Sam with her pet beagle and two-year-old daughter on the River Fowey in Cornwall.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

Why I went to Cornwall<\/strong>
\nI went to Cornwall on a long weekend break with my husband, two-year-old daughter and floppy-eared beagle in search of some peaceful rural family time amid the county\u2019s untamed nature, flowing rivers and beautiful beaches. The promise of bucolic villages, Cornish cream teas, buckets and spades on the sand and nostalgic little fishing ports beckoned. We thought we would ease ourselves into camping with a toddler by choosing a stay in a rather plush shepherd\u2019s hut, complete with kitchen and flushing toilet. Okay, okay, so it wasn’t really camping at all.<\/p>\n

My highlight of the trip<\/strong>
\nOne sunny afternoon, we found ourselves in the tiny hamlet of St Winnow, on the shores of the River Fowey. The river wends its way through the Cornish countryside like a great silver ribbon and melts into the sea at the busy little harbour town of Fowey (where, on another day, we watched a plump seal glide between the wooden fishing boats whilst we munched on fresh fish and chips). After ambling through St Winnow’s picturesque churchyard, we picnicked on the river shore to a backdrop reminiscent of the Norwegian fjords (albeit on a slightly smaller scale). We spent that afternoon canoeing along the pond-like tidal waters and watching rabbits scamper along the banks.<\/p>\n

What else I love about Cornwall<\/strong>
\nThere is a delightfully slow pace to life in Cornwall. It has a rugged landscape, with harsh winters and spectacular storms, yet it\u2019s this wild beauty that gives it its unique sparkle. The coves and long beaches are either lapped by turquoise seas or hammered by rolling bubbly surf; the hills either kissed by warm summer breezes or thrashed by whistling winds. Tiny stone hamlets, hardy fishing villages and busy little towns exist amid the nature with no desire to tame it. For me, Cornwall is about strolling along impossibly narrow country lanes, slipping on boots for a spectacular coastal hike, drinking hot chocolate on the beach and getting to one with nature. The surfing, boogey boarding, coasteering and canoeing opportunities are also boundless – though not what we were after this time.<\/p>\n