Trelowarren Eco Cottages Review

Posted: 07 February 2008 by Adam Vaughan

Eco thinking continues throughout the estate, and in the smallest of places. There are energy-saving bulbs in many of the cottages -- though a few energy-guzzling halogens too, tut-tut -- Energy Saving A-rated appliances and a pledge to buy only A+ and A++ new white goods, ecological Ecover cleaning products in the kitchens, plus Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar. The emphasis on local sourcing extends right down to the Cornish bed linen.

Although we visited the estate during the summer of torrential rain -- it tipped down for our stay -- Trelowarren makes for a great holiday experience. If you like walking, eating, dozing and generally chilling out, it's perfect. It's a great base for hikes, plus you can hire cycles for expeditions to some decent restaurants nearby (we ate at the excellent organic and local-loving Greenhouse). The estate's own restaurant, New Yard, also has a green philosophy, with head chef Greg Laskey aiming to source food from a ten-mile radius, or within Cornwall at most. We enjoyed a deliciously creamy wild garlic soup, made with garlic picked from the roadside.

In short, we're smitten with Trelowarren -- it's green, beautiful, fun and posh without being sniffy. If we were trying to pick holes, we'd note that it's tricky to get to without a car, but even if you do drive, you can rest assured you'll be creating a much smaller carbon footprint than you would by taking the same holiday halfway round the world.