The cat’s out of the bag – Cornwall in winter is a secret just waiting to be shared!

Think you know Cornwall? Then think again. Take another look at the county and gain a fresh perspective during the winter when its incredible beauty is laid bare. In fact, for the people that live there, Cornwall at this time of year remains its best kept secret, encapsulated in its wild and bracing atmosphere.

“Cornwall is both at its most beautiful and deserted in winter and for the locals, it really is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered,” comments Richard Beaman, Director of www.cornwallscottages.co.uk. “Rugged and windswept, it is quite spectacular and there’s nothing more mesmerising than a wild winter storm. I’m fascinated by the seasonal changes that coast and country undergo and it’s exhilarating to see the stirring seascapes and landscapes, whether it’s to stride out on an empty beach or take a ramble over brooding Bodmin Moor.”

Here are Richard’s six of the best reasons to visit Cornwall in winter:

• Dramatic walks are to be had on both the coast and moors. The South West Coast Path, wrapping around the county, offers spectacular cliff-top and beachside walks; try stepping out from Polruan to Looe on the Gribbin Head-Polperro Heritage Coast. Bodmin and Dartmoor, rich in history through their stone circles and tors, are perhaps most evocative in winter, and it’s likely you’ll only see a handful of people.

• Main attractions such as the Eden Project (just as spectacular in winter as summer) and the National Maritime Museum, along with castles such as Pendennis at Falmouth and stately homes like Lanhydrock House, can be taken in without the crowds.

• Enjoy glorious gardens such as those at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Trebah and Lanhydrock, all to yourself, and there’s plenty to see thanks to Cornwall’s mild winters.

• Breeze into celebrity restaurants without sight of a queue – check out Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in Newquay and Rick Stein’s eateries in Padstow.

• Give the dogs a treat - take them out to hare along open beaches, from which they are banned in the summer.

• Drop into the art galleries and boutiques of St Ives, Padstow and Fowey with more time and space to peruse; and more than likely you’ll find a parking space first time!

www.cornwallscottages.co.uk & www.stmawesholidays.co.uk have over 50 self catering holiday cottages across south Cornwall, specialising in the Roseland Peninsula. From waterside cottages to converted barns to luxury apartments, there is something for all tastes and budgets. For more information, visit the websites of call us on 01872 264441.

Stay on the Tregothnan Estate!

The historic Tregothnan Estate in the St Michael Penkivel area of south Cornwall can boast a number of ‘firsts’. It is home to the UK’s only tea plantation; the first place outside of New Zealand to produce Manuka honey; the first to cultivate the Wollemia Pine, one of the world’s rarest trees; the only place where Black Kea Plums are grown and the site of the largest historic garden in Cornwall.

Now, following the introduction of a small selection of characterful coastal and creek-side properties, completely refurbished to provide comfortable self-catering retreats in 2010, it is also possible to stay on the Tregothnan Estate. The Estate has introduced their “Wild Escapes” concept which offers basic, yet very comfortably refurbished holiday cottages in unique and remote locations around Cornwall. You can escape from the realities of everyday life in these peaceful spots, where often, mod cons such as TV’s, DVD’s, dishwahers and washing machines have purposely been left out of the refurbishments to create a total “Wild Escape”.

Home to the Boscawen family since 1335, the Tregothnan Estate is one of the largest land owners in Cornwall and e stretches from the north side of the Roseland Peninsula to the unspoilt coastline of the Lizard Peninsula, both Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is an ideal base for those who enjoy walking, wildlife, botany and water-based activities.

One of the new holiday properties, Bethel Cottage, offers a remote, rural location, with herons, cormorants and other wildlife visible from the vantage point of its bedroom window overlooking the tidal creek. Numerous footpaths traverse this conservation area, with its unique plum orchards, while creek-side trails add to its diversity.

English Tea, Manuka honey, Kea Plum Jam, handmade chocolates and edible chilli and herb bouquets, are among the delightful products available at The Tregothnan Shop. A limited number of private tours of the Botanical Garden are also arranged each year, giving a select number of visitors the opportunity to appreciate the passion for growing and collecting plants behind Tregothnan.

Whilst peace and remoteness are at the heart of this holiday, Bethel Cottage is still only 10 minutes’ drive from Truro, with its numerous excellent shops and restaurants, as well as being within easy access of the watersports facilities offered by both Falmouth and St Mawes.

Prices for a week at Bethel Cottage, which sleeps up to four guests, range from £449 in May to £999 in August. For further information visit www.cornwallscottages.co.uk or telephone 01872 264441.