Quay Cottage Pentillie

Detached two-bedroom cottage on the Pentillie Castle estate in south-east Cornwall, sleeping 4 right beside the River Tamar near St Dominick. The estate's own quay sits a few steps from the door, with the Cornwall-Devon border running mid-river. The cottage has been used as a filming location for a recent BBC drama series.

Inside: wood burner in the sitting room, well-equipped kitchen (no dishwasher), washing machine, and two flexible bedrooms with zip-and-link beds (super-king or twin on request). Two bathrooms across the layout. Private garden looks down to the water, with off-street parking for two cars and direct access to the estate's woodland and riverside paths.

The Pentillie estate runs walking trails through 2,000 acres of Tamar Valley National Landscape (formerly AONB). Cotehele, the National Trust's Tudor manor with its restored medieval quay, is 4 miles north. The St Mellion Estate is 3 miles for golf and spa day-passes; Plymouth is 10 miles east via the Tamar Bridge. Whitsand Bay is the nearest swimming beach at 14km.

Best for couples or two-couple groups wanting a riverside walking base with castle-grounds access and a dog. Less good for beach-first holidays - the south-coast surf is a half-hour drive, not on the doorstep, and there is no on-site pool.