TRAVEL | The Perfect Spring Weekend Break at Juliots Well, Plus Out & About In North Cornwall
We recently spent a few days staying at Juliots Well in north Cornwall and has an absolutely amazing time exploring a truly stunning area. The accommodation and the site were excellent too and we really can’t recommend it enough. Read on to find out more.
Where did we go?
South West Holiday Parks
Juliots Well
Camelford
Cornwall
PL32 9RF
Find out more
Our stay
Friday 31st March – Monday 3rd April 2017
We love Cornwall, but rarely manage to venture that far away for a weekend break, so we were really looking forward to the chance to enjoy a long weekend break at Juliots Well, a holiday park in Camelford, close to Tintagel in northern Cornwall.
We’d never visited that part of Cornwall before and weren’t sure what to expect, so l spent hours on the internet looking at travel guides, bought myself the Bradt Slow Travel guide to Cornwall and planned an itinerary for us to ensure we got the most of our few days there.
Browse Cornwall guide books
We left Cheshire in blazing sunshine, and arrived at Juliots Well 5 hours later to overcast skies. We rarely check the weather forecast before going away these days and simply pack for all eventualities. Despite the wet start to our break, the weather turned out to be absolutely glorious and we enjoyed three days of bright sunshine.
Light, airy and spacious, the lodge was exceptional – a truly luxurious home away from home
We arrived at reception just before 6pm on Friday evening, picked up our keys and were shown to our lodge; which exceeded all expectations.
Light, airy and spacious, the lodge was exceptional – a truly luxurious home away from home. The kitchen was so well equipped we briefly considered getting supplies to make a full roast dinner, before deciding we were on holiday so the pub made more sense. Which leads me nicely into saying there’s a pub & restaurant on site, though we didn’t manage to find time to eat there as we were out and about so much!
As well as a lovely double bedroom (complete with very comfy bed, en-suite shower and loads of storage), there was a second bedroom with two single beds, a family bathroom with a bath, a lovely comfy lounge and a kitchen and dining area with a 4-seat dining table and a breakfast bar.
The kitchen was extremely well equipped with a full size cooker, massive hob, microwave, grill, dishwasher, washing machine and even a fancy little coffee maker. We were certainly very comfortable and as well as making breakfast each morning, we cooked dinner in the lodge twice; a family could very happily spend a week or more on holiday in the lodge in total comfort.
Out and about
Tintagel
Juliots Well is just a 10 minute drive away from Tintagel, which was top of our list of places to visit. In fact, it’s long been on both mine and Mr CWS’s bucket list, so we were delighted to find it was so close.
Managed by English Heritage, Tintagel castle ruins are set atop dramatic coastal cliffs and the site is steeped in both history and legend.
Located on part of the South West Coastal Path, the site is of special scientific interest as it’s home to a variety of flora, fauna and wildlife. It’s possible to spot seals too, though we didn’t see any on this occasion.
The climb up – 148 steps if you’re wondering – really is worth the effort as you’re rewarded with stunning views of the coastline. As well as the castle and chapel ruins, the site is littered with interesting historical facts presented at various information points.
The little town itself is utterly charming, full of quirky little shops and places to stop for a bite to eat. After a few hours walking around, we stopped off at The Crossbow Cafe for a bite to eat before setting off to spend the afternoon at the beach.
Trebarwith Strand
This is a stunning beach, approached down a narrow lane with a decent sized pay and display car park. We’d advise going at low-tide, as high tide covers the sand, leaving only rocks (which in themselves are pretty dramatic).
Great for rock-pooling we spent nearly two hours just wandering around, climbing on rocks and watching surfers catching probably the biggest waves I’ve ever seen here in the UK.
Padstow
The little fishing harbour of Padstow is picture-perfect, and even out of season it was absolutely packed with fellow tourists. We dutifully tried Rick Steins fish & chips, bought more Cornish Pasties to take home for dinner that night and wandered in and out of shops. I failed to pack a single pair of socks, so my trip into White Stuff proved particularly useful in that respect.
Finally we grabbed a frozen yoghurt (kidding myself it was better for me than ice cream) and we walked down the left hand side of the harbour, up towards the beach.
Widemouth Bay
The long sandy stretch of beach that is Widemouth Bay is just a few miles south of Bude. With the security of RNLI Lifeguards on duty, it’s a popular location for surfing lessons and swimming.
Ours was a whistle-stop tour of only an hour, but we had a lovely stroll down the beach and had fun watching surfing lessons take place.
St. Nectan’s Glen
We have a thing for waterfalls, so when I read about St. Nectan’s Glen and the waterfall there, it was high up on our to-do list. After checking out on our last day we headed back towards Tintagel, parked up in the free carpark and set off on foot.
The walk up to the waterfall is through beautiful woodland with the Trevillet River burbling through it. It’s just over a mile from the carpark to the waterfall, and once again, there were a fair few steps to negotiate in order to get there.
The waterfall itself is really beautiful, cascading sixty feet down through a hole in the rocks. There’s a little cafe too, so we stopped for a bite to eat before the walk back to the carpark and our drive home.
The verdict
We thoroughly recommend Juliots Well for families and couples who prefer to self-cater. The accommodation was exceptional and we thought the location was superb and that the site itself was truly lovely, with a fab outdoor swimming pool that kids will love!
Out and about there are so many visitor attractions, beaches and places of interest within a half hour drive that you’ll be spoilt for choice and will need a good week to do the immediate region justice.
Reasons to go
- Superb location for peace, relaxation and beautiful countryside views
- Close to loads of stunning beaches and visitor attractions
- Bude, Tintagel, St. Issacs and Padstow are all within an easy half hour drive
- High quality accommodation with stylish interiors
- Lovely little site with a kids park, swimming pool and a pub on-site
- The site is great for star-gazing
A 7 night holiday for a family of 4 costs in mid-July starts at just £440 with various accommodation options available, find out more here.
DISCLOSURE | Thank you to South West Holiday Parks who invited us to stay. We were not paid to write this review
Where to next?
- An Envigorating Weekend Break at Heligan Caravan & Camping Park, Cornwall
- Unforgettable Real Glamping at the Fir Hill, Cornwall
- Exploring The St Agnes Coast With Koru Kayaking, Trevaunance Cove in Cornwall
- Glampsites.com Is The Easy Way To Find & Book Gorgeous Glamping Accommodation