Right, so Watergate Bay is on your doorstep and it is genuinely brilliant — but if you're staying for a week you'll want to explore a bit. Cornwall has some extraordinary beaches and most of the north coast's best ones are within 20 minutes of Bluehouse. Here's where we'd send you.

Watergate Bay (on the doorstep)

Nearly two miles of north-facing sand. Exposed to the Atlantic so the surf is reliable — the Extreme Academy is based here and is excellent if you fancy a lesson. At low tide it's enormous. The Watergate Bay Hotel does a great breakfast and an excellent post-surf coffee. Walk down from the house in 8–10 minutes.

Mawgan Porth (5 min drive)

Our second favourite. Smaller, more sheltered, in a valley between two cliffs. Much calmer than Watergate — brilliant for families with little ones who want to actually build sandcastles rather than fight the waves. Dogs are allowed year-round. The Merrymoor Inn is right above the beach.

Fistral Beach, Newquay (8 min drive)

One of the most famous surf beaches in Europe. Even if you're not surfing it's worth going — the setting is dramatic, Newquay is right behind it for food, and there are some good surf shops. Gets busy in summer but the beach is big enough to absorb it.

Constantine Bay (15 min drive)

This is the one the locals love. Wide, wild and often much quieter than the others. The dunes behind it are great for the kids and there's a lovely National Trust café at Trevose Head nearby. Worth the slightly longer drive.

Polzeath (20 min drive)

A classic. Good beginner surf, pretty sheltered, loads of beach cafés and ice cream. Very popular with families and young groups. Gets crowded in August but outside of peak season it's brilliant.

We have body boards and beach toys at the house — grab them on the way out the door. The drive along the coastal road is worth it in itself.

It rains in Cornwall. There, we said it. If you're coming in April or October there's a decent chance at least one day will be a write-off weatherwise. The thing is — and this is genuinely true — some of the best days we've had at Bluehouse have been the wet ones. Slower, cosier, less rushed.

Start at home

Honestly? Don't underestimate a rainy morning at Bluehouse. A big cooked breakfast, the kids in the cinema room, the adults with coffee and the papers. There's no rush. That's the point of renting a house like this rather than a hotel. Use it. The hot tub is actually brilliant in the rain — there's something slightly mad and brilliant about sitting in warm water while it pours down around you.

The Eden Project (45 min drive)

The big one. It's brilliant and it doesn't matter what the weather does because the biomes are enormous indoor spaces. Allow a full day — there's loads to see and the kids will run themselves ragged. Book in advance online, it's cheaper. Don't leave it to the day.

Newquay Aquarium (10 min drive)

Good for younger kids. Not massive but well done — sharks, rays, Cornish rock pool creatures. Takes about two hours. Pair it with lunch in Newquay town.

Padstow (25 min drive)

Padstow is brilliant in the rain. The harbour, the shops, Rick Stein's — none of it requires sunshine. We'd recommend wandering around, finding a coffee, doing the Rick Stein fish and chip shop rather than the full restaurant (honestly just as good, a third of the price, and no booking required). The drive there along the coast is dramatic on a stormy day.

Tate St Ives (50 min drive)

Worth the drive if you have older kids or the adults want an afternoon. The Tate gallery is small but beautifully done and St Ives itself is gorgeous even in the rain. There are good cafés and some excellent independent shops.

Stay in and cook

Our actual favourite rainy day plan: go to the farm shop or supermarket in the morning, come back and cook something slow and good for everyone. Cornish lamb in the oven, something bubbling on the hob, everyone in the kitchen. That's what the big kitchen is for.

You don't need to be a surfer to love Watergate Bay. But if you're staying right above it and you've never tried it, you'd be mad not to give it a go at least once. Here's what you need to know.

Is it right for beginners?

Yes. The beach faces northwest and gets a consistent Atlantic swell — not giant waves but reliable enough to learn on. The sand is soft (important when you fall off, and you will fall off). The schools here are very used to complete beginners, including older adults and kids.

Extreme Academy — Watergate Bay

The big one, based right on Watergate Bay. They do surfing but also kite surfing, coasteering and land boarding. Lessons are professional, well-run and the instructors are patient. Great for groups because they can take a lot of people at once. Book well in advance in summer — they fill up fast. watergatebay.co.uk/extreme-academy

Revel Surf School

A slightly smaller, more personal option based in Newquay but operating on Watergate too. Good if you want smaller groups or one-to-one instruction. Good for kids who might get a bit lost in a big group lesson.

What to wear / bring

The schools provide boards and wetsuits, so you don't need to bring anything except a swimsuit to wear underneath, a towel and some enthusiasm. The water is cold even in summer — you'll be glad of the wetsuit. We have an outdoor shower at Bluehouse for rinsing down when you get back.

Body boarding instead?

