The Emerald, Cornwall – Zero Carbon Luxury

The area

Set between Falmouth and Truro, nestled in a quiet leafy lane, marked out by vibrant purple rhododendron, you’ll find The Emerald Estate, a truly luxurious resort comprising of 5 holiday properties.  The grounds that hold this little known gem are in themselves a breath of fresh air, 5 acres of beautifully maintained landscaped gardens encapsulating tennis courts, indoor swimming pool, croquet, children’s play area and picturesque ornate pond.

Comprising of luxury eco homes suitable for a romantic break for a couple in Cedar or Fern or family get together in the larger Coast and Drift, as well as the more tradition Gatehouse, suitable for a family of four. The properties are well spaced, despite being fully booked the other guests were rarely heard or seen.

Our welcome

We were greeted by the owner, whose mannerisms were true to form of the Cornish relaxed stereotype, despite hailing from Kent Tim exuded an aura of calm, we knew we’d be looked after and could take things easy for our stay. Having pre ordered our groceries for our visit, they had been delivered and packed away in preparation for our arrival, bliss!

The holiday home

Our bolthole for the break was to be the Gatehouse, a traditional country farmhouse overlooking the small orchard.  Tim had kindly provided us with a bottle of wine and local cake to enjoy. Beginning to relax even more now, we flipped off our shoes and took a look around. The kitchen was well equipped with coffee maker and capsules, state of the art oven, everything you could possibly need. With Wi-Fi and Netflix our teens were kept entertained and wanted for nothing. The family bathroom had a luxuriously deep roll top bath, the master bedroom with ensuite had a fantastically large shower, fluffy towels and Egyptian linen were provided throughout. Even on a rather cloudy morning the temptation to throw open the French doors to the master bedroom and be serenaded by the birds was irresistible.

What can you do?

As dog lovers one of the first things we did was to take our four legged friends for a bit of a leg stretch,  we wandered down quiet country lanes, passed by the occasional car but more often horse riders, enjoying the view over rambling hills as we went. Catching sight of a fox and admiring the hard working bumblebee navigating the fox glove flowers.

That evening we decided to take the plunge and make for the swimming pool. Open 24/7 we were able to enjoy the lighting, making the twilight swim something really rather special.

Being exceptionally lazy we were able to order a local take away, details of which are kept in a convenient folder within The Gatehouse, and it was delivered to our door in good time.

Our further visits included a twenty minute trip to Falmouth, where you can enjoy a meal provided by Rick Steins Fish and Chip restaurant or opt for one of the other many eateries on the harbour. We also ventured to the North Coast of Cornwall, a thirty minute car journey took us to the heart of vibrant Newquay with its many year round dog friendly beaches.

That afternoon was rounded up with a family game of tennis, balls and rackets provided, of course.

In short

I couldn’t think of anything negative to say, a tick from me as the dog friendly retreats were very much that, a tick from my 16 year old daughter who enjoyed evening films and swims, a tick from my 13 year old son who played tennis with whoever was available until he could play no more, a tick from my husband who relaxed completely with a glass of wine in a comfy chair. Most of all a tick from the entire family as we were able to enjoy our time spent together completely, something that’s not often achieved, although we’ve taken a little bit of The Emerald ethos home with us and are determined to relax and simply enjoy time a little more.

Make Your Booking

To see if there's any availability in the retreats at The Emerald for you and your family please take a look at their website www.emeraldcornwall.co.uk

mumandworking only ever post real reviews by real mums, our opinions, positive, negative or completely ambiguous are never paid for and are always truthful. Get in touch if you'd like to be included!