Spring Gardens of Cornwall...

A visit to Cornwall in Spring could not be without a trip to the many gardens to explore the flora and fauna.  You will be spoilt for choice for options on your days out...

From St Ives you have modern gardens, ancient gardens, sculpture gardens and sub tropical gardens within a short driving distance with a range of collections to suit both families and the budding horticulturalist.

Due to the warm climate, we have ferns, tropical palms and ancient trees and because of the early flowering there are fields of daffodils and a burst of colour with camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas from early spring, months before the rest of the UK.

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens

20 acres of gardens situated just outside Penzance with views out to St Michaels Mount this garden is a backdrop to inspirational artwork amongst woodland, streams and ponds.

Trebah Garden

A magical beautiful valley garden running down to a secluded beach on the Helford River. In Spring, Trebah comes alive with a colourful array of 100-year-old rhododendrons, magnolias and camellias to brighten any day.

The National Trust also has a selection of gardens to visit:

Glendurgan Garden

Situated right next door to Trebah Garden, this sub-tropical valley garden on the Helford has fine trees, exotic plants, wildflowers, a famous maze and 'Giant's Stride' swing.

Trelissick Gardens

Scene for many Rosamunde Pilcher films, this delightful garden overlooks the Fal River and parkland with year round colour with a Country House, orchard, summer houses, café, shop, gallery and bookshop too.

Trengwainton

25 acres of woodland garden with plants from around the world, views out to St Michaels Mount and a walled kitchen garden and café.

This is just a small selection of the many wonderful places you can visit.  Further afield you can also visit these award-winning gardens too:

The Eden Project

The famous biomes and rainforest walkway with lots to do for children and adults too.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Unveiled in 1992 from under decades of overgrowth, the Lost Gardens were restored on a shoestring budget and offer over 200 acres for exploration.

With all these gardens to wander around, when you have had enough of flowers don’t forget that the beaches and coastal path are just on your doorstep too.

Hannah x

Cornwall Past and Present

One of the lovely things about Cornwall is how it seems so unchanged year on year.  Yes, the coffee shops will be upgraded and that drafty cottage you may have stayed in will have been spruced up with luxury features but walking around St Ives, you get that feeling that you are looking at a landscape that has hardly changed for decades.  Look past the cars and the signs and you can just imagine the washing hanging up and a fisherman sat on his stairs...

I stumbled across this great Facebook group Old Pictures of Cornwall and discovered a multitude of beautiful photos of Cornwall past and present.  I have become a bit obsessed about trying to find the locations and updating for their Then and Now section with modern day photos of older locations.

How about an old photo of Porthmeor Road...

THEN

 AND NOW

Back Street East, St Ives

THEN

NOW

HARBOUR

It is a shame that the fishing boats are now missing but you can still take a boat trip out to Seal Island and for a spot of fishing too.

THEN

 NOW

I wonder if one of our holiday photos will be part of a then and now 100 years from now?

Hannah

New Years Eve...

St Ives likes to celebrate the New Year in style and it is the perfect time to come and visit and explore...

 
The most important thing to have for 2014/15 is of course… fancy dress!  About 95% of everyone in St Ives on New Years will be dressed up – there is no theme, just make sure you are wearing something silly.  You can bring clothes with you to wear but in the run up to New Year, all the local charity shops have saved up all their fancy dress outfits and you will have a wealth of choice for children and adults too.
 

It is best to book a table in advance if you want dinner and although the pubs and bars will be busy, there is plenty of room for a super hero or a tiger.  At midnight, everyone gathers on The Wharf to see the fireworks see in the New Year (with some people even going for a swim..brrrrr).

The next day, blow all the cobwebs away with a lovely beach walk or enjoy a warm English Breakfast with some tea and fresh coffee to ease you into 2015.

Hannah x

The Sail Lofts Christmas Party...

This years Christmas festivities found the Sail Lofts team dining at Alfresco on Tuesday, enjoying a wonderful alternative Christmas feast of pork belly starters and cod mains. We even had the delight of being joined by the wonderful Kelly, who many of our returning guests will know is currently on maternity leave, along with her gorgeous baby Evie...
 

Alfresco is situated along the harbour front here in St Ives, and is a firm favourite of the Sail Lofts and is always top on our recommendation list for any guests wondering where best to dine locally. 
 

We would like to say a huge thank you to the Alfresco team for the great food and a brilliant afternoon had by all. 
 

 

Katy x

Christmas in St Ives...

