We are delighted to provide the award-winning Cuddledry hands-free baby towel for the duration of your stay. We also provide a complimentary Cuddledry supersoft bamboo wash cloth, MooGoo extra gentle and natural baby skincare products, and a bath-time toy.
Being parents ourselves, we understand that there is no such thing as an 8lb baby… by the time you’ve got all the kit they need in the car, you’re lucky if there’s room for a toothbrush for you. To ease the load a bit we have the following baby equipment, which should help to free up a bit of boot space for Mum & Dad. There is no charge – just let us know when booking what you need.
*For cots and the crib we can provide sheets, blankets and (for the cots) a baby duvet. If you use Grobags or similar then we will just put a bottom sheet on.
Please note that, following advice from the NHS and Department of Health, we no longer supply plug socket covers, as these are now deemed to be dangerous. See http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/ for details.
Each cottage has a hand blender (useful for preparing weaning foods) and a selection of crockery and cutlery suitable for small children. Each cottage also has a good selection of children’s books, jigsaws and games; toys for younger children can be provided upon request. If you have any specific requests, please ask in advance.
Outside, there are acres of space for running around and making dens or playing hide-and-seek. The mix of woods and fields is ideal for nature trails and treasure hunts.
As well as individual gardens and lawn areas at each cottage, there is a large flat grassy area which is great for ball games and running around (this is adjacent to the middle part of Central Bark). We have outdoor sports equipment that can be made available upon request. For older children, why not bring their tent and let them camp out overnight in the cottage garden for a night or two?
Buckets, spades and fishing nets are also available for taking to the beach for rockpool adventures and sandcastle fun.
Pillaton, our local village (a short walk away) has a children’s playpark opposite the village pub, with areas for different age groups. It includes a trim trail, zipwire and football nets for older children, and a toddler zone with climbing frame, springy animal seats, swings and slide.
If it is too wet to play outside or go to the beach there are still loads of things to do within easy reach to keep the little ones entertained. See our Things to Do list on the Information tab for loads of things to do, but here are a few which are particularly child friendly:
The Tamar Valley Donkey Park (just off the A390 in St Ann’s chapel between Callington and Gunnislake) has 25 donkeys and you can also feed and stroke the other animals, including goats, sheep pigs and rabbits. They have a good indoor soft play area too. You can even adopt a donkey here (open 10.00 daily Easter – end October plus school holidays. Weekends only in Nov, Dec, Feb and March). Dog-friendly.
T 01822 834072 SN PL18 9HW W www.donkeypark.com
The National Marine Aquarium is the biggest aquarium in Britain and the deepest in Europe. It has over 4000 different types of sea creatures, from sharks to the worlds’ largest collection of seahorses. There is a walk-through tunnel and a giant coral reef tank, and Britain’s only specimen of the giant squid! Open daily 10 am to 6 pm. The aquarium is well signposted. Cross the Tamar Bridge and follow the A38 to Marsh Mills (where you will see a big Sainsbury’s), then take the A374 Embankment Road. Follow the signs for the Aquarium and Barbican car park.
Access – fully wheelchair accessible, with accessible toilets on site. They have a number of wheelchairs onsite for visitor use (1st come 1st served basis). Carers get free entry.T 01752) 220084 SN PL4 0DX W www.national-aquarium.co.uk
The Monkey Sanctuary near Looe has been home for over 30 years to a colony of woolly monkeys. The sanctuary is an environmental charity, and the monkeys have a specially designed territory of interlinked enclosures set in beautiful woodlands overlooking Looe bay. They have a forest garden where food for the monkeys is grown, a Victorian herbalist garden and a bat cave complete with bat colony. They also have an adventure play are for children. Open Sunday to Thursday, 11am to 4.30 pm from the Sunday before Easter to the end of September. Take the A38 to the Trerulefoot roundabout (near Tideford) then follow the signs for Looe.
