Chy An Vre, Road Test

There are intriguing trends within domestic tourism expenditure. For several areas in the UK, the biggest proportion of overnight tourism expenditure is made by those visiting from within the same region. In simple terms, we stick to what we know.

Approximately 45% of holiday spend in Scotland is from Scottish residents.

And over £650 million pounds spent on overnight tourism in the South West is by residents from the South West.

(The GB Tourist 2019 Annual Report, Visit Britain)

Clearly some of us simply prefer to further explore the corners of our own regions and spend our holiday time in the area that we love most. For me, I simply cannot get enough of the South West and when the opportunity arose to Road Test a new Cornish property, I dived right in.

It is not advisable to Road Test as a couple alone, there is a very real risk of locking the door, ordering in and bingeing on On Demand. We always ensure that we either take Reg and Ron to trial dog friendly homes, or one of the kids accompany us for family friendly abodes. Case in point – you have to go out at some point.

My enduring memory of staying in Chy an Vre will be rock pooling in the harbour with my daughter. You only have to peer through the kitchen window of this charming former fisherman’s cottage to be inspired by the Davy’s Locker décor. The owner has put their own unique spin on living by the sea, and it is utterly magical.

Relaxing on the sofa is easy, with the fire embers glowing away in the log burner, it rather feels like you’re the one in the fish tank and the underwater creatures floating against the walls are actually watching you. Creep upstairs to the landing and you’d be forgiven for tripping out and thinking you are now actually down below, (no not in the Upside Down), but down below in the ships galley. The nautical objet d’art and nods to the maritime history are captivating.

The single bedroom (with pull out trundle) was perfect for my three year old daughter. Her dad has history of rolling out of the top bunk whilst asleep, so knowing that she had a soft landing as opposed to the original timber floorboards was comforting. If I’m being PC, this room would suit anyone including those comfortable with their masculinity, but lets be honest here; its pink. Really, really pink, and totally fit for a princess.

The 2^nd floor bedroom is genius. A bespoke carpentry job, carried off superbly. The four single beds are best suited to kids or teenagers at a push, rather than adults, but you really do feel as though you are deep in a ship’s belly at sea. A Smart TV and bean bags means that you can leave them to get on with it whilst you plan the next adventure.

The Master bedroom looks like it has walked out of a chateau from the Aquitaine. A timeless French antique style with so much character the furniture could have Lumiere and Cogsworth for company. The bedroom design has been purposely woven into the cottage’s sea life accent and dressed with coral themed furnishings, and a wallpaper so brilliantly subtle, you feel like you’ve been caught in the fisherman’s net.

The shower room and only toilet in the cottage is understandably understated, the décor less in your face for your five minutes alone. The tiling for the large walk-in shower is beautiful, clean and crisp. As reminded, just make sure you shower with the window open, it is an authentic Cornish cottage and will trap moisture like an oyster.

The rear terraced gardens leading upwards behind the cottage are an absolute bonus. Several elevation levels each providing a unique perspective over the village, harbour and surrounding valley. I can easily envisage spending several memorable summer evenings with a bbq and close friends out there.

Chy an Vre (House on the Hill) is for me ideally positioned, centre-ville, but sufficiently far away from the main drag in Port Issac and the throngs of visitors taking the same Insta-chat-book shots of Doc Martin’s surgery. At night the occasional vehicle traversing up the typically tight Cornish street can reverberate a little noise, but after a certain hour this abates.

The property benefits enormously from a parking space, a short stroll from the front door. Although we’d rather not have left, we were packed up and back in Launceston on the A30 within 35 minutes.

A sublime bolthole for anyone in the South West in need of a short break, and a more than seaworthy base for your annual Cornish holiday.