Travel: A Cornish love affair with a happy ending

Sipping locally-grown tea, with just the sun and birdsong for company, I can understand why. It’s hard to think of a more peaceful place.

Nestled in a bend of the Helford River, the family-run Budock Vean country house hotel promises a much-needed retreat fuelled by Cornish produce and a healthy dose of fresh air.

We are among the first guests after the four-star “hotel on the river” reopened its doors in mid-May, and things inevitably feel different after months of lockdown.

We call reception 10 minutes before arriving, as requested, to let them know we are near, and don our face masks. There are hand sanitisers on each dining table, dishes are wheeled out on trolleys, and bedrooms are stocked with spare masks and gloves, as well as teas and coffees.

While there is less spontaneity, we pretty much have the entire octagonal pool house to ourselves during our booked session.

The hotel is operating at 85% capacity, and it is reassuring to see staff taking coronavirus seriously, making our stay as safe as possible.

We ditch the car after the long drive and settle into the new outdoor hot tub before tucking into a champagne cream tea on the terrace. The southern aspect makes this spot a sun trap, with loungers dotting the sloping lawns.

The food served at the hotel is just as impressive. Along with seafood specialities – I’m told the Newlyn crab sandwich is No 1 lunch choice – there is an impressive menu of vegan and vegetarian options (the fluffy souffle swimming in creamed spinach is a must).

And diners won’t get bored with 99 wines to choose from and a four-course dinner menu that changes daily – with locally-sourced food making up almost 70% of the offerings.

The dining room underwent a transformation in February 2020, and the result is an elegant space that pays tribute to the local area and history. Golden-framed portraits dot a striking deep-blue feature wall, with diners seated under the steady gaze of Cornish greats such as Anthony Payne, the 7ft 4in tall “Cornish Giant”.

For less formal dining, guests can head to the hotel bar, conservatory, patio or one of the four lounges.

Thirty of the 56 bedrooms have also been updated, with the remaining rooms, corridors and pool next on the list, and the refurbishment expected to be complete in the winter of 2022-3.

For me, the hotel’s most beautiful feature is its 65 acres of undulating, secluded grounds, taking in a nine-hole golf course, croquet lawn, tennis courts and organic sub-tropical gardens.

The next morning we stroll down the steep path to the hotel’s private foreshore. From here, guests can embark on a 90-minute cruise exploring the Helford River, but it’s an adventure with Koru Kayaking that’s in store today.

We are greeted by Tom, our guide and co-owner, who flits effortlessly between gentle encouragement, explaining the local history, taking photos and paddling. Kitted out with wetsuit, boots and a buoyancy aid, we settle into the sit-on kayaks and paddle out to the mouth of the river, pausing halfway for a quick dip.

We then paddle inland to Frenchman’s Creek, the location that inspired du Maurier’s swashbuckling yarn. It is an eerie, beautiful inlet, with kingfishers nesting in its banks, a shipwreck and overhanging trees – including one Kylie Minogue is said to have reclined on in her music video, Flower.

Unfortunately, the sunny weather does not last for our visit to the world-renowned sub-tropical Trebah Garden, less than a mile from the hotel. Visitors must pre-book slots, meaning arrivals are staggered and the steep ravine garden feels uncrowded.

However, the moody grey skies and drizzle only enhance the beauty of the 100-year-old rhododendrons and the 70 varieties of camellias.

The trail slopes down to the beach (there is a step-free option), where 7,500 US troops embarked to sail across the channel for the D-Day landings in the Second World War.

In just three days, I feel I have only scratched the surface of this captivating part of the world. Eighty years on, it’s still the idyllic escape Daphne du Maurier imagined.

The open-air clifftop Minack Theatre hosts over 200 live performances each year. While it looks like it has been here since ancient times, it’s just under 100 years old!