Explore our local attractions

Appleby offers visitors the ideal way to enjoy North Cornwall. The stunning beaches of Polzeath and Daymer Bay are less than half a mile from the front door. The nearby South West Coast Path has traffic-free walking from Greenaway to Polzeath and Rock. The path offers incredible views of the unspoilt natural landscape. There are countless restaurants to experience - from traditional Cornish pasties baked in the village shop across the road, to one and two star Michelin restaurants in Port Isaac and Padstow. We have compiled a list of some of our favourite places and experiences on offer around Appleby to share our love of Cornwall. Here's a link to our factsheet containing more of our favourites.

Daymer Bay

Widely regarded to be among the top beaches in the UK, Daymer Bay offers picturesque views over the Camel Estuary. The shallow water provides safe bathing for families as visitors can walk for some way into the sea before needing to swim. Both sides of the beach are enclosed and offer the perfect opportunity for families to enjoy rock pooling while exploring the shore. Daymer Bay is backed by sand dunes, providing shelter for visitors to the beach.​

This is an excellent spot for watersports, with guests enjoying swimming, windsurfing, kitesurfing, boating and canoeing. We learnt to paddleboard there too - it’s perfect for beginners. The water quality was given the highest possible rating in 2018, with a rating of 'Excellent'. Views from the beach look out to the Atlantic and the Camel Estuary.

The beach shop and cafe are the perfect excuse to enjoy an Cornish ice cream in the sun. Adventurous visitors can explore the nearby Brea Hill, which has incredible views of the area and across to Padstow.

Parking and toilet facilities are available at Daymer Bay, but it’s an easy walk down from the house either down Daymer Lane or along the coast path.

Polzeath Beach

Polzeath beach is renowned for the excellent surfing conditions on offer. This is our favourite location for surfing and bodyboarding. Wavehunters offer surfing lessons and watersports hire, with a 10% discount on most items for guests at Appleby if you book online, quoting the discount code in the guest book in the house. Remember to bring proof that you are a guest at Appleby; for example, one of the Appleby guest cards.

Interested in a day of surfing? Check out the surf at the live video feed from Polzeath beach. Get your wetsuit on and find out why it’s the beach of choice for princes, Prime Ministers, famous actors and world-renowned chefs!

Polzeath is also a great location for families and one of the safest beaches along the coast, with seasonal RNLI lifeguard cover and excellent water quality. There are also fish and chip shops, cafes and ice cream vans nearby. This is a must-see.

Coastal Path Walks

Appleby is less than a half a mile from Greenaway beach, which is situated between Daymer Bay and Polzeath.  The beach is unique with its sheltered location and green and pink rocks.  It's the perfect spot for a picnic or a barbeque.  From there, visitors can enjoy the coastal path walk up the coast towards Polzeath, or down towards Daymer Bay.

The coastal walks around Rock deliver exceptional views of the beaches and coastlines of North Cornwall. In particular, the Sir John Betjeman Walk is a great way to explore the stunning coastline surrounding Rock, Daymer Bay, and the historic churchyard of St Enodoc's Church.

St Enodoc's Church is a short walk from Daymer Bay and is the burial place of Sir John Betjeman. The picturesque surroundings of the church overlook the estuary and Brea Hill, a great stand-alone walk for visitors to enjoy stunning panoramic views. From the church, visitors can then walk back down towards Rock, which has numerous pubs, restaurants and cafes or take the pedestrian only ferry to Padstow.

Alternatively, the walk from Polzeath to The Rumps is a great option for experienced walkers. This clifftop coastal walk has breathtaking views and a chance to see the local wildlife, with seals regularly spotted from the path.

More walks can be found via the iWalkCornwall smartphone app. There are printed copies of some of our favourite iWalkCornwall walks at Appleby too.

Cycling the Camel Trail

This former railway line runs from Padstow to Wenford Bridge, via Wadebridge and Bodmin. The Camel Trail is well known as a scenic path for cyclists, with a flat, mostly traffic free route along the Camel Estuary.

We recommend Bridge Bike Hire for bicycle rentals from Nigel. This bike hire rental is in the middle of the Camel Trail and visitors can cycle to Padstow and back, or inland towards Bodmin. The cycle to Padstow is roughly six miles each way. Bike rental is cheaper after 3pm, and Nigel will refund a portion of the parking fee if you leave your car in Wadebridge.  ​

The Camel Trail is a great way to experience the stunning Cornish countryside and can be enjoyed by both families and cycling enthusiasts.

Exploring Wildlife at Rock and Padstow

Our favourite way of getting to Padstow is via the coastal path towards Rock and then the Black Tor ferry from Rock to Padstow. The schedule can be found on the Padstow Harbour website.

There are speedboats which run from Padstow and go on a circular tour of the Camel Estuary. Other boat tours include The Jubilee Queen and Wavehunters Sea Safari. These trips offer a fantastic opportunity to see the local wildlife. We have seen puffins, dolphins, basking sharks, seals and more. We've been close up with dolphins each time we've been out with Wavehunters.  Photographs from these trips can be found on our Twitter page and Instagram page. These boat tours are weather dependent so always enquire before your trip.

Dining in North Cornwall

It's no wonder that the area around Trebetherick is regarded as the centre of all that's good about British food. There are various Michelin-starred restaurants nearby, including Nathan Outlaw's restaurants in Port Isaac, and GQ 2018 Chef of the Year Paul Ainsworth in Padstow. Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant (also in Padstow) was where it all started in 1975, and it’s still going strong. 

There are other great places to eat within walking distance, including Surfside in Polzeath, with its fresh lobster and crab and amazing cocktails. Local delicacies include Porthilly oysters from the Camel Estuary, St Enodoc asparagus, Trevathan Farm strawberries and Cornish cream teas. There's also cheese from Davidstow and River Amble and a wide selection of vegetables from Restharrow Farm shop at the other end of the village. You can wash it all down with award-winning Camel Valley wine or local cider from Haywood Farm.

If you don't want to go out you can let your creative spirit run wild in our well-equipped kitchen, order a meal from the village shop opposite or even book a chef to come round to cook for you.

Poldark Filming Locations

Poldark is set in late 18th-century Cornwall, and follows Captain Ross Poldark's return to Cornwall after the American War of Independence. The current TV series features an array of breathtaking locations along Cornwall's coastline, including Pentire Point which you can walk to from the house via the ferry.

There are more filming locations featured on the Visit Cornwall website, and they include sites such as Charlestown, Bodmin Moor, Holywell Bay and the cliffs surrounding Padstow. You can cycle to Bodmin Moor via the Camel Trail or take a guided Poldark-themed tour of some of the filming locations a little further afield.

St Enodoc Golf Course

This golf course is adored by golfing enthusiasts for the unique fairways and greens, natural terrain and the ever-changing views.

St Enodoc is ranked among the Top 100 Golf Courses in the world. The course is unique in its closeness to nature. The fairways are well maintained and are characteristic of the landscape, with rippled fairways adding interest to the course. The main course is aptly named the St Enodoc church course, getting its name from St Enodoc church, located next to the eleventh hole.

This picturesque course features large, natural sand dunes, some up to 75 feet high, which tower over the fairways. The unique holes and variation throughout the course make this is a must-visit course for golf enthusiasts.