About the County of Cornwall
(For a list of all the prime country estate properties sold in Cornwall recently, scroll down to the bottom of this page)

MAIN TOWNS/AREAS IN Cornwall: Bodmin, Bodmin Moor, Bude, Falmouth, Fowey, Helston, Lands End, Lizard Point, Lostwithiel, Marazion, Newquay, Padstow, Port Isaac, Redruth, St Agnes, St Austell, St Ives, Tintagel, Truro, Wadebridge.

Cornwall & Devon are packed full of attractive sea resorts. In Cornwall there are surfer's paradise areas such as Newquay on the western coast.

In North Devon these include Woolacombe, Bude, Ilfracombe, Westward Ho! and Minehead.

In South Devon you are again spoilt for choice with Lyme Regis, Sidmouth, Exmouth, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torbay, Salcombe and Dartmouth . Further inland you will find the Dartmoor National Park and exciting local communities in towns such as Tiverton, Honiton and Barnstable.

If watersports are your life, there are many areas just suited to making this easy and pleasurable – whether your interests are in sailing, windsurfing or fishing. There are numerous moorings for your boat/watercraft, sailing clubs and watersports tuition.

With its own culture and language, and its spectacular scenery and warm climate, Cornwall feels a world away from the rest of England, and the current high prices are entirely justified.

Commuting to London from Cornwall is near impossible. In the past this ensured that houses in the county were remarkably good value, especially away from the south. However in recent years, as people increasingly buy second holiday homes, prices across the southwest have shot up. As a result Cornwall property is now at the top end of the price range.
According to the July 2004 Hometrack price index, the overall average price for a property in Cornwall was £154,400, compared with £153,300 in Devon and £146,800 in Somerset.

You do get what you pay for, though, which, in Cornwall, is spectacular scenery and coastline, better weather, character properties, and a peaceful way of life.

The Sea's Influence

No inhabitant of Cornwall lives more than 18 miles from the sea. Maritime trade - and piracy - may have declined, but Cornwall's coastline ensures that tourism is one of its two main industries. Rugged cliffs characterise the north coast, sunlit estuaries the south, and a third of the coast is in the hands of the National Trust.

The waters are extremely clean by European standards, and the excellent surfing breaks are becoming an increasingly important draw for visitors. Newquay's new surfing centre is proving popular, and has helped contribute to the town's newfound status as the capital of UK surfing.

Food and Drink

The sea, of course, helps contribute to another important element of Cornish life: food. Seafood is fresh and delicious, and is championed by the likes of Rick Stein, whose superb restaurant in Padstow serves only the finest - and has a waiting list to match.

That other fine Cornwall delicacy, the pasty, is also ever popular. 'Designed' so that miners could eat a good meal with dirty hands and then discard the crust, you can find almost any flavour, from the traditional beef and potato to the slightly more novel jam and custard. Malcolm Barnecutt's pasties in Wadebridge come highly recommended, but you can find good quality bakers anywhere as long as you look beyond those that cater primarily for tourists.
Lifestyle

Cornwall's other main industry is agriculture: small family farms still prevail, as the rolling landscape is not suited to large-scale farming. Beef and sheep farming are most common, while since the foot and mouth crisis crops such as oilseed rape and maize have become more prevalent.

Since the 18th century, artists have been attracted to Cornwall for its light and rugged beauty. Artists such as Norman Garstin, Barbara Hepworth and Bernard Leach have all sought inspiration in Cornwall, and there are many excellent studios and galleries in most towns.

Eden Project
One of the main draws for tourism in Cornwall is the extraordinary Eden Project. Consisting of the world's largest geodesic domes, the Project brings together a spectacular array of plants from all over the world, separated into two biospheres, the Humid Tropical Biome, featuring a jungle environment, and the Warm Temperate Biome, including Mediterranean, South African and Californian plant species. The success of the Eden Project has also had a positive knock-on effect on businesses in the surrounding area as well as the rest of the county.

Cornwall really is a world apart from the rest of Britain, with a different climate, a different language - that can still be heard in some areas - and a different lifestyle, and there can be no doubt that the high property prices are entirely justified.

Property Market

The southwest of England, especially Cornwall, has been at the forefront of the property boom over recent years. According to Colin Benney, Manager at Stratton Creber Estate Agents in Truro, prices have gone up by about 50% in this time.

Although the first six months of 2004 were very active, along with the rest of the country, the Cornish market has failed to pick up after the usual Summer lull: 'In my view prices are levelling out as supply comes more into balance with demand. It's a tougher market, with fewer transactions, but without the panic buying we were seeing earlier on in the year,' said Mr Benney.

Major towns
Penzance, Falmouth, St Ives, Truro, St Austell, Fowey, Par, Newquay, Bodmin, Bude, Launceston.

Transport links
Train: There is a direct, regular train from London Paddington to Penzance. The journey takes around 5 hours.

Plane: There are now regular, cheap Ryan Air flights from London Stansted to Newquay airport, which have no doubt helped Cornwall more attractive to second homebuyers. The journey takes just over one hour. Other operators also run flights from around the UK.

Car: Penzance is 283 miles from central London, via the M4, M5 and A30. St Austell is 265 miles.

Public schools in Cornwall
Duchy Grammar School, Truro (01872 862289). Co-educational, day and boarding, age range 3-18. Inter-denominational.

St Joseph's School, Launceston (01566 772988). Girls aged 4-16, boys 4-11. Day and boarding. Interdenominational.

St Petroc's School, Bude (01288 352876). Co-educational preparatory school, age range 3-14. Day and boarding. Church of England.

Bolitho School, Penzance (01736 363271). Day and boarding. Co- educational. Interdenominational. www.bolitho.cornwall.sch.uk

The Truro School, Truro (01872 272763). Co-educational, day and boarding, age range 3-18. Methodist. www.truroschool.com

Truro High School for Girls (01872 272830). Day and boarding, age range 3-18. Girls only (with boys allowed age 3- 5). Anglican. www.trurohigh.co.uk

Leisure
Yacht clubs: the Royal Torbay and the Royal Cornwall, Falmouth.

Hunting: the East Cornwall, North Cornwall, South Cornwall, Western and Four Burrow. World-class surfing at Newquay. Royal Cornwall Show held annually on its own ground at Wadebridge.

Fishing: rivers Camel, Fal, Fowey, Lyd and Tamar.

Notable golfcourses: Newquay, Rock and Padstow.

THE BEST TINTAGEL & Cornwall COUNTRY HOUSES FOR SALE
(A breakdown of what was for sale & purchase prices)

Trewarthenick Estate, Tregony, Truro (1737 acre estate, 2.5 miles frontage on River Fal, grounds by Repton): £9m

Country Life

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If your enquiry is urgent or you require impartial advice on acquiring a prime property in TINTAGEL please contact one of our Directors on
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