Swimming pool…

It’s that time of year, now that Christmas is over, when we start to think optimistically about warmer weather and opening our outdoor swimming pool ready for the summer season.

Our heated outdoor pool and hot tub. — Pool and hot tub

We open our heated outdoor swimming pool for the start of the main school Easter holidays each year, until the end of September. In 2020 our pool will be open from 3 April until 30 September. Fingers crossed for some warm, sunny weather. The hot tub is open all year round.

Bookings for Easter and the summer are going quickly. Please take a look at live availability here, or email us enquiries@hiltonfarmholidays.co.uk. We are 10 minutes from Bude and the beautiful North Cornwall coast. There are lots of beaches to explore, from secluded sandy coves to family-friendly Summerleaze in Bude with the Bude Sea Pool. The local beaches at Widemouth Bay and in Bude are popular with surfers. You can book lessons and hire boards and wetsuits locally.

We are in a rural location on the edge of a village, but just a short drive from the A39, so a great base for exploring the North Cornwall and North Devon coast. Padstow, Clovelly, Port Isaac and Polzeath are all within 30 minutes to an hour away. Further afield, the Eden Project is about an hour’s drive and the Lost Gardens of Heligan slightly further.

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas to all our guests! We hope you have a relaxing time catching up with family or friends over the holidays. If you are thinking of getting away for a break over the Christmas holidays next year, we are now taking bookings for Christmas 2020 and New Year 2020/2021.

Christmas decorations in the Farmhouse — The Farmhouse ready for Christmas

Christmas in Cornwall

It was 1 December yesterday so to get into the Christmas spirit, we visited Cotehele, a National Trust house and estate near Saltash. Cotehele is worth a visit at any time of year. The house closes for the winter but the grounds are great for a walk. You can take your dog with you in most of the estate (not the formal gardens or the house). The Cotehele Christmas garland is on display now until 5 January (except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day). The garland is made of thousands of flowers which are grown and then dried on the estate every year.

The floral Christmas garland at Cotehele house — The Christmas garland at Cotehele

The floral Christmas garland at Cotehele — The garland is 60 foot long.

Floral decorations at Cotehele house — Different colours have been used around doors.

We also enjoyed a walk down to the Quay with our dog, and then we had a wander around the formal gardens. Even in December the gardens are well worth a visit.

Autumnal trees at Cotehele — The grounds at Cotehele house

Cotehele's gardens — The formal gardens at Cotehele

Toby the dog enjoying his walk — Dogs are welcome on most of the estate, but not in the formal gardens or the house.

Cotehele is about an hour’s drive from our holiday cottages near Bude. We are fully booked for New Year 2019/20 but we do have some availability for Christmas in our smaller cottages. We are now taking bookings for 2020!

There are lots of things to do at this time of year. We love ice skating at the Eden Project, then warming up in the tropical biome. We enjoy walking on the beaches at this time of year – no mud and lots of space! If the weather is rubbish why not warm up in our hot tub, or curl up by a wood burner (Manor, Parsons and the Farmhouse) with a book.