‘Our Auntie Joyce used to make Cornish pasties for our picnic on the beach’ – one of the many tales told by my mum and uncles over the years sat around my nana and grandad’s dining room table. Stories like this about Cornwall, from family who used to visit every summer, same with my dad and his parents, and my Grandad who was born and raised there. Like I’m sure many people up North, I’d never made the journey myself until a couple of weeks ago. Somewhere I’d always wanted to visit since hearing the road trip tales of generations before me, one of my bucket list destinations came true thanks to Aspects Holidays.

Disclaimer: My accommodation in Cornwall was provided by Aspects Holidays for the purposes of this review. Everything I did there was planned and paid for myself. 

I did the bulk of the journey down to Cornwall on the Sunday and stayed over in the Cotswolds, but was keen to get to Cornwall early on the Monday to enjoy the day at Port Isaac before I could check in at Cider Barn. The drive was straightforward and I arrived early afternoon.

Cider Barn Location 

Port Isaac is the nearest harbour town to Cider Barn just a few miles away, so I parked up and explored for a couple of hours. There was a lovely coastal path with those Cornish views you see on photos – I was so pleased that this was my first impression and knew me and Arthur would have a great time being based near here. The sea is an unbelievable colour – even on rainy days!

We wandered through the town finding the little gift shops, plenty of Doc Martin tours on offer from the days when they filmed here, as well as the lifeboat base, the Golden Lion pub and some restaurants I’d heard of thanks to their great reputation – Michelin star Outlaws Fish Kitchen, and the very quaint Cornish Cove tearoom. The Mote was a pub right by the beach and I couldn’t resist going in for a fresh crab sandwich for lunch. 

Check In At Cider Barn 

Check in at Cider Barn with Aspects Holidays is from 4pm, and it’s a very short drive from Port Isaac, through Chapel Amble until you reach the private wooden gates. It’s along a country lane, but it was easy to pull over, open the gates and drive onto the private driveway.

The driveway leads up to the really spacious garden that has a small seating patio area, a BBQ and even a washing line. I knew this was going to be perfect for Arthur as it’s really secure, even the gates don’t have big gaps so are secured once inside, no furry friends can escape. 

Ahead of check in at Cider Barn I’d been sent full detailed instructions for how to access the property, and the key code for the key safe for a self check in. One of the first things you notice – aside from how gorgeous and unique the place is, is the welcome hamper. 

A lot of self catered places gift welcome hampers, but this was a really good one! I’d even seen people mention them in their reviews, and they didn’t disappoint, filled with local products to enjoy during the stay. Aspects Holidays actively encourage you to visit and shop from the Cornwall local businesses, and I can’t imagine visiting anywhere and not doing this as much as possible. It can really help you experience a place authentically and that began with the welcome hamper – a lovely touch. 

It was really easy to unload the very packed car once inside, having finally arrived for our week in Cornwall – no feeling like a holiday feeling.

A Tour of Cider Barn

Cider Barn itself is stunning. Despite being an old traditional barn it has been decorated and styled very modern, whilst still retaining the features such as high ceilings, wooden beams, and a ladder up to the bedroom. Care has definitely been taken to ensure the modern additions such as the lighting, and the technology doesn’t override the traditional character.

The doors open into the open plan downstairs, with a big bench seating and dining area, and fully equipped kitchen complete with modern appliances, everything you could need for a self catered stay and of course that memorable welcome hamper. I think the kitchen can make or break a place like this and it was beautiful, my favourite part of the barn.

There is a lot of storage space so ideal for unpacking and making yourself right at home, but discreetly hidden with cupboards downstairs at the entrance, and either side of the feature log burner that takes centre stage in the living space. You can hide away bags and cases to really immerse yourself in your holiday. 

Even the TV, games and DVDs are concealed by matching fold back doors so if you do want to take the opportunity to switch off from tech you can. Wi-Fi is included and really powerful if you do want to stay connected – I mainly used it to plan my days out and research where to go.

In general though, I really tried to relax and enjoy being there. Cider Barn was a beautiful accommodation to do this, fairly remote but with good access links to nearby roads and towns like Port Isaac and Padstow. It was very peaceful, only broken by the birds and the occasional tractor passing. 

I made a good start on some of my ‘to be read’ books for this summer, enjoying having nothing else to worry about aside from pouring a glass of wine and adding another log to the log burner, while stretching out on the ‘sink in’ sofa. Being early April my weather was mixed but it really didn’t matter. I got to enjoy coffee outside in the morning while Arthur ran around the garden, and the log burner on a couple of rainy evenings. 

The bathroom was another highlight of Cider Barn, a gorgeous peacock blue and beautifully styled. There was a double luxury shower, and a huge copper tub, with various lighting options to really make it a total relaxing haven. Robes and towels are provided, and after a long journey getting into that tub was honestly amazing.

Up the ladder to the loft mezzanine, and you find yourself in the bedroom. Being honest this wouldn’t be accessible for everyone, it is a barn with a ladder to get up there, and the room has low slanted ceilings. It was no issue for me – even with a bad back – and the bed was fabulously comfortable but just consider this if you need to. There is a small dressing table up there too, and hairdryer provided.

Overall, I loved it. I thought it was beautiful, whilst also keeping a very homely vibe. It was very easy to stay there for a good few days, so comfortable and would be a great base for even longer stays. The outside space was ideal for a dog, so if self-catered stays that really feel like home from home are what you’re looking for for a stay in Cornwall then Aspects Holidays have done a great job with this beautiful property.

Useful Additions at Cider Barn from Aspects Holidays

During my stay I noticed some additional details that I really wanted to mention. As someone who stays in a lot of self catered, dog friendly places of all different types, I thought I’d experienced almost everything! Aspects Holidays managed to surprise me with some thought out details that I hadn’t seen elsewhere.

Firstly – a spare key. It’s such a small detail but in the key safe was a spare key that stays there in case you lose the main one. I thought this was such a good idea and especially travelling alone so far from home it was peace of mind that I’d always get back in!

For pooches, there were a number of details. Like most places helpful contacts such as nearby vet details were included in the welcome pack, but there was also a tag that you could add to your dogs collar with Aspects Contact details too. This is such a good idea! The welcome pack included treats and even a toy for Arthur which he definitely appreciated, and they also provide information for a local dog sitting service should you need to use it. 

I stayed at Cider Barn with Aspects Holidays for three very comfortable nights, and enjoyed a mix of the self-catered options on offer during evenings when I’d been out all day, and took advantage of nearby restaurants on other evenings. Port Isaac was close to make takeaway pizzas easy, there were pubs within walking distance too, and if you did need anything Aldi, petrol stations and other shops were a short drive away. 

I would absolutely choose Cider Barn again for a stay in Cornwall. It had everything you could need and was very much a luxury self catered place to stay. The communication before and after with emails was great, so it was an easy booking experience, and all the additional details provided throughout the stay made it extra special. 

If you’d be interested in booking your own visit to Cider Barn with Aspects Holidays here’s where to look and book. For more photos and videos take a look at my Cornwall Instagram highlight here, and my Cider Barn reel for a video walkthrough too. Cornwall was beautiful, it is every bit as stunning as people say and I can see why people make the journey even from way up North in Newcastle and even further. I can’t wait to go back.