Thirty years ago when the producers of the television series Poldark were looking for unspoilt locations to represent Winston Graham’s vision of 18th Century Cornwall they alighted on the twin hamlets of East and West Portholland; they used the surrounding area to film many of the coastal scenes and the hamlets themselves were dressed as Roscoff in Brittany. Thirty years later and very little has changed, the coast here is now designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is protected by Caerhays Estate to the east and National Trust land to the west. Chapel House was originally a non-conformist Bible Christian place of worship, its “rival”, less than a quarter of a mile away in East Portholland, belonging to the Wesleyan Methodists. Middle cottage forms the central dwelling of a small terrace of three built in the early 20th century to house estate workers from the western edge of Caerhays Estate The South West Coast Path passes directly in front of Chapel House and about one hundred yards from Middle Cottage; the path in both directions offers spectacular views with Dodman Point and Nare Head dominating the scenery. The classic Cornish fishing village of Portloe (familiar to fans of the Dawn French comedy series Wild West) is a brisk hour’s walk along the cliff to the west and is home to a traditional pub, The Ship Inn and a seriously swanky hotel and restaurant, The Lugger. To the east the footpath crosses Caerhays Estate, centred upon the John Nash designed Castle with its world famous gardens, and wends its way up to Dodman Point then on to Gorran Haven and, eventually, Mevagissey. The Roseland is a beautiful part of Cornwall with some of the safest beaches and sailing, wonderful coastal and country walks and a number of Cornwall’s most picturesque villages. Visitors often stay within the confines of the peninsula as there is an atmosphere of calm here that is unmatched even elsewhere in Cornwall. If you do fancy a day trip Heligan Garden, The Eden Project and the cathedral city of Truro are all within 30 minutes drive; slightly further afield are the North coast beaches, Padstow (for Rick Stein’s seafood restaurant), the Tate gallery at St. Ives, various National Trust historic houses and gardens, and the wonderful ports of Fowey, Falmouth and Penzance. 
|