With so much to do at this time of the year in St Ives here are a few ideas to get you in the festive mood...

Christmas Lights

13/12/14 – 06/01/15 Mousehole Christmas Lights, Mousehole, Penzance. Amazing display on the seafront and out to sea too.

03/12/14 – 06/01/15 Angarrack Christmas Lights, Angarrack, Hayle. A small local village that get excited about their lights!

01/12/14 – 06/01/15 Christmas Tree Festival, Methodist Chapel, St Ives. This will get you in the mood with local schools trees.

Christmas Art 

02/12/14 – 03/01/15 St Ives Artists Christmas Open Exhibition, St Ives 10am – 4pm

21/12/14 + 23/12/14 Tate Gallery St Ives 10am – 4pm

Christmas Theatre

21/12/14 & 23/12/14 Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Boathouse Theatre 4pm

22/12/14 – 23/12/14 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Kidz R Us 2pm and 6pm

22/12/14 The Christmassy Xmas Show of Xmassy Xmassness, Squashbox Theatre, Guildhall 4pm – 5pm

Christmas Markets

21/12/14 + 22/12/14 Last Chance Christmas Market – Truro 10am – 4pm

23/12/14 St Ives Christmas Market, Guildhall, St Ives 10am – 4pm

Christmas Services

20/12/14 Carol Singing Evening, Fore Street Methodist Church 7pm

21/12/14 Carols by Candlelight, St Ives Parish Church 6pm

25/12/14 Christmas Service Fore Street Methodist Church 10am

25/12/14 Christmas Service St Ives Parish Church 10am

Something a bit different?

25/12/14 Sennen Christmas Swim Time TBC. Fancy a quick dip?? Or just watching?

01/12/14 – 22/02/15 Ice Skating, Eden Project. Skate and explore the domes 9.30am – 5pm


Hannah x

The Times, cool hotel guide...

Back in September we had the pleasure of playing host to Times journalist Tom Chesshyre, here is what he had to say…

A mid a tangle of lanes dotted with art galleries behind the sandy curve of Porthmeor beach, a small sign marks the entrance to a nondescript mid 20^th-century building with a whitewashed wall. Step inside and an archway opens into a pretty courtyard with olive trees, neat rows of box hedges and a fountain. Around this courtyard, and in a few connecting buildings, are 12 “boutique apartments”. They’re really quite lovely.

In a nutshell

The name Sail Lofts comes from this once being a store for fishermen’s nets and sails, which subsequently morphed into a pilchard pressing yard, before having a spell as Mr Peggoty’s nightclub (apparently a St Ives institution). It has been an upmarket apartment-hotel with a breakfast-in-bed service since 2008.

What are the rooms like?

The rooms are first class: minimalist yet warm with objets d’art, church candles and bright modern art. Walls are painted white and most floors are blond wood. Pastel blue, shocking pink and lavender coloured sofas add the colour to the pared-down furnishings. Framed wall paintings include local seaside scenes. The apartments come with either one, two, three or four bedrooms – and each has a modern kitchen.

So what is the food like?

Continental breakfast-in-bed is an extra £15 a day for two people and includes croissants from a nearby baker. Or you can opt for a full Cornish breakfast with bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms, fresh bread and black pudding for £29.95 for two (you cook the ingredients). These are delivered in hampers by a concierge, who will also take orders for food so it is ready when you arrive, and can arrange for fresh catches of fish – including lobsters – to be brought on a daily basis.

What else is there to do?

The Tate St Ives is a couple of minutes away by foot (www.tate.org.uk/visit/st-ives) and it’s a little further along to the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden (barbarahepworth.org.uk/st-ives). Guests at Sail Lofts are given tickets for free entry to both. Sail Lofts also has a spa in a side room offering Elemis treatments; massages are £55 an hour. Or take a walk along the coast; there are many great routes, some with restful train rides back.

Tom Chesshyre

The Times, published: Saturday 8 November 2014

Katy x

The Yellow Canary Cafe, St Ives...

Our lovely team member Kelly has just left on her maternity leave and as part of the leaving ceremonies we popped in to the Yellow Canary Café to grab some sweet afternoon treats. The yellow canary is a quirky independent family business established in 1972 and is the oldest cafe in St Ives!

They serve excellent coffee, pastries, Cornish pasties, Cornish Cream Teas and other tasty treats, well worth a visit if you ever find yourself in St Ives.

We went for the mud, almond and pecan pie, yum!

Katy x