Crantock is on the North coast of Cornwall, about 3 miles to the South West of the major holiday resort of Newquay. The village has an ancient church called St Carantoc, two Inns, one of which -The Albion - is of considerable antiquity, a charming Tea Garden, gift shop and newsagent/ village stores.

Most visitors come for one of North Cornwall’s finest beaches, which is a 10 - minute walk from Highfield Lodge. Crantock Beach is a long sandy beach between the headlands of East & West Pentire (Pentire meaning headland).  Crantock beach, wth its neighbour Porth Joke (Polly Joke as it’s known locally), are both all year round dog-friendly beaches.

Behind the beach are the open grassy spaces of the Rushy Green.  The dunes rise steeply from the beach to a gently undulating plateau.  This dynamic area is constantly changing its shape on the sea facing side, achieving stability further inland.

On the west side of Crantock beach the deep cleft of Pipers Hole is a sanctuary for fulmars, jackdaws and pigeons.  At low tide the first cave on the right can be entered and a flat slab will be seen on which the outline of a female figure is carved, and a few lines of verse have been cut.  A small incised horse can also be seen cut into the slab.  These carvings are the work of a local man, Joseph Prater, and are thought to have been completed in the early 1900's.

Just west of Pipers Hole the beach can be reached down Pusey's Steps, though the tidal section is slippery.  These are named after Dr Edward Pusey (1800-1882), an Oxford academic who fell foul of the establishment in 1843 and was suspended from his office for two years.  He became fond of North Cornwall, and stayed at West Pentire, then an isolated hamlet.

The estuary known as the Gannel is the tidal outlet for the short river which rises west of Mitchell.  The mouth of the Gannel was extensively used by shipping and its trading demise was caused partly by the development of Newquay harbour.

The South West Coastal path passes through Crantock, across the dog friendly beach, south towards Holywell Bay and Perranporth or north towards Newquay, Watergate Bay and beyond.  We have Land Ranger maps of the area, so if you fancy a long walk put your boots on and enjoy; most villages offer a bus service so there's no need to back track.

There is a local surfing school, on Crantock beach, offering reasonably priced lessons which we can book on your behalf if required.

From Crantock Beach, at low tide, you can cross the Gannel estuary to visit the lobster shack where freshly caught lobsters, crabs and other seafood is available.  Between the hours of 10 & 6 the Fernpit Cafe offers light snacks, cream teas & ice creams with stunning views (beware of steep steps).  At high tide there is a ferry service operated by Mark from the Fernpit.  Just above Crantock beach car park (operated by the National Trust) there is a cafe offering snacks/ice creams, whilst in the peak season a beach shack is open with sandwiches, tea/coffee & other delights.

The two village pubs both offer an extensive menu and are dog friendly.  They are a five minute walk from Highfield Lodge.  With plenty of outside seating areas they are a great place to finish a perfect day in Crantock, without setting foot in your car.

Other local pub/restaurants that we can recommend are Lewinnick Lodge (approx 4 miles), The Smugglers Den (approx 3 miles)and the Pheasent Inn (approx 4 miles), to name only a few.

There are several award winning restaurants in the area, many with famous name Chefs.  Rick Stein has three eateries in Padstow, Jamie Olivers Fifteen is only 7 miles away in Watergate Bay, Paul Ainsworth & Nathan Outlaw also have Cornish establishments.  Most of these will require a reservation.

If you are looking to explore the county we can recommend a variety of places to visit during your stay, from the world famous Eden Project (approx 20 miles), The Tate Gallery at St.Ives (approx 30 miles), Rick Steins Padstow (approx 25 miles) or for more activity, there's golf, horse riding, rock climbing......

National Trust Gardens and coastal beauty spots are numerous.  The closest garden and house, Trerice, is only 4 miles.  Each location offers a unique experience and usually the on sight cafe has local goodies to get you through the day, from a Cornish cream tea to crab sandwiches!  We highly recommend Lanhydrock (near Bodmin approx 25 miles), Trellisick (near Truro approx 20 miles) and St Michaels Mount (near Penzance approx 35 miles).  Trebah & Trevarno, both independent gardens (they accept doggy visitors), are also well worth a visit.  We have all the tourist leaflets for opening hours and facilities.

There are many farm shops, Trevilly, our nearest is about 2 miles and offers an amazing range of locally produced goodies.

We can tell you so much more about the wonderful place we live in.  Whether you want to stay local or explore, just ask & we'll recommend activities for the perfect day or simply a place to relax in peace.