Windsworth Old Coach House

If you’re looking to switch off, then a stay in this stone longhouse is a must. It’s an offgrid house set on a 70-acre hillside smallholding in south Cornwall, with a half a mile of its own coastline and spectacular land and sea views. A wonderful escape for all the family, with flexible accommodation for small groups.
Windsworth is offgrid – there is no mains electricity or gas, so there’s no microwave, no dishwasher, no tv, no hair drier … and no wifi. However, the house has electric lighting, heating and loads of hot water, and the kitchen has a fridge freezer and a range cooker plus a gas hob. Offgrid can mean really comfortable, as long as you realise you’ll need to put in some effort.
The house can accommodate up to 6 adults, with an optional extra studio flat for 1 or 2. (The flat is never let separately). There are two bedrooms in the main house – one downstairs room with a kingsize bed, and a family room upstairs with two doubles on a platform under the eaves. There’s a shower room and a wc downstairs. The kitchen-diner has a woodburner range (with hob and oven). There is a large sitting room with full-height French windows and a woodburning stove. The studio flat has a kingsize bed, wc and kitchenette.
The house has a good range of games, cards and books for all ages. Toddler loo seat, step and high chair are provided. The house has a mobile recharging point – most networks seem to be in range. You can either bring your own food and drink or make use of the local farm shop (3 miles away at Widegates). There’s also a great farm shop in Looe, and various supermarkets in the nearby towns.
Exterior Details
The house is reached by a 200-yard driveway through the fields and woodland. It has a large private garden and you can roam as far as you want. There is a home-built wood-fired hot tub available at an additional cost. It can accommodate 2–3 people and is the perfect spot for some stargazing or, if you’re lucky, seeing some of our local wildlife – bats, foxes, deer, badgers and a wide array of birdlife.
General Info
Windsworth is a very private, quiet and exceptionally beautiful place. The house is inside our Caradon Coastal Reserve, set on the hill overlooking Looe Bay. On a clear day, you can even see the Lizard Peninsula, 40 miles away. The Coastal Reserve includes half a mile of coastline, which is wonderful for exploring, and dog-friendly too. We manage the land to encourage as much wildlife as possible and is home to some rare butterflies and bats, as well as slow-worms, voles, shrews, hedgehogs, and some of the larger British mammals, as well as a wonderful array of birdlife. Also roaming the reserve are some rare breeds of sheep, plus goats and horses.
The Area Surrounding the Property
This is a quiet and secluded part of Cornwall; a couple of miles in one direction is the small holiday spot of Seaton / Downderry, and in the other direction is Looe. The beach is directly accessible from the house – it’s a 15-minute walk down a steep path through woodlands, ending up in a scree-run / slide with a rope to cling on to – so be prepared!
The South West Coast Path runs through our land and extends for over 600 miles. Nearby is our labyrinth which is about 200 yards from the house on the old coast path and definitely worth a visit. The nearest beach (apart from our own) is at Millendreath (a 20-minute walk along the coast path) which has a bistro and bar, and where you can rent paddleboards and kayaks.
A 1-hour walk along the coast path (or 15 mins drive) takes you to Looe, where you can head out on fishing trips, and 3 miles along the coast path beyond Looe is the pretty fishing village of Polperro. You can also walk (20 mins) or drive (5 mins) to the dog-friendly beach at Seaton. Within about 10 miles of us are plenty of activities to keep yourselves and your kids busy … two riding stables, a surf school, dinghy sailing, a zip wire – even hang-gliding when the wind’s in the right direction!