Lanreath

Lanreath is a small inland village in south Cornwall, set in rolling countryside between Looe and Lostwithiel. The village has a 15th-century church and a pub, with Looe and Polperro about 15 minutes south by car and Fowey a similar distance west. The Eden Project is also within easy reach to the north-west.

The countryside around Lanreath is lovely for walking, with narrow lanes, wooded valleys and farmland stretching in every direction. The village sits roughly equidistant between the south coast and Bodmin Moor, so you’re well placed to explore both. Looe and Polperro are about 15 minutes south by car, Fowey is a similar distance to the west, and the Eden Project is within easy reach to the north-west.

This is a place for people who want a countryside holiday rather than a coastal one - though the coast is close enough for day trips. Holiday cottages and lodges in the Lanreath area tend to offer more space and better value than equivalent properties on the coast, and the peace of the countryside at night is hard to beat. If you want to hear owls rather than seagulls, this is your spot. The parish church of St Marnarch has a carved Norman font and a well-preserved 15th-century rood screen. Local footpaths lead through the Fowey valley woodlands, where bluebells carpet the floors in late April and early May.