A week in Cornwall with four schnauzers: our stay at Forest Holidays Deerpark
We booked this trip months ago, back when a week in Cornwall in early June sounded like a lovely warm start to the summer. Then the end of May gave us a heatwave, and the forecast for our actual week turned to rain every day with temperatures dipping to 14 to 16 degrees. Cornwall, in June, in a fleece.
We had taken out the cover that lets you change your dates when we booked, but there is a catch: you have to do it at least eight days before you travel. By the time we had watched the forecast get steadily worse and started seriously thinking about postponing, we had missed the window. So we did the only sensible thing left to us, which was to pack for the weather, go anyway, and make the best of it. I am so glad we did.
Packing for a wet one
Out came the pac-a-macs, the hiking shoes, and the warmer layers. For the ladies we packed towels and their Ruff and Tumble drying coats, which turned out to be the most valued item we brought on the whole trip. A close second was the pop-up pen, which we ended up using almost everywhere we stopped to eat. More on both of those as the week goes on, because they earned their place in the boot many times over.
Arriving at Deerpark
We arrived in pouring rain and reported to the Forest Retreat to check in. The Forest Retreat is the main hub of the site, with a cafe and restaurant, a bar, and a shop selling the essentials you might have forgotten – toiletries, poo bags, a few food items – alongside gifts and treats. It is a welcoming place to land, even when you are dripping on the floor.
Our cabin was a Golden Oak Waterside. We wanted that waterside setting and, with general availability being what it was, we booked a three-bed cabin, which gave us plenty of room.
The cabin
The cabin is cosy, nicely decorated, and well equipped. Out on the deck we had a hot tub and a gas barbecue, and inside there was a log burner in the sitting room. We did not use the log burner – I would hope not to need one in summer – but I can imagine how cosy it would be on a winter visit.
The kitchen had everything we needed: an oven, hob, microwave, toaster, kettle, coffee machine, dishwasher, and a fridge freezer. The bathrooms were stocked with really lovely hand wash and shower gel, and there were robes and towels for the hot tub as well as towels for inside. The living area has a television, and you can pay extra for streaming services, though we chose not to bother.
There was plenty of space for the two of us and the four of them. The main bedroom is upstairs with a double bed and an en-suite that has a huge bath. The second upstairs bedroom is a twin. Downstairs there is another twin room and a second bathroom with a large walk-in shower. The cabin is heated, and you can easily set the temperature from a panel in the living room, which was very welcome given the weather.
One practical note: the phone signal is non-existent. There is WiFi included and it worked well, although we did have to log back in each day once we had been out and come home again.
The hot tub
The hot tub was glorious. It is partly sheltered from the rain, so we could sit out in it even when the heavens opened, which they did with some enthusiasm. It was kept at a lovely hot temperature and the staff serviced it every day. After a wet day out, climbing into a hot tub with a glass of fizz while the ladies snoozed inside was the perfect way to round things off.
Dog-friendly, and it shows
The whole site is dog friendly. Dogs are welcome in the Forest Retreat, and there is even a doggy menu. Our cabin was one of the dog-friendly ones, and the thing that really sold it to us is that they allow up to four dogs. That is unusual, and for us it is ideal.
No dog equipment is provided in the cabin, so you do need to bring your own dog beds, towels, food bowls, and water bowls. Worth knowing before you pack.
The setting itself is tranquil and quiet, and our deck was completely private and not overlooked at all. Deerpark sits near Liskeard, which made a really convenient base for getting out to different parts of Cornwall.
We always keep the ladies on their leads, but for a little extra peace of mind we kept their Pawfit Lite trackers on them all week, just in case any of them ever managed to slip away.
Our week, day by day
Here is a quick run through how the week unfolded. I will share more about each day, with plenty of photos, in the next few posts.
Day 1. We had paid for early check-in, so we arrived at around 2pm rather than the usual 4pm, and spent the afternoon and evening in the cabin, listening to the torrential rain hammering on the roof and feeling quite smug about the hot tub.
Day 2. A slightly better day. We visited the Lost Gardens of Heligan, then went on to nearby Porthluney Beach and Caerhays Castle.
Day 3. We started with breakfast at the wonderful Duchy of Cornwall Nursery Cafe, then went for a hike at Golitha Falls, where the weather just about held and we loved every minute. We tried to visit Polperro next, but the parking was payable by cash only and we had none on us, so we changed our plans. We headed to Looe instead, where we had a lovely cup of tea and a pistachio pastry at a little cafe called Piccalo. Then we set off to walk round to dog-friendly Hannafore Beach, the heavens opened, and we got thoroughly drenched. Silky and Wilma were shivering, so we aborted the mission, put the drying coats on the ladies, and went back to change into dry clothes before heading out for an early dinner at Jamaica Inn.
Day 4. The worst weather day of the lot, which made it the ideal day for the Eden Project. We had a little time to walk around outside before it really chucked it down, then set up camp in the huge cafe area with the ladies in their pop-up pen and took it in turns to visit the biomes. On the way home we called in at Charlestown harbour, which is absolutely charming, though it was late in the day and in the rain nothing was open. One to revisit in better weather.
Day 5. The best weather day – some sunshine, and mostly dry. We had a very memorable breakfast at the Duchy Nursery cafe, then followed a marked woodland trail over to Restormel Castle. We had booked our castle tickets in advance and got 15 per cent off. You can walk around the ruin and climb up onto the wall-walk for fabulous views. We walked back, then went on to Lanhydrock, where we wandered the stunning formal gardens, had a cream tea, and took turns to look round the house, which dogs are not allowed inside.
Day 6. Almost as wet as day 4. We had a relaxed morning in the cabin, then went for a late lunch at the very dog-friendly Springer Spaniel. We had an excellent meal and the ladies were welcomed and well looked after.
Day 7. Almost as lovely as day 5, with just a bit of a breeze. We took our longest trip out, to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at Gweek, about an hour and a quarter from Deerpark. We spent a couple of hours there, the ladies were made very welcome, and we saw beautiful seals and some gorgeous puffins. From there we drove about 20 minutes along narrow, winding, very pretty lanes to Trebah Garden. The ladies were welcomed with a treat, and we spent a couple of hours wandering the stunning gardens and visiting the little beach. We finished with a delicious lunch at the Trebah Kitchen before heading back.
Day 8. Home time. We had to be out of the cabin by 10am, so we had a leisurely morning of breakfast, a last walk for the ladies in the forest, and packing up the car before setting off on the four-hour drive home, in the sunshine, naturally.
Would we go back?
We really did enjoy our stay, despite the weather doing its very best to spoil it. Getting back to the cabin after each day out, to a hot tub and a quiet, private deck, made all the difference. Deerpark is a perfect base for exploring Cornwall, and there was still so much on my list that we did not get to, which means there is plenty saved up for another visit.
If you have stayed at one of the Forest Holidays sites with your dogs, I would love to hear how you got on. And if you are planning a wet-weather trip of your own, my one piece of advice is simple: pack the drying coats.