Access – Disabled parking bays in the car park. Accessible loos available in the car park (but not in the sanctuary itself). Not all parts of the sanctuary are accessible. Please ask about discounted rates for guests with limited mobility
T 01503 262532 SN PL13 1NZ W www.monkeysanctuary.org
Carnglaze Caverns – St Neots, Nr Liskeard. Just off the A38 after Doublebois and Dobwalls this is a complex of 500 million year old slate chambers with a subterranean lake. Open Monday to Saturday between 10 am and 5 pm, the guided tour takes 45 minutes. Take a jumper and sensible shoes (the ambient temperature in the caves is 10 degrees centigrade and the floor can be slippy). A mine doesn’t on the face of it sound too child friendly, but outside there are wonderful woodland walks including the Enchanted Dell, which has fairies, fountains, mushrooms, tree-houses and even a dragon… One of the caverns – the Rum Store – is used for concerts – the acoustics are apparently amazing. Dogs welcome in the outside areas.
Access – much of the site is accessible, but not the lower chambers. www.carnglaze.com/
T 01579 320251 SN PL14 6HQ W www.carnglaze.com
Dartmoor Zoo – Plympton – over 1000 creatures in 30 acres of beautiful Devon countryside, only 3 miles from Plymouth. This is a big cat conservation centre, with lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, leopard, wolves, bears, and many other types of animal. They have flying displays at the falconry (they also offer falconry courses) including Eagles, Falcons, Buzzards, Owls and Kestrels. Watch the otters being fed, or have a “paws on” experience with a variety of animals – from Tarantulas to Tiger cubs – in the all-weather Talk, Touch, Learn facility. Open daily from 10.00.
Access – there is a wheelchair-friendly route around the park, and off-road mobility scooters are available to hire. Please note that guide dogs are not permitted, because of the proximity of the paths to the enclosures. See www.dartmoorzoo.org.uk/plan-your-visit/disabled-access
T 01752 837645 SN PL7 5DG W www.dartmoorzoo.org
Trethorne Leisure Park – If you want to wear them out, this is the place to go – the ultimate child friendly day out. Trethorne has 45.000 square feet of indoor soft play structures and animals. These include a 4-storey ball blast arena, rope bridges, slides, tunnels, ball pits, trampolines, bungee runs, go karts, mechanical climbing wall, astra slides and freefall slides and much more (including an 8-lane tenpin bowling arena). There are opportunities to milk cows and brush miniature ponies, and there are always animals such as alpaca, goats, pigs, chickens etc which can be stroked. They also have picnic areas, which is handy as the food is not great and is expensive! Admission £8.20 for adults or children, under-3’s free, family ticket £30.80. Disabled £8.20 with one accompanying carer going free. Just off the A30, 3 miles west of Launceston.
Access – the majority of the facilities are accessible, and there are accessible toilets. Carers admitted free of charge. See www.trethorneleisure.com/accessibility/
T 01566 86324 SN PL15 8QE W www.trethorneleisure.com
Kernock cottage is a very child friendly holiday cottage Cornwall.
Our stay here was fantastic. We spent 7 nights at Kernock with our baby son and dog. Damian and Louise brilliantly helpful, around if you need anything before or during your stay, without at all being intrusive. The cottage is fantastically well equipped and located for either a peaceful retreat or a hub to go and explore. The best break I’ve had in a very long time.
Coach House – July 2022
Your cottage was above and beyond our expectations, finished and fitted to an excellent standard that really helped us to enjoy our summer break regardless of the unpredictable weather. However, the thing that impressed us most was your flexibility, friendliness and welcoming attitude. We had a number of awkward requests, such as arriving early, asking for an additional cot on the day of arrival and requirement for 6 days rather than 7, but nothing seemed to be too much trouble for you. The icing on cake was when you discovered Will (our one year old) loved trains and arrived at the door with a huge train set which kept him happy all week. These little touches and your helpfulness really made our holiday – thank you so much. We will most definitely be recommending your cottages to our friends and hope to stay with you again in the future.
Quiet, great for kids, nice accommodation ,good family pub walking distance away, use of china fleet club pool, kids loved it.Hope we can return in the near future.
We rented all five cottages as guests of my daughter’s wedding. All of us were astounded at the high quality of the furnishings, the cleanliness and the very unexpected welcome pack! after an amazing wedding nearby we were so pleased to be able to come ‘home’ to warm and comfy beds and only the bleeting of lambs to wake us up next morning!