Day one
It’s still light when we reach what is to be our home for the weekend, a beautiful big barn set in farmland around the village of Crackington Haven on Cornwall’s north coast. There’s plenty of space for us all to spread out and the kids to have their own rooms, so I’m sure this is going to offer us the much-needed country break we’ve been craving.
We spend the first evening settling in, pointing out star constellations in the clear sky – a bit of a luxury coming from light-polluted London.
The kids needed a bit of convincing about Cornwall as a destination, but we can’t wait to see what the surrounding countryside looks like in the daytime.
Day two
This place is gorgeous. Wooden beams, a high ceiling, and charming wonky floors and walls that mean you are in a “real” old house. Natural light pours through the windows, and outside are rolling landscapes of dewy-morning grass lit up by the sun – all accompanied by the sound of birdsong and bleating sheep.
Our Airbnb host, Katy, gives us some fresh, golden-yolked eggs from the farm, and some local milk, yoghurt and honey to start our day off.
After filling up, we set off in the car and head for Tintagel Castle – the birthplace of King Arthur himself. On the way there, I realise that even though I’ve visited Cornwall a few times before, I’ve never really paid attention to the local mythology. But you only have to scratch the surface to find some incredible stories of kings, witches and wizards.
We’re all blown away by the sense of legend when we reach the castle at Tintagel – it is where King Arthur is said to have been conceived – then the kids head for Merlin’s Cave, down the cliffside, past the carving of Merlin’s face on the wall.
Legend has it that Merlin carried baby Arthur through this cave to safety from the political turbulence that threatened his life, and we can all see why people think it’s a magical place.
After the long walk along the beach, we head to a bakery for a classic Cornish cream tea. The kids love this mingling of culture and calories, munching down their scones loaded with cream and jam. It’s a great way to end the day, before heading back to our cosy home to fire up the stove and relax for the night.
Day three
Today we head towards the sea for a cliff walk looking over Crackington Haven beach. It feels as though we’re walking at the edge of the world: the contrast of blue sea, craggy coast, gorse bushes and wildflowers is transfixing. And the kids love it too. Once in a while, it’s good to feel small, let the landscape dominate you, and forget about the trappings of city life. After taking it all in, we stop at a local pub for well-deserved pints of bitter and glasses of lemonade.
Later on, back at the barn, Katy pops in to say hello and tell us about her dad, Alan, who also lives on the farm. He was evacuated here from London during the second world war and went to the school on the hill opposite.
For us, this is another thread to the story of the local area, another part of its mythology. It makes us want to come back: to learn more about the area and its history, take in that incredible view and, of course, say hello to the ponies again.
The kids really warmed to the barn and this part of Cornwall. The fresh air, a big wide sky and the sea brought out their inner explorers, and the sheer size of the barn meant that we all had the space to relax. Exactly what you want from a holiday, really.
Joe’s verdict
Merlin’s Cave was a bit spooky and it reminded me of a game I play called Minecraft, but it did also feel like a wizard could really have lived there. I wondered what might have happened when Merlin was there and maybe even after he was gone. Maybe pirates used it, or people stored their boats in there.
On the day we set off from our home to visit Merlin’s Cave, we took a walk along the beach to Tintagel Castle and I was super excited to get there.
The castle is really cool because it’s on a really high mountain and you can see the ruins as well as getting a big view of the sea, which looks like it goes on forever.
Afterwards we all went to a bakery to have afternoon tea, with scones and cream and jam. It was really yummy. Merlin’s Cave was my favourite part of the holiday.
