Best Accomodation & Attractions In The South West

England’s South West

Accommodation

Eden Project Hotel, Bodelva, nr St Austell
A brand new £6 million, the 115-bedroom hotel opened at the Eden Project in mid-2016. Designed to blend into the countryside and have high standards of accessibility, energy-efficiency, and sustainability, the new mid-range hotel will support Eden’s activities, its educational aspirations, its existing and future conference events, weddings, and the annual Eden Sessions series of concerts.

Padstow Townhouse, Padstow
Chef Paul Ainsworth from Michelin-starred restaurant Number 6 is to open his first accommodation offering. The property previously known as The Tregea Hotel will be relaunching as the Padstow Townhouse and will feature six high-end luxury rooms in the heart of Padstow, a north Cornish harbour town on the edge of the Camel Estuary. Paul and his wife Emma own the Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 on Middle Street, and Rojano’s in the Square, a family-friendly Italian inspired restaurant. https://ift.tt/3nESvhp

Atlantic House, Polzeath
Located only 50 yards from one of the UK’s premier surfing beaches, the beautiful 14 bedroom Atlantic House will be the perfect location to soak up some coastal style and watch the sunset over the surf and cliffs. This super stylish hotel will have an elegant restaurant serving delicious locally sourced food and an everything-is-possible concierge service.

Heritage is GREAT

Renowned for the creation of breathtaking pastoral settings, Wiltshire is home to several Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s greatest horticultural masterpieces. Two of the finest examples – Bowood House and Longleat -have teamed up to offer group visitors a one-day Capability Brown package tour throughout 2016. Each attraction offers a 90-minute guided tour with expert guides and includes lunch and a cream tea.
Salisbury Cathedral will be hosting a major new exhibition of work by leading British sculptor Sophie Ryder from February – July. Monumental bronzes of part-mythical creatures and massive wire sculptures will be set in the grounds of the beautiful medieval building, with smaller work inside. A re-creation of Sophie’s workshop will be in Salisbury Museum, explaining her working methods and displaying maquettes and working drawings.
Hip Hip Hooray. In 2016 the Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continually running theatre in the UK, celebrates its 250th birthday. Programme details to be released in late 2015. http://www.bristololdvic.org.uk/redevelopment.html
In spring 2016, Underfall Yard, a historic working boatyard in Bristol, will open a new visitor centre celebrating Bristol’s maritime history and innovation. http://underfallboatyard.co.uk/hlfpages/delivery.html

Countryside is GREAT

The Wave Bristol, an inland surf lake with artificial waves created by eco-technology, is set to open in time for summer 2016 and will offer the perfect waves for learners, experts, and competitions using Wave Loch SurfPool technology. http://www.the-wave.co.uk/Bristol/

Quirky Cotswolds Home to several of the UK’s quirkiest sports and pastimes, Gloucestershire hosts events such as River Football in Bourton on the Water, an annual match played in the River Windrush, and Tetbury’s Woolsack Races where competitors run up a 1 in 4 hills carrying a woolsack! The Cotswolds Olympics, which includes shin-kicking and tug-o-war as two of its events has been running for over 400 years and then the epic Cheese Rolling event, which genuinely involves rolling a Double Gloucester Cheese down a hill for contestants to chase after – the winner is the person who catches the cheese first.

Explore the countryside by walking on the Bath Skyline, the most downloaded National Trust walk in the UK. Sometimes the best things are hidden and have to be sought out. Join a Hidden Gardens of Bath tour and step into the beautiful gardens hidden behind Bath’s private houses and hotels.
The UK’s first pier-to-shore zip wire has opened at Bournemouth. There’s a dual-line so riders can race family and friends to the landing pad on Bournemouth’s award-winning, sandy beach.

Film is GREAT

It’s not hard to understand why people are drawn to the nation’s dramatised destinations – Britain is a prolific character on both the silver screen and the small one. Watching a gripping drama play out on the silver screen can be transporting – taking your imagination on a journey to places new, exciting, and unexplored. But what about when a film literally takes you somewhere, when you can walk into the screen and onto the set?
Bath Film Trail
In 2015 Bath and the surrounding area provided the backdrop for filming for Sherlock Homes, Poldark, and Wolf Hall. With a downloadable map from www.visitbath.co.uk you can explore past and present film locations around the city, including Pulteney Bridge for Les Miserables, Great Pulteney Sreet for The Duchess, and The Royal Crescent for Persuasion and Vanity Fair. (see an image of the filming of The Duchess at the Royal Crescent)

Visit Poldark’s Cornwall

The first series of Poldark was an international hit. The second series was filmed during Autumn 2015 and it won’t be long before it hits the small screen. Here we delved behind the camera to uncover the locations used during filming to bring you the ultimate guide to Poldark’s Cornwall. So pull on your breeches, saddle up and head for Cornwall…

Porthgwarra: Once a thriving fishing cove, the beautiful Porthgwarra sits at the heart of St Aubyn Estates and boasts a peaceful existence with its days surrounded by wildflowers and birdlife. The popular scene featuring Ross taking a swim in the crystal clear water while watched from the cliff tops by Demelza was filmed here, as well the pilchard fishing scene and many others.
Bodmin Moor: The cast and crew found themselves on Bodmin Moor for a large part of their time in Cornwall. Scenes featuring the exterior of Ross Poldark’s cottage, Nampara, were shot here along with many capturing the cast on horseback. With a rugged character and wild streak, Bodmin Moor provides the perfect backdrop to Poldark’s plot of passion and family dramatics.
Botallack to the Levant: Location managers couldn’t resist the rich mining heritage of the stretch of west Cornwall coast linking Botallack and Levant. Cameras rolled with Levant Mine playing the role of the fictional Tressiders Rolling Mill while Owles and Crowns near Botallack stared as Wheal Leisure.

