REVIEW – Together Travel (Natural Retreats) Trewhiddle

If we are lucky, we get to have just one family holiday away each year, and as such, these moments are particularly precious. We always look to find somewhere that has a great location, is home from home, and where the girls can have fun and make memories whilst giving us adults the chance to also have a well earned break. With so many beautiful places to explore in the south of England, we are yet to have ventured abroad, and with the weather we’ve been treated to of late, our stay at Together Travel Trewhiddle (previously Natural Retreats) has proven that there is absolutely no need!

Having been to a couple of other Together Travel locations in the UK (Fistral Beach and Yorkshire Dales) as a couple before the girls were born, we already had a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of the standard of accommodation at Natural Retreats Trewhiddle, and it’s safe to say we weren’t disappointed.

Together Travel Trewhiddle is nestled in a valley of farmland and is located just outside of St Austell – a great central location for exploring the wealth of attractions Cornwall has to offer. Within touching distance of Mevagissey, Charlestown, The Eden Project and the Gardens of Heligan, as well as ideally located between a number of beautiful sand and pebble beaches, there is a wealth of opportunities to explore and discover the stunning surroundings.

Luxury self catering accommodation which has recently been refurbished, Together Travel Trewhiddle features 34 properties on a rural and secluded retreat, with either 2, 3 or 4 bedrooms (some 4 bedroom properties come with a balcony), sleeping up to 7 adults.

Our Accomodation

Check in at Together Travel Trewhiddle is from 4pm, and if like us you are travelling some distance and arriving late, this isn’t an issue. The key is stored in a locked key store on the outside of the front door and a code is sent in your pre arrival information, so even if it is dark when you arrive you can let yourself in without assistance.

Welcome Hamper

On entering our accommodation, the first thing you spot is the welcome hamper ready and waiting for you on the kitchen table, and what a lovely surprise this was. Filled with local produce and essentials like fresh crusty bread, milk, butter and eggs, as well as an obligatory bottle of wine, you can always guarantee that you will have enough supplies to make a hearty breakfast in the morning. There was also jam in the fridge, and tins of fudge and shortbread, the latter of which didn’t hang around for long.

We stayed in Property No.19, and we were extremely pleased with the standard of accommodation (can see our video tour here)– not only is the New England style villa beautiful to look at from the outside, but inside the rooms are large, airy and spacious. With ensuite bathrooms and a family bathroom downstairs, there was definitely no shortage of space. The large floor to ceiling window by the staircase was beautiful, letting in loads of natural daylight and the master bedroom was simply stunning, with a large balcony, two leather chairs, and a huge bed perfect for bouncing. The mattresses were soft and comfortable.

The kitchen was large and open plan, and for self catering accommodation, one of the best equipped kitchens I have ever come across – to the point where every question of “I wonder if they’ve got a….” was nearly always answered with a yes. From pastry brushes to egg whisks and even little touches like trays in case the girls wanted to eat on their laps, we had absolutely everything we needed to cook some lovely meals for our family. Washing up liquid and tabs for the dishwasher were even provided too (which was a huge plus, as nobody wants to spend their holidays washing up!).

The lounge space was large and open with more than enough room for all the family to sit and relax. Each of the villas are slightly different in terms of interior and colour scheme, with some being lighter colours and including pet friendly features. Some villas at Together Travel Trewhiddle allow well behaved dogs, which is a huge positive if you have a family pet and don’t wish to leave them at home or in kennels. Many of the beaches are dog friendly too, something which Neve was very happy about (she’s a big fan!!)

The team at Together Travel Trewhiddle have clearly thought about the layout and specification of their accommodation in order to provide a comfortable home from home environment. A washer dryer is on the property, meaning that if you didn’t bring enough clothes, you can be confident you can get them clean and ready to go again in no time or even hang them out on the decking to dry in the sun using the airer supplied in one of the many store cupboards.

The property has wifi throughout, as well as Free Sat flatscreen TV and a DVD player – not that we needed this much as we spent much of our time chilling and playing outside!

Each of the bathrooms are finished to a high standard, with The White Company toiletries (bath/shower gel and shampoo) provided, and after a busy day making sandcastles, the large bath tub in the family bathroom was the perfect way to calm the girls down before bed.

One thing to note, is that if you have smaller children is that stair gates are available to hire via the concierge team – we managed without one but if you prefer extra piece of mind with little ones around it is very easy to arrange. High chairs and cots can also be borrowed if you prefer to pack light.