Totally valid and honestly brilliant fun. We have body boards at the house you can use. Grab fins if you have them (you can buy cheap ones in Newquay), get in the water and let the waves do the work. Kids love it, adults who claim they're too old for it always end up staying in for two hours.

Best time to go

Early morning is best — the beach is quieter, the surf schools are less busy, and there's something genuinely special about Watergate Bay at 7am on a clear morning. Outside of August it's almost empty. We'd take that over a crowded summer beach any day.

We've eaten at most of the places near Bluehouse over the years. Here's the honest version — not a sponsored list, just what we'd actually book.

Zacry's — Watergate Bay Hotel

Right on the beach, five minutes from Bluehouse. You can walk there, which is brilliant if you've had a drink. The food is genuinely good — a modern menu that changes with the season, very Cornish in its ingredients. The view is hard to beat. It's not cheap, but for a special evening it's worth it. Book well ahead in summer. The breakfast is also excellent and worth doing at least once during your stay.

The Beach Hut — Watergate Bay Hotel

The more casual sibling of Zacry's, also on the beach. Burgers, fish tacos, proper chips. Great for lunch after a surf. The kids' menu is decent and they don't mind sandy feet. Much easier to get a table than Zacry's. We've had a lot of very happy lunches here.

The Tartan Fox — Mawgan Porth

Our actual favourite for a relaxed dinner. It's a pub that takes its food seriously — good wine list, properly cooked meat, the kind of place where you end up staying for another drink when you meant to leave. The Sunday roast is excellent. Dog friendly too. Highly recommended.

Rick Stein's — Padstow (25 min drive)

You have to go at least once. The original fish restaurant is brilliant — fresh seafood, proper cooking. The fish and chip shop on the quayside is honestly just as enjoyable and doesn't need a booking. Padstow itself is lovely to walk around even if you're just going for ice cream.

Pizza near Watergate Bay

For a relaxed group night in Newquay, Fistral Beach Hotel does a decent pizza. There are also a few good independent pizza places in Newquay town — worth googling what's on when you're there as they change. Alternatively: order in, fire up the kitchen and make your own. We have everything you need.

Best Sunday roast nearby

The Tartan Fox does a proper roast and is our first choice. The Merrymoor Inn at Mawgan Porth also does a good roast on Sundays — book ahead, it fills up fast with locals who know what they're doing.

When someone first suggested hiring a private chef for a night at Bluehouse, we thought it sounded a bit over the top. Then we did it. It was one of the best evenings of the whole holiday. Here's the honest take.

What actually happens

The chef arrives a couple of hours before dinner, takes over the kitchen (our kitchen is big enough — that matters), cooks a proper multi-course meal and serves it. You don't lift a finger. No one has to argue about who's cooking. No one spends the evening stressed over a recipe. You all just sit down together and eat something genuinely delicious. For a group of 10–14 it works out surprisingly reasonable per head.

Cornwall has brilliant private chefs

The food scene in Cornwall is excellent — lots of chefs who trained in good restaurants and now do private dining. They'll source local seafood, Cornish beef and lamb, seasonal veg. Much of it better than you'd get in a restaurant.

Who to contact

Here are a few we'd recommend looking at:

chefcornwall.com — a good selection of private chefs across Cornwall, various styles and price points.

yhangry.com — an excellent platform for booking private chefs across the UK, including Cornwall. You can browse menus and get instant quotes.

privatediningcornwall.co.uk — specifically focused on Cornwall. Worth a look for locally based chefs who know the area's ingredients.

Book well ahead in summer — the good ones fill up quickly. Tell them it's for Bluehouse in Tregurrian and they'll know the setup. Get in touch with us if you want a personal recommendation — we've had chefs work in the house before and can point you in the right direction.

When it makes most sense

A birthday dinner. An anniversary. The first night when everyone's just arrived and no one wants to cook. Or honestly just any night when you think "we've got a beautiful house, let's make the most of it." We'd suggest booking one evening per week rather than every night — the contrast makes it feel more special, and having a cook-together night the rest of the time is brilliant in its own way.

The cost

Typically £60–100 per head including food, depending on the menu and the chef. For 14 people that's £800–1,400 for the evening — sounds like a lot until you divide it between everyone and compare it to a restaurant bill for the same group. Often it works out similar or cheaper, and it's a much better experience.

Cornwall produces some really good gin. Tarquin's is the big one — made in Wadebridge and genuinely excellent. Caspyn, Colwith Farm and a few others are worth hunting down too. Here are three cocktails we make at Bluehouse that are simple enough to do for the whole group but actually taste like something you'd order in a bar.

