North Cornwall
Staying at Rock House you are ideally placed to visit the many attractions in Cornwall and neighbouring Devon, there are parks, houses and theatres.. there is shopping and day trips, playgrounds and gardens. The sea and the Coastal Path is plenty for some but for those with children or with a yen to roam I have listed a few of the places to visit here. These are all places (unless specified) that we have visited and liked but there is also a pretty comprehensive set of brochures inside the house with details of most of the South West's venues so that you can find your ideal destination.

Bike Hire - Bicycles can be hired from a number of places but the one we've tried is The Bridge Bike Hire in Wadebridge (Call 01208 813050). Try Padstow Cycle Hire (Call 01841 533533) if you want to go from the other end. You can usually just turn up and take a bike but the bookings tend to be allocated the best bikes first. 25 mins.

For children:
The Bicycle Museum - The Old Camelford Station has been turned into a quaint but comprehensive museum on the theme of cycling through the years. The museum is a private enterprise set up by an enthusiastic couple who have - over the years - built an impressive collection of bikes and memorabilia. 5 mins.

Hidden Valley - Tredidon, Launceston. This is fun! You get to the Hidden Valley by turning off the A395 Launceston road. There really is something for everyone here it's a gentle family run place but the main attraction is the "Crystal Treasure Hunt", it's stimulating, educational and charming. There's even a model railway for the young ones (and Dad). 30 mins.

Bodmin & Wenford Railway - In the tradition of the Railway enthusiast, The Bodmin and Wenford Railway is run by volunteers and looks after some 7 miles of railway track between Bodmin and Wenford. The rolling stock is as you'd expect, saved from the scrap heap and the main Station (in Bodmin town itself) is pretty and well preserved. Although the train doesn't go very fast, it's a good morning out and there is the inevitable "Santa Steamings" around Christmas and New Year, a favourite - of course - with the smaller children. 30 mins.

Crealys (formally "Shires") - Located off the A39 Wadebridge to St Colomb. This is an adventure park with enough white knuckle to satisfy the kids and enough wildlife and farm attractions to help Mum think it's OK too. 40 mins.

Brocklands - Near Bude, this is another family run adventure park, this one features farm related attractions as well as a barn full of climbing frames, ball pools and mazes. There are pony rides and a steam train. 40 mins.

Something for everyone:

Beaches
Where do you start? Well, a good place to start is locally:

Trebarwith Strand - it's renowned for its lovely sand and great surfing waves. It does tend to attract a lot of surfers in the summer months but that's no bad thing and the beach (at low water) is very long and it's easy to get away from the crowd if you want to. The sea engulfs the beach at high tide twice a day, but this means that you get the best of both worlds; a super beach at low tide (this lasts for about 8 hours at a time) and wonderful, crashing waves to watch at high tide. There are experienced life-guards provided by the local surf club on duty at all times when the beach is busy and the little rows of shops and houses either side of the road to the beach supply snacks, drinks, beach balls, etc. etc. There is also the Port William perched overlooking the beach and rocks and which serves good food and a couple of nice real ales.. great for a pint and a plate whilst watching the sunset over Gull Rock!

Polzeath - another famous surfing beach - is down the coast towards Padstow and here you can settle down on the enormous expanse of sand for most of the day until chased away by the tide. The shops here concentrate mainly on the surf community and you can pick up some great surf kit and clothes. Learning to wind-surf, Kite surf, body-board or just surf is easy here just sign up with one of the many schools. 20 mins.

Other Beaches - Daymer Bay, Tregardock, The Strangles, and the smaller stony beaches at Port Isaac, Port Gaverne and Port Quin are all also worth a visit see above for details on Surfing

Rock Ferry - the popular Rock Ferry runs across the Camel Estuary between Padstow and Rock. It's a quick ride (about 5 minutes) but it's a lovely way to get to Padstow. 25 mins.

Sea Trips & Fishing - there is a number of boats advertising sea trips and fishing excursions as well as jaunts to the rock islands where many wild birds can be seen. Seals and Dolphins are also visitors to the coast and can sometimes be spotted from the boats. Padstow (25 mins.) has a number of companies offering trips including the hugely popular speed launches; "Jaws", "Cyclone" and "Tempest" which whiz around the mouth of the Estuary. Port Isaac (15 mins.) also has a couple of boats, our favourite has to be Winnie-the-Pooh which goes out mackerel fishing and for trips around the bay.

