — was going to feed the animals.

Every morning at 9.45am we’d wander down to the farmyard to meet Farmer Dave. Feeding time was definitely a highlight. We have chickens at home ourselves— but only a few. Being able to feed ducks, goats and little lambs was such a joy.

I’ve made a little film so you can see what we got up to — it’s embedded at the end of the post.

Free-Range Fun

For a family who wants fresh air and free-range fun, Bosinver has it all.

It’s centrally located in Cornwall; so you’re able use it as a base to explore the rest of the county. And if you just want to kick back — and relax — without going further than the farm boundary, there’s plenty to keep the whole family amused.

There is literally so much to do and see. Hence my snap-happiness with the camera in the week that we visited!!

Did we love it?

Yes.

Would I recommend it?

Yes — without any hesitation. Although next time I’d like to book the sunshine, to join us on our holiday. Apart from that it was faultless.

I can’t wait to go again.

For any of you looking for a fabulous UK getaway, Bosinver has a special 10% discount offer for the first week of September this year (using the code EARLYSEPT10).

It’s a fab time of the year to explore Cornwall too, particularly as there are loads of festivals on; which is brilliant — especially if you’re not tied to school holidays.

And, as I type this, it’s just hit me like a brick that we won’t fall into that category as of this September *sobs*. 

Many thanks to Pat, Dave and the Bosinver team for for generously allowing us to come and sample the delights of Bosinver Farm Cottages for the purposes of this review.

Pop and have a look at their website or call them on 01726 72128 for more info.

This is a collaborative post but all thoughts, words and images — as ever — are entirely my own.