The Cornish Coastal (serves 1, scale up easily)

50ml Tarquin's gin · 25ml elderflower cordial · juice of half a lime · top with sparkling water or tonic · handful of ice · sprig of fresh mint

Mix the gin, elderflower and lime over ice, top with sparkling water. That's it. Refreshing, not too sweet, brilliant in the sun. If you want to make a jug for 10 people: 500ml gin, 250ml elderflower, juice of 5 limes, a litre of sparkling water. Done in five minutes.

The Hot Tub Special (serves 1)

50ml Tarquin's Cornish Sea Salted gin · 15ml St Germain elderflower liqueur · juice of one lime · 3 slices cucumber · top with Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic

Muddle the cucumber in the bottom of a glass. Add ice, gin, St Germain and lime. Top with tonic. The sea salt gin sounds odd but it genuinely works — there's a slight brininess that tastes like Cornwall. Best drunk in the hot tub as the sun goes down.

Cornish Sling (serves 1)

50ml Caspyn Cornish Dry Gin · 20ml cherry brandy · 10ml Benedictine · juice of half a lemon · 5ml sugar syrup · top with soda

Shake everything except the soda over ice, strain into a glass filled with ice, top with soda. A proper cocktail that takes a bit more effort but is worth it for a special evening. The cherry brandy is key — don't skip it.

Where to buy Cornish gin

Tarquin's is in most supermarkets now and in every bottle shop in Cornwall. For the others, try Trevibban Mill near Padstow, or the deli in St Mawes. There's also a Cornish Gin distillery shop worth visiting if you're passing.

There's something about a long, slow Sunday roast when you've got a big group together in a holiday house. Everyone in the kitchen, something smelling brilliant, no one rushing anywhere. This is the recipe we always come back to — it takes about 10 minutes to prep, then the oven does the work for 4 hours while you go to the beach.

What you need (feeds 10–12)

2 legs of Cornish lamb, about 2.5kg each · 1 whole bulb of garlic · 2 large onions, halved · 4 sprigs fresh rosemary · good olive oil · sea salt and black pepper · 500ml white wine or stock · squeeze of lemon

What to do

Take the lamb out of the fridge an hour before you want to cook. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Cut the garlic into slivers and stab little slits all over the lamb — push a sliver of garlic and a small bit of rosemary into each one. Rub all over with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper. Put the onion halves in the roasting tin to create a trivet. Sit the lamb on top, pour the wine or stock around (not over) the meat. Roast at 220°C for 20 minutes, then turn down to 160°C. Cook for 3.5–4 hours — it should be falling off the bone.

While the lamb cooks

Go to the beach. Come back, put some potatoes on to roast (about 90 minutes before serving), throw together a salad. Bread. That's genuinely all you need. The lamb will have created its own gorgeous gravy in the tin.

Where to buy Cornish lamb

Newquay has a good butcher — ask for local Cornish lamb and they'll know what you want. Tesco also stocks decent lamb. If you want something special, the farm shops near Padstow are worth the drive — Cornish lamb doesn't need much doing to it.

Works equally well with beef

A large Cornish topside or rolled rib of beef works with almost the same method — same temperature, similar time. Ask your butcher to roll and tie it. Serve with horseradish. Equally brilliant, equally easy.

Half term at Bluehouse is genuinely one of our favourite times of year. The summer crowds have gone, the weather in October is often surprisingly good, and the kids think they're getting away with something by being out of school for a week in Cornwall. Here's how we'd plan it.

The beach is still brilliant

Watergate Bay in October is actually stunning. The surf picks up with the autumn swells, the beach is much quieter, and the light is beautiful. Wetsuits are essential but the kids won't care — give them body boards and they'll be in for hours. Pack warm clothes for when they come out.

Eden Project — perfect half term destination

About 45 minutes away and absolutely brilliant for a full day with kids. The biomes are warm (crucial in October), there's loads to explore and the children's activities during half term are excellent. Book tickets online in advance. Allow the whole day.

Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay (10 min)

Good for younger kids — sharks, rays, Cornish sea life. Takes about 2 hours. Pair it with lunch in Newquay or wander up to Fistral Beach afterwards for a run around.

Padstow on a weekday

Much nicer than in summer. The harbour, the fishing boats, the shops. Take the ferry across the estuary to Rock for the fun of it, then come back for fish and chips on the quayside. Kids love the fairy tale element of a little boat crossing.

Bluehouse is the activity

Don't underestimate the house. Half term is when the cinema room, the gaming room and the playroom really earn their keep. If the weather turns, nobody minds — you've got enough to keep everyone happy indoors. And the hot tub in autumn, with the kids in there after a cold beach day, is brilliant.

Booking for half term

October half term books up quickly at Bluehouse — usually by the spring before. If you want a specific week it's worth getting in touch as early as possible. We have a 3-night minimum outside peak season so a mid-week break is also possible if you can't do a full week.

August at Bluehouse costs £6,950 for the week. That's not a small amount of money and we know it — which is why we want to help you make every day count. Here's how we'd plan a perfect summer week, roughly day by day.

