Cornwall Suggestions

Truro would be a very good place to pick up the car, as there is a rental office right on the station platform as you get off the train. The front door is off the street, the back door off the platform.

They are even open, or rather will open, when the Sleeper train arrives from London.

Looking at the list of sites to visit St Agnes feels a nice compromise as you basically have to cover from St Just to Bodmin and Padstow from this list. https://www.cornwalls.co.uk/poldark/filming-locations

Thus gaining a day by arriving on the sleeper would be a good idea.

Looking at your previous post is this still scheduled for late fall- mid October sort of time? You will be running into School Half Term if that late in the fall.

If looking for a cottage by the sea St Agnes itself (the main village) is up a hill from the sea. You want Trevaunance Cove. There is a separate little community down there, a lovely place to stay, I've stayed in the village but could easily imagine staying at the cove.

I remember some cottages down there so have just googled and come up with this local company- https://covecottages.co.uk/bookings/

I know it is not cottages but there is a really special pub down there with rooms- the Driftwood Spars- https://driftwoodspars.co.uk/

From the pub you are straight up onto the cliffs and the very obvious mining remains. You will love it down there.

It is only a 5 minute drive back up into the village for the shops, especially the Village Bakery.

How many of the 20 filming sites do you envision visiting?

Are you still coming up to the Lake District afterwards or concluding at Manchester, by the way?

Assuming you do stay in St Agnes this is how I would group the destinations- to minimise driving time.

Day 1-
Kynance Cove, Gunwalloe, Predennack Wollas and Poldark Mine

Day 2-
Bottalack (St Just), Levant Mine, Penberth Cove, Porthgwarra, Porthcurno/Pedn Vounder and Gwennap Head

Day 3-
Perrranporth, Park Head/Bedruthan Steps, Porthcothan Beach, Padstow area- Stepper Point, Tregirls and Hawkers Cove, ending at Holywell Bay at Sunset (choose this day out of the 4 or 5 to get the best possible sunset)

Day 4- (in this order)- St Breward, Bodmin Jail, Charlestown and end the day at Turnaware Point, before returning 'home' on the King Harry Chain Ferry over the River Fal

Maybe end one of the days at Chapel Porth, but somewhere in all of this you want to fit in the cliff walk from the Cove over St Agnes Head to Chapel Porth, then back through the Village, then cut down through Stippy Stappy (yes the lane really is called that) on the way back to the Cove,

St Agnes is an excellent choice. There is a range of holiday rentals near the Driftwood Spars. Every house on Stippy Stappy is now a holiday let. My wife’s (she was born there) aunt was the very last resident. House prices in St Agnes are brutal and there are a lot of second homes.

Have you considered flying from Newquay to Manchester?

\if you're going to get the chain ferry over the river Fal then it would be worth a quick vist to the church of St Just in Roseland which I have heard described - accurately in my view - as the prettiest church in England (or certainly the prettiest location). The graveyard with streams running through it down to the sea is like a garden and if you arrange to arrive at or near high tide, the sea comes up very close to the church.

The whole place is very small (as is the church) but well wort a quick visit if you are nearby.

Thank you for the suggestions. I'm in process of talking with my friend that I'm traveling with to see what her thoughts are as far as taking the train down to Truro and picking up the car. We'll be in Cornwall for 4 nights and then head up to Liverpool to see her Aunt & Uncle and then on to the Lake District, ultimately returning the car and flying out of Manchester back to the States.

I'm sort of overwhelmed looking for lodging - I've stayed at a waterfront cottage in Uig on the Isle of Skye for the last two summers and really want to try and recapture that kind of feel in wherever we end up in Cornwall. I'm eyeing a property that is a stone's throw from Wheal Coates. It's close to the walking trails but appears to be far enough out of St. Agnes as to have some breathing room.

If anyone has any suggestions for local property management places to review other than VRBO and AirBnB, it would be most appreciated!

I've stayed at Enysvilla in St. Agnes, a fine little 4 room B & B in the center of the village. Jo is an accommodating hostess. It is a bit of a walk down to the beach but is close to everything else. The historical museum is nearby and you can take in the mining and surfing culture that was started there over 100 years ago. Also a short distance to the coastal Coates mine remnants and the beautiful Southwest hiking trail. Fantastic views from there!

Just a warning that the drive from Cornwall to Liverpool is a very long and tedious one, at least 5 hours driving on often congested roads. Ideally you would do it over two days and take a more interesting route (there are some) but your schedule might not allow that. Don't, whatever you do, attempt it on a Saturday in Summer.

kathy, I would suggest the following instead of driving everyplace.

1. Train from London to Cornwall.
2. Pick up rental car in Cornwall and use while you are there.
3. Drop off rental car in Cornwall.
4. Train from Cornwall to Liverpool
5. Pick up rental car in Liverpool.
6. Drive to Lake District (or wherever your next destination is).

That is what I did this year when I was in Cornwall. I stayed in London first, then took the train to Plymouth, where I rented a car from Europcar (via AutoEurope), and spent some time touring Cornwall and Devon. After that, I turned the car back in at Plymouth, and took the train to Liverpool, where I was staying with a friend. At the end of that stay, I rented another car (through Arnold Clark), picked it up at their Liverpool office, and drove to The Peak District and my other destinations.

It saved me money in the long run, as I did not have the extra fee you have to pay for turning it in at a different location, plus it was SO much easier than driving from London to Cornwall, and then Cornwall to Liverpool. Cornwall driving can be exhausting because of the roads there (and all the tourists), so by the time you are done, you will definitely be wanting to turn the car in and take the train. You can get pretty cheap tickets if you buy the Advance ones, and it really will be a lot easier. As mentioned, I rented the car in Plymouth, but Truro is also a good location for picking up (and turning in) a car.

Since Mardee was there a few months ago Cross Country trains have now introduced new much cheaper Advance Fares, I found out by chance last week.

I'm doing a Paignton (Devon) to the Lake District trip in October. While it's too soon for me to book yet by about a month I reckon I should get that for about £33 with a railcard- £50 or so without. When fares are issued it may even be cheaper than that.

I was planning to get an ultra cheap £11 1st class ticket from Paignton to London Waterloo then Avanti from Euston standard class. But Cross Country via Birmingham now looks to possibly be cheaper, avoids the cross London change, and for me a very tight late night connection, which has a tendency to end up as a 40 mile taxi ride paid for by the railways.

Looking at a random September date I can find Truro to Liverpool for around £70- about £45 with a railcard.