Duchy of Cornwall Nursery Cafe
Duchy of Cornwall Nursery Cafe
The cafe at Duchy of Cornwall Nursery sits on Cott Road, two miles north of Lostwithiel and just down the lane from Restormel Castle. We had breakfast there twice during a week in Cornwall and would go back tomorrow.
Dogs on leads are welcome throughout the nursery, in the glasshouse, at the cafe counter, and on the Woodland Terrace. They are not allowed in the shop, the play garden, or the Orangery (where the reservation-only afternoon teas are served). The staff brought the ladies a small handful of crunchy fishy treats before we had even ordered. It is the kind of thoughtful touch that makes a place feel actually dog-friendly, not just dog-tolerant.
The terrace overlooks the valley towards Restormel Castle. There is a tipi tent for cooler days and the cafe has a fire indoors in winter. It was an unseasonably wet and not-so-warm day, so we sat inside and the terrace was not open. The menu is locally sourced – breakfasts, lunches, sandwiches and cream teas. On my birthday we had the Breakfast Royale, which is a tiered breakfast version of an afternoon tea. It was exceptionally good, and we bought more of the cheese scones from the deli afterwards. Silky Sue made it briefly through her starter before deciding my lap was more comfortable. The other three were perfectly settled in their pop-up pen the whole time.
The site itself was a slate quarry until the late 1960s. The Duchy of Cornwall began producing forest trees here then, opened to the public in 1974, and it has grown into one of the larger plant nurseries in the South West. The cafe, Orangery, and gift shop are more recent additions. The deli sells local produce – we picked up some bits there before driving on.
If you are visiting Restormel Castle, the cafe is the obvious starting or finishing point for the woodland trail that links the two. About 1.14 miles each way, signposted from the nursery car park. We did the walk after breakfast and were back in good time for a cup of tea.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 4.30pm, Sunday 9am to 4pm. Plenty of parking. Free to wander in and out of.
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