Budock Vean calls itself The Hotel on the River.

That the river is the magnificent Helford in one of the most beautiful corners of the country tells you this is more than any old hotel on any old river.

There has been a dwelling on this magical patch of land since Celtic times and the history is as evocarive as the setting itself.

After a long and tiring drive all anxieties eased away as soon as we arrived at the front door.

The hotel is tucked away down narrow Cornish roads but it sits on a pictureperfect landscape of rolling lawns, patchwork fields and magnificent gardens.

We were welcomed in and shown to our luxurious rooms.

After a few hours exploring the grounds we sat down to a magnificent meal.

There was a pianist setting the mood for a relaxing, comfortable old-fashioned hotel evening enlivened by attentive service and an exquisite, modern menu boasting locally-sourced ingredients cooked to perfection.

The following day was interspersed with leisurely walks, a game of golf on the excellent hotel course and swimming in the indoor pool.

A stroll down to the foreshore is a must where you can relax in the conservatory overlooking the river or scramble over the rocks and watch the world sail slowly by.

From the jetty you can go fishing, take the ferry to a pub, have a walk along Frenchman’s Creek or go out and explore the Helford River aboard the hotel boat.

The Budock Vean gardens are beautiful and extend to almost 32 acres, incorporating woodland, parkland and the valley gardens and ponds.

We took the short drive Trebah Gardens.

Trebah stands at the head of a 26-acre ravine, 500m long and dropping to 70m to the Helford estuary.

The ravine garden was planted by Charles Fox, a member of the Quaker family who purchased Trebah in 1826.

It is like stepping into an exotic paradise in the most unexpected of places.

That evening we made the short trip to Helford Passage for a meal at the iconic Ferryboat Inn.

Dating back to the 16th century the inn the beds of the Wright Brothers’ Duchy oyster farm.

In summer, bring your family to the adjacent beach, walk the coastal path and enjoy the views from the large terrace whilst you taste the freshest fish and seafood straight from the boat, alongside British pub classics.

Come wintertime, settle on the sofa in front of the open fire with the Sunday papers, before tucking into a hearty Sunday roast. The Wright Brothers also have four restaurants in London.

Though sad to say goodbye to Budock Vean the next stage of our two-part Cornwall odyssey took us to the stunning Trelowarren Estate on the Lizard Peninsula.

Trelowarren is an ancient 1,000 acre estate on the south bank of Cornwall’s Helford River with facilities including an outdoor heated swimming pool, tennis court and gym as well as the Walled Garden Organic Spa and New Yard Restaurant. Trelowarren Manor itself was Daphne du Maurier’s inspiration for Navron House in her romantic novel Frenchman’s Creek.

The properties, which sleep from four to 10 people are five-star, Gold Award and have been designed to be environmentally friendly with open plan easy living designs.

You can also enjoy Trelowarren for a few days or a few months at a time through an innovative timeshare scheme. Short breaks are available at different times of the year.

We stayed at Penhillick House which is situated in a secluded position providing lots of privacy as well as beautiful country views.

There is a safe garden for children to play in, terrace areas for entertaining and relaxing, designed to make the most of the sunshine, peace and tranquillity.

All mod cons are included and the house was a perfect, tranquil base to explore the Lizard while offering a warm and comforting location to relax in the evenings or when we weren’t swimming, playing tennis or exploring the grounds or enjoying the excellent food at the New Yard restaurant or browsing the gallery and crafty shop.

Have a look online and see what Cornwall has to offer at anytime of the year.

You will not be disappointed.

Factfile 

Budock Vean Hotel Nr Helford Passage Mawnan Smith Falmouth Cornwall TR11 5LG

Tel: 01326 250288

Email: relax@budockvean.co.uk

Web: budockveanhotel.co.uk

Twitter: @budockveanhotel

Facebook: facebook.com/budockveanhotel

Instagram: @budockveanhotel

B&B from £73 pp pn (low season, standard room)

DB&B from £88 pp pn (low season, standard room)

Luxury self catering cottages at Trelowarren start from £495 a week, sleeping six people, in low season – rising to £2,500 in high season.

More information at trelowarren.com or call – 01326 221224

The world famous ravine gardens of Trebah are open all year round – trebahgarden.co.uk. 01326 252200

The Ferryboat Inn at Helford Passage – thewrightbrothers. co.uk/ferryboat-inn.html 01326 250625