Surrounded by farmland and woods, Bolotho Barns comprises of two converted stone and slate tiled barns arranged around a courtyard. ‘Skylark’ was to be our home for a fabulous weekend in April and was the first Cornish getaway we had with our 6 month old son.
Although not technically vaunted as a family friendly destination, both barns are well equipped to cater for parents with one or two babies. Cots with bedding, highchairs, baby baths, toys, baby crockery and spoons, night light, bathroom step, potty and a changing mat can all be provided on request. The owner’s approach to the needs of a young family contributes greatly to making Bolotho Barns the ideal first family self catering getaway!
We particularly liked the homemade scones that Frances had prepared for us on arrival, alongside the basket of local goodies including tea, milk, eggs and biscuits. After a stressful journey these treats were a godsend and, as we giddily stuffed our faces, we explored our temporary home for the weekend.
Skylark consists of a bedroom with a king size bed (where a lovely wooden cot was provided for our son), a fantastic open plan and multi-functional kitchen/lounge/dining room and a spacious contemporary bathroom. ‘Bramblings’, the second barn, is the same size overall but with a smaller bedroom. Frances had already suggested Skylark as a better option for our family needs and we felt it was indeed the perfect size for the two of us and a little one in tow.
The barns have a very high standard ’boutique’ feel to them and in Skylark we found many examples of this: stunning Oak wood floors, the aforementioned King size sleigh bed with 500 thread count cotton bedding, dressing gowns, the  modern bathroom with his and hers double basins, a walk in shower and roll top bath, a cast iron wood burner,  a Smeg cooker, a Nespresso coffee maker…I could go on but I think you get the gist, the barn oozes luxury and it certainly feels like a special place to spend time in.
Outside is a private patio with table and chairs. A parasol, barbeque and sun loungers are also provided but in April we didn’t feel it was the right weather, or temperature, to use these items! During our stay we made great use of the log burner for cosy nights in after we had eaten out. There is a wooden shed that houses as much wood as you need for creating that warm ambience only a real fire can provide.
The location itself is idyllic as next to the courtyard is an apple and cherry orchard and also a two acre paddock providing a great space to walk and take in the glorious views of the surrounding fields and woods.
Frances was the perfect host and, although we didn’t see too much of her, she was there when we needed her for advice about local eateries and child friendly destinations. Frances is clearly doing something right as my other half remarked “this is the cosiest, loveliest place I’ve ever been”…and I would have to agree!
Prices
Skylark prices start at £325 for a Friday to Monday weekend break and £495 for a week long break.
What is nearby?
To be truthful, we came to Bolotho Barns to ‘get away from it all’ and have some relaxing time with our baby so activities and the like weren’t high on our list. We just wanted excellent accommodation in a country setting with easy access to baby friendly places to eat if we felt we did not want to cook!
The provided local guides were very useful for planning our stay and especially where eating out was concerned! Nearby family friendly eateries that impressed us were The Punchbowl and Ladle pub (Penelewey, Feock, Truro, R3 6QY Tel: 01872 862237) and also The Old Quay Inn in Devoran (St John’s Terrace, Devoran TR3 6ND Tel: 01872 863142), both were excellent in catering for us and our baby.
For those who are more active or have slightly older children, Truro is few miles away and can provide the usual family friendly city activities e.g. swimming pool, bowling, soft play. With Newquay being only around 13 miles away, it is worth visiting some of the more family friendy attractions this popular seaside town has to offer such as the Blue Reef Aquarium (Towan Promenade, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1DU Tel: 01637 878134) and Newquay Zoo (Trenance Gardens, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2NN Tel: 01637 873342).
If you have children 7 years or older and want to sample water based activities then Loe Beach Watersports (Loe Beach, Feock, Truro, TR3 6SH Tel: 01872 864295) is a couple of miles away and boasts safe, family-friendly waters for Kayak hire, paddleboarding (SUP), boat hire (motor), sailing dinghy hire and lessons.
Bolotho Barns, Bolotho Mews, Killiow, Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6AG
Telephone: 01872 275743
Website: www.bolothobarns.co.uk
