Is there a more romantic view in England than the one over the waves to St Michael’s Mount? The rocky island in Mount’s Bay, Cornwall, packs a magical punch, topped as it is with a majestic edifice that began as a Benedictine priory, became a castle…

Glimpses of Merchants Manor, set above Falmouth, the lively harbour town on Cornwall’s south coast, reveal two dog sculptures outside a Queen Anne-style mansion, leaded windows and a turret. Is it a little... staid? How wrong snatched impressions can…

On Camel Estuary, a stone’s-throw from Polzeath and a ferry-crossing from Padstow, Rock in Cornwall is beloved by boaties. Its long, sandy beach and wonderful walking trails also make it a magnet for holidaymakers. But when the waterfront’s busy, it…

I rarely need an excuse to visit Fowey. This pretty harbour town on the south Cornish coast has a Riviera atmosphere, exquisite views, buzzy streets stuffed with independent galleries, shops and decent restaurants, plus little coves and beaches…

There are many reasons why The Gurnard’s Head stands out – and not just that it offers a vibrant splash of turmeric yellow on the wild moors enveloping it. A large part of The Gurnard’s appeal is that, although it has been beautifully renovated, it…

Sennen Cove is a justifiably popular place in West Cornwall. The views are glorious and the near-mile-long beach flaunts itself in a sweeping crescent facing the Atlantic. Time evaporates as I look out, entranced by hanging clouds, ink-wash skies and…

Fowey (rhymes with ‘boy’) is a charming harbour town on the Cornish Riviera, where writer Daphne du Maurier once lived. It’s now home to actress Dawn French, who jokes about her ‘ghastly’ life from her Italianate mansion overlooking the pretty beach…

As a Cornwall resident, I’ve seen Rock, Polzeath and Padstow draw staycationers by the carload. But now there’s a great new diversion from the main drag: The Pig at Harlyn Bay, which will entice not only the hotel group’s faithful (and fashionable)…

The weather is filthy on the Dartmoor fringes as we tootle along Hotel Endsleigh’s mile-long drive. But I’m not disheartened because at the end lies a special place I’ve visited before and recommended to close friends. The sumptuous Grade I listed…

From the coastal path below its pretty, landscaped gardens, with children’s play areas, a giant chessboard, tennis court and outdoor pool, Polurrian on the Lizard looks dazzling. Set atop cliffs at Mullion on the Lizard peninsula, it has spectacular…

I confess I mistook the brand name Tom Daxon for Tom Dixon at a beauty sale at The Telegraph offices in 2014. Being a fan of Dixon, the famous designer, and thinking he’d finally created some perfumes, I snapped up a box of what I thought were his…

As we arrive at Mullion Cove Hotel, we park, jump out of the car and walk away. This is no slight to the solid, dazzlingly white building behind – it’s just impossible to resist the dramatic coastline spread before us. Perching on a wonky bench in…

Who doesn’t love a National Trust outing? It’s the country houses that attract me. Delusions of grandeur, yes, but I love a sojourn in an imposing old pile with acres of private land. And so to Bodysgallen Hall, a National Trust-owned, Historic House…

Lucinda, Paul, Betty, Chris, Shannon, Sarah… I don’t usually leave a hotel/restaurant knowing the names of the staff, let alone wanting them as friends. But such is the genius of chef Paul Ainsworth and his crack team at Padstow that this is exactly…

Why do people from ‘up-country’ save Penzance for summer? It’s great at all times of year – amazing light and skies; the ocean; dazzling Art Deco lido (heated by natural geothermal energy); subtropical gardens; the elegant Penlee House museum and…

We disgraced ourselves at The Old Coastguard. The sea view from this hotel in the Cornish fishing village of Mousehole is mesmerising. From our balcony we admired St Michael’s Mount, the Lizard peninsula, St Clement’s Isle and Mousehole Harbour. We’d…

Like its fresh white minimalist bottles (somehow reminiscent of an iPhone, and which wouldn’t look out of place in a laboratory), the Barcelona-based perfume house 27 87 has a thoroughly modern approach to our olfactory senses. A tribute to the “the…

I have to be honest, I’m far more a fan of vintage Bentleys than I am of the contemporary models. I’m lucky enough to have been a frequent passenger in a 1925 version, both as an ordinary road passenger – not that you ever feel ordinary in a Bentley…

I have to be honest, I’m far more a fan of vintage Bentleys than I am of the contemporary models. I’m lucky enough to have been a frequent passenger in a 1925 version, both as an ordinary road passenger – not that you ever feel ordinary in a Bentley…