Arrival day (Saturday)

Check-in from 4pm. Don't plan anything ambitious. Get everyone settled, unpack, go to Tesco for supplies (5 minutes), cook something simple together, get the hot tub fired up. First drink of the holiday in the garden as the sun goes down. That's the job done.

Sunday

Morning: walk down to Watergate Bay. Swim, body board, coffee at the Beach Hut. Afternoon: slow roast Cornish lamb in the oven, everyone does their own thing. Evening: proper sit-down dinner together. Sunday roast + good wine. Bliss.

Monday

Book surf lessons with Extreme Academy first thing (book before you arrive, they fill up fast in August). Two hours in the water, then lunch at Zacry's if you can get a table, or the Beach Hut if you can't. Afternoon: beach. Evening: everyone's exhausted, order pizza, cinema room.

Tuesday — day trip

Drive to Padstow. Walk around the harbour, do Rick Stein's fish and chips on the quayside (no booking needed, queue is worth it). Drive back via Constantine Bay — stop for an hour, the dunes are brilliant for kids. Back for sunset in the hot tub.

Wednesday

Mawgan Porth for the morning — calmer than Watergate, great for younger kids. Afternoon: private chef dinner if you've booked one, or a proper cook-together in the kitchen. This is the halfway point of the week — worth making it a good evening.

Thursday — Newquay or Fistral

Fistral Beach in the morning. Newquay town for lunch — good options, not just tourist food. Afternoon: free time, shopping, ice cream. The Tartan Fox for dinner — book ahead.

Friday

Last proper beach day. Whatever the group's favourite beach has been — go back. One last surf or body board session. Come home, shower, the outdoor shower for wetsuit rinsing. Last hot tub of the week. One more good dinner.

Saturday — checkout day

Check out by 10am. Not much time. Pack the night before, leave the house as you found it, grab breakfast at the Watergate Bay Hotel if you have time — worth it for the view one last time. Then home.

We welcome well-behaved dogs at Bluehouse — up to two included in the price — and Cornwall is genuinely one of the best counties in England for them. Here's where we'd point you.

Best dog-friendly beaches

Mawgan Porth — dogs allowed year-round. Five minutes from Bluehouse. Never as packed as Watergate, good rock pools at low tide. The Merrymoor Inn is dog-friendly too.

Constantine Bay — dogs allowed year-round. Wide, wild and usually quiet. The dunes are a brilliant run-around.

Watergate Bay — dogs allowed before 9am and after 6pm May to September, all day the rest of the year. Early morning on Watergate with a dog is one of the better things in life.

Best walks

The South West Coast Path passes right behind Bluehouse. Walk north to Mawgan Porth (about 45 minutes each way, dramatic cliff tops) or south towards Newquay. Both brilliant with a dog. The walk to the beach and back via the coastal path is a good 40-minute loop to start the morning.

Dog-friendly pubs

The Tartan Fox, Mawgan Porth — dogs in the bar, genuinely good food. Our first recommendation for any evening out.

The Merrymoor Inn, Mawgan Porth — right above the beach, dogs welcome, very relaxed.

The Travellers Rest, St Mawgan — lovely Cornish village pub, dogs always welcome, great beer garden.

Please note: we ask that dogs aren't left alone in the house unsupervised, and are kept off furniture and beds. Up to 2 dogs are included; additional dogs are £35 each — just let us know when you book.

Getting 14 people to agree on where to go for dinner is hard. Getting them all in the same place for a week, having a good time, without anyone falling out — that's the real challenge. Here's what actually works.

Book early

Bluehouse sleeps 14 and there genuinely aren't many houses this size in Cornwall that are comfortable rather than just technically large. Summer weeks and school holidays go 12–18 months ahead. If you've got a date in mind, get it in. Book direct with us for the best rate and the most flexibility.

Split the cost by room, not by head

The fairest split for a group this size is by bedroom, not per person — otherwise couples pay double what singles pay. Agree on it before anyone books flights or takes time off work. And collect the money before the trip. Chasing reimbursements after is nobody's idea of fun.

Plan a couple of things, not everything

Book a surf lesson for the group. Book one big dinner out. Beyond that, leave it loose — different people will want different things and that's fine. The house is big enough that not everyone has to do everything together. That's actually the point.

Use the kitchen

A big group cook is usually the highlight of the week. Stock up on arrival day, assign someone to organise it, and do a proper sit-down dinner together. Our kitchen is built for exactly this. The slow roast lamb recipe elsewhere in this journal feeds 12 and takes about 10 minutes of actual work.

Book direct for the best experience

You're dealing with Lyndsey — the owner, not a property management company. She'll answer questions quickly, help you sort out any issues and can recommend things that aren't on any list online. And you'll pay less than through Airbnb or VRBO.