9 Coastguard Cottages, Portloe
A pleasant, well made victorian terraced Cottage built for the coastguards with a good view out to sea to watch for smugglers using the beautiful cove of Portloe.
It has both an enclosed garden and also a spectacular high level terrace both looking out over the small harbour to sea beyond. This cottage has gentle bohemian charm, old fashioned, in a good way.
- Sleeps 4 /5 (with folding bed)
- 2 Bedrooms, double & twin
- Bathroom & Cloakroom WC
- Sea Views
- Parking nearby (100 yrds away)
- Front & rear gardens
- 4 minute walk to harbour
- Other beaches a short drive
- Night storage heating
- Open fireplace
- Saturday Changeover
- Sorry no dogs
9 Coastguard Cottages in Portloe is the end cottage in a whitewashed, south west facing terrace built in 1825 to house the coastguard families. Though brought up to date, it still retains much old fashioned charm. It is a well loved family cottage in a small, pretty and characterful village centred around a tiny working harbour.The harbour is about 3 minutes walk down the hill and there is a small shingle beach here with rock pools and rocks that are good for fishing from. The larger sandy beaches of Carne and Pendower are just the other side of the headland - about a 7 minute drive away, not at all far, but the lanes are very small!
Interior layout
The entrance door is at the rear of the terrace and opens onto a slate floored hallway with cloakroom wc to the left and under stairs cupboard with useful items, kitchen to the right.
The kitchen also has the original slate floor, a large window looks upon the steep rear garden. Pine doored fitted cupboards containing everything you might need in the way of crockery etc. There is a dishwasher, a fridge freezer, washing machine, microwave and an electric cooker.
At the front of the house the good sized sitting/dining room has large windows overlooking the green valley opposite, the cottage rooftops below and the harbour and the sea. There are two large squashy sofas, coffee table, fine open fireplace with grate (logs stored by front door). A window seat and shelves with lots of books and games. A 14 inch television with Free view box, dvd and video. At one end of the room a long pine dining table with cushioned bench seating and chairs which will seat at least six.
From the sitting room a glazed door opens to a sunny, secure patio with outdoor dining furniture and lovely sea view.
Upstairs there is a bathroom with wc, basin and bath with shower over. Also an airing cupboard with immersion heater.
Next to this is the double bedroom also to the front of the house with double bed, alcove wardrobe, chest of drawers, original wooden floorboards with rugs. Deep silled window with a view of the sea as before.
Also off the landing is the twin bedroom with 3 foot divan beds (and a full sized cot available if required). A curtained alcove wardrobe, chest of drawers and rattan armchair. Deep silled window overlooking the rear garden.
The Garden and Beach access etc.
After parking in the village car park (honesty box) the cottage is 120 (of my) paces up a gently sloping lane. Through a lovely tall, old, wrought iron garden gate reminiscent of something in Italy, there is a small area of communal lawned garden and you are facing the inland end of the terrace. To the left the path takes you to the rear of the cottages, past the wood store, to the front door. To the left another path leads to the front of the terrace and a wrought iron garden gate secures the front patio.
Number nine is the first cottage. Apart from the patio by the house, it has another pleasant outdoor area, surprisingly hidden away at the top of the steep bank behind the cottages. Up quite a number of stairs, past the steep grassy slope, onto which the rear rooms look, you arrive at a lovely private garden on a flat terrace high up above the cottage, with a fabulous view out to sea. A very good place for outdoor dining or sunbathing. Not entirely relaxing if you are watching small children though, as the terrace is not fenced, (though there are trees and shrubs bordering it).
Location
Portloe is a very small fishing village setin two steep sided valleys which come together at a small south east facing cove. Unlike so many coastal villages in Cornwall the landscape has prevented much additional building, so the village remains old fashioned with traditional cottages crowded around the small harbour and a great green unspoilt cliff and wooded landscape all around. In past times it was apparently a busy place for 'free traders' as those who evaded import duties were known and the row of coastguard cottages together with the old boathouse and the head coastguard's house are of clear importance in the layout of things.
There is a good local pub, The Ship, which serves food and local St Austell ales;, a small shop with post office and the rather smart Lugger hotel which has an excellent restaurant and also a Spa, open to non guests.
The cliff paths either side of Portloe have just lovely, startlingly beautiful scenery - along with some quite steep drops (keep reins or close eye on children). Driving or walking back about 3 miles along the amazingly narrow & windy lanes that are the only way to reach the village, you can get to the other side of the Nare headland to Carne and Pendower beaches, both long and with fine sand.
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