The huge decking area to the rear of the accommodation was fantastic, with a full rattan patio dining set, two additional chairs and two very comfortable sun loungers, which I have to admit I made full use of whilst Neve was napping in the afternoons! For me, this luxurious space was a real positive – having to go back to our accommodation so Neve could sleep could have somewhere else felt like a bit of a chore – but here, it gave me some quiet time and relaxation that I probably wouldn’t have got anywhere else. I felt like I had a break too – and it was much needed!

The concierge team on site, including Andrew the General Manager were all very friendly and helpful. We asked a few questions about the local area during our stay, and were always provided with useful information tailored to the age of our family. We did have a small problem with one of the patio door locks during our stay, but within minutes of reporting it someone was round to repair it, which we felt was an excellent level of service.

Facilities

Together Travel Trewhiddle has very few facilities on site, which for us was part of it’s charm, so if you are looking for a traditional family holiday park with kids clubs, splash pools or entertainment, this probably isn’t the place for you. However, for us, there was something very calming about returning to your quiet rural location after a busy day on the beach and we felt the location was ideal for exploring everything Cornwall has to offer.

The play area on site is ideal for children to go and burn off some last energy before bed, with a large open field and toy box full of games like rounders, badminton rackets and hoopla. There are two child swings and a baby swing, as well as a climbing frame, and assault course for older children. With a number of picnic style tables and parasols, this was a lovely place to sit and have lunch outside whilst the children play.

Location

The location of Together Travel Trewhiddle is perfect – in that nothing seems to be very far away, yet you feel removed from the otherwise busy centre of St Austell. Together Travel have also created a Trewhiddle app which I would definitely recommend downloading – the app lists local attractions, restaurants, shops and beaches, and was really handy for getting your bearings when you first arrive.

In terms of supermarkets, there is no shop on site, however there is a Tesco, Asda and Coop all a very short drive away (5 mins!) as well as a McDonalds, KFC and Dominos if you don’t want to cook! For the more organised of you, you could even arrange a click and collect to scoop up your weekly shop just before you check in, or arrange a delivery on to site for your first evening.

Restaurants wise, we visited a few of the recommendations on the Trewhiddle app, our personal favourite being the Polgooth Inn, an extremely family friendly country style pub just a short drive from the retreat. With plastic cutlery and colouring in supplied for the children, as well as outdoor play tables full of toys, this was somewhere we could really relax with the children in tow, and enjoy the stunning views over the countryside whilst tucking into some proper hearty meals. We went there twice during our weeks stay, and the manager and her team were extremely friendly.

Beaches

There are so many beaches to visit within a short drive of Together Travel Trewhiddle, and we visited a fair few during our stay, including Pentewan (the closest with a small play area on the beach), Carlyon Bay and Fistral (a longer drive around 30 minutes away, but with softer sand perfect for sandcastles). We also visited Watergate Bay (a personal favourite) and ate at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant, with stunning views of the ocean whilst we ate.

Overall, we were really sad to leave Together Travel Trewhiddle, (so much so that after our initial review period we extended our stay twice, an additional two nights at a time!) at our own expense. We never wanted to leave and I think this genuinely shows what a fantastic time we were having! 😊. We were obviously extremely lucky with the weather, and this definitely helped showcase everything Trewhiddle had to offer but even with the gamble of British weather, we would definitely still return.

Pros:

• Calm, peaceful and rural – making Trewhiddle a proper break for adults as well as the children.
• Great central location, ideally placed for exploring the beauty of Cornwall.
• High quality accommodation with large airy bedrooms, well equipped kitchen and comfortable living spaces.
• A home from home feel, with a real focus on comfort and high specification.
• Beautiful play area for the children to play before bed.
• Helpful and friendly concierge team.
• Welcome hamper was a really lovely touch.

Cons:

• Some properties have better views than others, and the view from our balcony was somewhat limited. That said, it was still a lovely space to sit out first thing in the morning or as the sun set over the valley.
• I would’ve liked to have had a TV in the master bedroom as well as downstairs, as once the children were in bed I would have preferred to have been upstairs too, but this is a very small critique and in the whole scheme of things not a huge deal!
• If the weather is bad, the lack of other facilities on site may mean that you miss having other indoor activities, however, there are plenty of local attractions offering things to do inside including the Eden Project and the Oasis Fun Pools at Hendra Holiday Park (which can be used by non residents for a fee).

You can learn more about Together Travel Trewhiddle and see the range of accommodation on offer on their website here. To have a nose around our Villa and learn more about our stay see our Together Travel Trewhiddle Video.

*Disclosure – we were invited to stay at Natural Retreats Trewhiddle free of charge from Friday to Monday, after which we extended our stay (twice!!) at our own expense. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own*