Padstow area: For some of the cliff scenes the filming action moved to the Padstow area. Fans of north Cornwall will recognise the spectacular views across the Camel Estuary and Tregirls beach, while the beauty of the wide sandy beach of Porthcothan is hard to miss in the scenes featuring Poldark’s fictional Nampara Cove.
Charlestown near St Austell, famed for its collection of ships and traditional appearance, has long caught the attention of location managers and for the filming of Poldark stood for the principal town. As you wander along the side of the original Grade II Listed harbour complete with Tall Ships, you can almost imagine that you’ve been cast as an extra or have been transported to Graham Winston’s 18th Century setting.

Church Cove Gunwallow on The Lizard relived its smugglings past when Aidan Turner and a hoard of other cast members and extras descended to film night-time ship wrecking scenes. An attractive sandy cove overlooked by the tiny church of St Wynwallow.

Another area that enjoyed a taste of Hollywood is St Agnes Head where iconic engine houses perch serenely on the cliff-tops offering a silent reminder of Cornwall’s mining heyday. A natural location choice, it doubles as Nampara Valley in the show.

Live like Ross and Demelza: Poldark places to stay

Retallack Resort & Spa: Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson stayed at Retallack Resort & Spa while filming for six weeks while filming. With five-star luxury facilities and a central location between Newquay and Padstow, the resort provided the perfect base for the upcoming duo.

Treglos Hotel: This four-star hotel near Padstow played host to a number of the Poldark cast and crew while filming. Treglos is renowned for its nearby 18 hole golf course as well as for its luxurious spa and restaurant.

Check into the Rashleigh Arms in Charlestown and you’ll be just a stone’s throw from the spot where some of Poldark’s central scenes were filmed. www.rashleigharms.co.uk
Swim in the same waters as Aiden Turner and enjoy pasties from the Porthgwarra Cove Café by hiring a traditional Porthgwarra Holiday Cottage which sits at the heart of the St Aubyn Estate. Corner Cottage is perfect for loved-up couples or picks Cove Cottage for your very own slice of waterside living. http://www.staubynestatesholidays.co.uk/holiday-cottages/
When producers, writers, and the headline cast joined lucky locals for an exclusive viewing of the first episode at the Poldark premier in Truro they lay their head at Mannings, a stylish Grade II listed property in the center of the City.

Gwel an Mor is a five-star resort in the village of Portreath on the north Cornish coast has teamed up with a local Poldark expert to create a guided tour of the locations used for filming. You can choose from a one or two-day tour and after waking to the sound of the ocean at Gwel an Mor you will be whisked around Cornwall to experience the spots where cameras rolled. http://www.gwelanmor.com/short-breaks/poldark-breaks-in-cornwall

Poldark experiences

You can’t experience Poldark’s Cornwall without a spot of horse-riding so saddle up and experience Bodmin Moor Poldark Trail on horseback with Hallagenna Riding and Cottage Holidays. Having provided stabling and accommodation for the stunt riders and horses while filming on the moors, Hallegenna knows a thing or two about Poldark so you’ll be in good hands on their new ‘Poldark Trail’. You’ll take in some of the locations visited during filming, including Rough Tor and Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall. https://ift.tt/1eqW3yU
Go underground: Visit the TV series namesake, Poldark Mine and take an underground tour of the mine, the only complete underground mine open to the public in Cornwall and Devon. Go down 100 feet through narrow passageways and experience the dark and at times treacherous, conditions that miners faced every day. Underground scenes were filmed at here and a number of the artifacts were used as props. http://poldarkmine.org.uk
Take to the sea for a two-hour kayak adventure with Koru Kayaking around St Agnes Head, a Poldark film location, and part of the incredible World Heritage Cornish Mining landscape. Paddle your way through archways and into caves, and with a unique perspective from the water, see the miners’ paths cut into the cliff-tops and the now open iron and tin seams at Cligga Cliffs. http://korukayaking.co.uk/north-coast/
Geevor Mine and Levant Mine have teamed up to create a new circular walk. The hour-long trail can begin at either mine and combines gorgeous coastal views with fascinating insights into Cornwall mining history. At Geevor take an underground tour, and see the oldest beam engine in Cornwall still steaming at Levant. The walk takes in the remains of the surface workings still visible today.
Step on the golden sands of Perranporth beach and let your creativity flow, as you’ll following in author Winston Graham’s very own footsteps. He lived in Perranporth, his home being the original Nampara Lodge, and wrote Poldark from the dunes overlooking the three-mile sweep of Perranporth. Hunt down the memorial bench nestled amongst the dunes and with your eye cast out to sea, let your mind fill with plots and characters – you never know, you could be dreaming up the next best seller!

The Forest of Dean on the silver screen

A new Film and TV trail Forest on Film will launch in 2016 following Forest of Dean locations from international productions like Star Wars VII and The Huntsman, alongside British institutions such as Doctor Who.
Encompassing an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, spectacular castles, and acres of ancient woodland, the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean has become a huge draw for filmmakers, hosting multi-million-pound international motion-pictures alongside filming for smaller productions.
The region’s enchanting forests and ancient ruins, that call to mind the landscapes of J.R.R. Tolkien, have naturally inspired some of the best fantasy and sci-fi productions of the last decade. Doctor Who has returned time and again to Puzzlewood. Atlantis, Da Vinci’s Demons, Wizards vs. Aliens, and Merlin were also shot under the canopy at Puzzlewood.
It’s not just television productions that have discovered the magic of the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean. Jack the Giant Slayer’s production team took inspiration from Puzzlewood’s mystical backdrop. In more recent months, the popular location has also doubled for alien planets for the highly anticipated Star Wars VII.

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