The South West Cliff Path, it's a wonderful thing. It is possible to walk from Minehead in Somerset right around the toe of England and Cornwall to Poole in Dorset 630 miles away. The path and is an almost relentless exhibition of the most beautiful views and varied walking. If you'd like to stay put for a while though, the local bit is amongst the most spectacular. The walking varies from gentle to extremely tough and it's advisable to plan your walk if you do take one on. Within easy walking of the house are Tintagel Church and the beach at Trebarwith Strand although there are one or two steep bits down to the beach. A little harder and further is Tintagel Castle and the town itself. If you're feeling brave you can take the path to Port Isaac which is a wonderful walk but tough in places and likely to take at least 2 hours if you're fit.

Other Walks - Apart from the Cliff Path there are many walks to take. The visitor's centre in Tintagel and Boscastle will be happy to point out some super local walks meandering through the countryside and up and down to the sea. Bodmin Moor is a treat for those interested in the majesty of the moors and a good walk can be taken up to rough Tor and the Cheesewring. The Swans Way provides an alternative to the Cliff Path and the Camel Trail is also fun, this runs between Padstow and Bodmin and on the Wadebridge section has been turned over almost exclusively to cycles although you can walk as long as you can dodge out of the way!br>
Tintagel (Arthur's) Castle & Merlin's Cave - Closer to home and walkable along the cliff path from the house is Tintagel Castle and English Heritage site. What is left of the Castle stands on a large outcrop of rock at the end of the Tintagel Valley, there are many stories about the place and it's fun to visit even if it seems that it had very little to do with Arthur. 5 mins. King Arthur's Halls. Tintagel has long been a centre for those interested in the Arthurian legend. Tintagel is held by some to be the real Camelot and although disputed by many, in the early 20th century gained a great deal of fame as a mystic site and became a popular tourist destination. 5 mins.

King Arthur's Stone. Legend has it that the last Arthurian battle was fought here at Slaughterbridge. A good walk accompanied by reconstructed battles add to the excitement. 10 mins.

Tintagel Church - You will pass Tintagel Church on Coast path on the way to the Castle and it's well worth a visit. It's an ancient building but still an active place of worship. The Christmas Carol service is lovely, on the cliff tops with no light pollution it really is Heaven on Earth. 25 mins. Walk 10 mins drive.

Houses - Lanhydrock House situated close to Bodmin and handy if you're taking the steam railway trip is said to be well worth a go. There are additional brochures in the house for places further afield. 30 mins.

The Eden Project - This is an extraordinary horticultural venture built in an old clay pit near St Austell on the South Coast of Cornwall. The high-tech domes provide for different climates in which examples of the world's most interesting plants and habitats can be found. There are things for the children to do too.. interactive exhibits and tractor trips, film shows and experiments. 1 hour.

Minack - An open air theatre in the style of an amphitheatre carved from the rock high on the Cliffs and made famous by BBC1's dancers is near Porthcurno (Lands End) so it's a bit of a schlep but is fantastically atmospheric and impressive not to mention entertaining. Go and hear all about Rowena Cade who built the place almost single handed. 1 hour 30 mins. Call 01736 810181/471 or visit: www.minack.com

Mousehole Christmas Lights - Decorating your house and village for Christmas is something of a tradition in Cornwall. So much so that competitions are held between towns for the most impressive display. You'll enjoy seeing the local contribution if you're lucky enough to be at Rock House during the Festive Season but for a knock your socks off experience head for the Mousehole Christmas lights! 2 hours.

Art - There is much amateur and low level professional art around in Cornwall, some good and some not so good. There are galleries in most of the towns listed and one or two (like Katie Childs' Cliffside gallery in Port Isaac - 01208 880988) are a real find. There will be plenty to suit every taste. Serious art lovers should take a trip to St. Ives where the Tate has set up shop capitalising on the St. Ives movement and the Ben Nicholson/Barabara Hepworth era. There is also an interesting museum in Hepworth's house where you can see her studio pretty much as she left it as well as many of her sculptures.

Other attractions - The Lost Gardens of Heligan, St. Nectan's Glen, St. Michaels' Mount, Launceston and Pendennis Castle are again reputed (by people we trust) to be a good day out but they are all a little further away. Details and flyers can be found in the house.

Most people find that, by the time they've wrenched themselves away from the house - which can be quite difficult - and then taken the walks that you just can't resist, had a couple of great evenings at a local hostelry and done one or two of the things on this list, time has run out. Whatever you do and however you spend your time at Rock House, we hope you enjoy your holidays there as much as we do and that you keep coming back.