West Cornwall & beyond
The Roundhouse and Swallow Barn are located at Bodrifty amid the exceptional natural beauty of the Land’s End Peninsula, in the far west of Cornwall.for those of us lucky enough to live here, it is the real Cornwall. The gorse-covered moorland, weather-beaten cliffs and prehistory remains of this corner of Cornwall have for centuries attracted artists and writers. When you stay at Swallow Barn, you are ideally placed to explore this inspiring landscape.
Though it feels incredibly secluded, up in the heartland of the Penwith Moors, Bodrify is just a short drive (or walk or bus ride) from the busy coastal towns of Penzance and St Ives, both of which are full of galleries, independent shops, pubs and restaurants.
On Your Doorstep
Swallow Barn is located at Bodrifty, which is a 100 acre organic nature reserve and estate of grassland, woodland and moors, which you can roam at will. Being located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, there is much you can see and do without going on any roads.
A short step into the fields gives a view of the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. Walk a little further and you’ll reach Mulfra Hill, crowned by a 4,000-year-old burial chamber with a most impressive 360º view, taking in vast swathes of Cornwall. These are places off the beaten track and you will be amazed by the tranquility.
We are lucky enough to have the best-preserved Celtic (Iron Age) round houses in England at Bodrifty, only three fields away from Swallow Barn, which you are very welcome to visit; walk through the doorways and be transported back over two millennia. From here the ancient ridgeway path known as The Tinners’ Way runs east to St Ives and West to St Just over miles of untouched moorland, alive with yellow gorse and thick with prehistoric remains. The South West Coastal Footpath, more challenging in its undulations, skirts the entire coast of Cornwall, and can be picked up not far from Bodrifty.
When you book a stay with us, we’ll send you The Guide, our insider guide to the best bits of Cornwall, from destination restaurants and galleries to the best beaches and walks that people like to keep to themselves.There’s even a secret beach that we can show you how to walk to from Bodrifty which has to be one of the world’s finest walks.
But in the meanwhile, here are a few ideas to whet your appetite.
Art, Culture and Days Out
Cornwall has a rich heritage of creativity and art, and the county’s cultural line-up is more vibrant now than ever. Art permeates most aspects of life in West Cornwall, and there’s local, national and international art year-round at Tate St Ives, the Exchange in Penzance and Newlyn Art Gallery. We offer guaranteed places at the excellent Newlyn School of Art, Plays, operas and musicals are staged every summer at the open-air Minack Theatre, built into the cliffs above Porthcurno. Cornwall is also home to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, iconic St Michael’s Mount on the south coast and, of course, the world-famous Eden Project and The Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Food and Drink
Cornwall has a thriving food and drink scene, you can buy fresh, just-landed seafood in the nearby working port of Newlyn; eat at an array of nationally acclaimed restaurants in St Ives or Penzance, including the nationally acclaimed Porthminster Beach Cafe; drink multi-award-winning Cornish ‘champagne’ made by Camel Valley or Poolgoon; or try a cone of Moomaid of Zennor ice-cream made just ‘up the road’ from Bodrifty.
Activities
Thanks to its open spaces and long coastline, Cornwall is perfect for active pursuits. Take your pick from walking, sailing, cycling, fishing, wild swimming, or, of course, some of the best surfing in the UK (including the beautiful Sennen beach, a short drive from Bodrifty). We can organise surfing lessons or charter trips for you – just let us know your wishlist and we will make it happen.