Booking:
Call Above Beach Cottages on 01326 389 272, or
Go online to www.abovebeachcottages.co.uk and go to HELFORD, and Creek Cottage will be there.
Prices are given on the above site on a per week basis and range from £330 for a week in February or November to £770 for a week in July or August. This includes all towels, cleaning, bedsheets, etc.
Getting there: The postcode is TR12 6JU
Driving: Once you get to Truro you have about another 45 minutes to go. From Helston, follow signs to St Keverne and then take the left hand turn to Helford just after the large gates to the Trelowarren Estate. Helford is well signed, but if you are following your satnav make sure you don’t get taken down Orchard Lane as it is very steep. (very).
Train: It is possible to get the train to Truro, change to Penmere (Falmouth) and then get a cab. If you are arriving with no luggage, and during the day, then get a cab to Helford Passage (on the North side of the river) and catch the ferry across.
Flying: The nearest airport is Newquay which is an hour and a quarter away. Unless you are a Naval pilot in which case you might be able to radio in for permission to land at RNAS Culdrose.
Boat: There are visitors moorings (green) in amongst the moorings on the river. Pick one up and someone will come and find you. You can radio Ian on VHF Channel 37 at the Ferry kiosk for collection if needed.
Keys
The house key is in the key safe on the shed door (to the right of the house) and the combination will be emailed to you.
There is a spare key (somewhere!) for emergencies.
Generally, I only lock the house when I leave the village, but up to you.
Boats
You can rent all sorts of boats from Anthony Jenkin at St Anthony, or paddle boards from Ian the Ferryman at Helford Passage.
For St Anthony boats you can ask one of the boys that help out (summer only) at Steve Potter’s jetty on The Point just beyond the ferry pier (it is marked ‘private’)
There is a chandlers at Gweek Quay if you need any bits.
Tides
The tide in the middle of the Helford River can run quite fast mid-tide at springs. Be careful. Feel free to reset the tide clock in the kitchen if it is incorrect.
There is more technical info on the ‘tides’ page, if interested.
The Helford River - some useful websites:
Helford Voluntary Marine Conservation Area
Swimming across the Helford River:
It is 600m to swim from Helford Point to Helford Passage beach.
Or it is 850m from the Shipwrights slipway to Helford Passage.
Or 1100m from the house to Helford Passage beach when the tide is right in.
It is 1600m (1 mile) to Durgan beach from The Point, but don’t try it against the tide.
Woodburner
There are usually briquettes underneath the bookcase end of the sofa. More can be bought from the Sainsburys petrol station in Helston.
Firelighters under the telephone end.
To light the wood-burner, fill it with wood, put a firelighter at the bottom, light it, and leave the door ajar (handle down).
Once burning, close the door fully.
Move the top slider (above the door) to the right for ‘normal’ burning, and to the left when you go to bed (and it will stay lit all night).
Heating / hot water
It is electric and on a timer/thermostat. It is in the cupboard in the double bedroom.
If you have a bath, press the green hot water top up switch to reheat the water.
The radiators have individual valves.
In summer, I tend to turn all radiators off at their individual valves, except the bathroom, and leave the heating ON with the thermostat turned up, to keep the bathroom, and all swimming things, dry. Open window to adjust temperature…
There are lines on the balcony for drying wetsuits - weather permitting.
Pictures
The various pictures around the house are:
Above the fire - copy of Ben Nicholson, White Relief (1935). Original in Tate Britain. Plywood copy by me.
Double bedroom: Allan Parker photograph, taken on Orford Ness (dis-used cold war military base) in Suffolk, 2009. www.allanforresterparker.co.uk
Children’s room: “Humpback” sand drawing by Sonia Shomalzedah, 2011 - www.soniashomalzadeh.com
Harbour, by Julian Trevelyan, as part of the “School Prints” series, 1946.
Gold fish. From a French fishmongers shop window, c1950, repainted.
Towels - white / stripey
Please don’t take the white towels to the beach. Feel free to take the striped ones out.
Cleaning / hoover / bin liners / light bulbs
There is stuff in the bathroom and under the kitchen sink. Use as needed.
Spare light bulbs (if needed) are under the sofa, at the front door end.
There is a dyson cordless in the children’s bedroom behind the door.
Telephone / broadband / computer / tv
Mobiles sometimes get a signal in Helford, depending upon the signal gods.
Mobile reception will generally kick in once you get to the church on the road back to Helston.
Feel free to use the landline, 01326 231 734, for short outgoing calls. And incoming, of course.
Wifi code is on a small card in the cupboard above the telephone. As is the broadband router.
There is a DVD player and some DVDs in the cupboard in the double bedroom.
The TV tuning is patchy at best. If there is no sound, push the cables in at the bck of the telly a bit harder.
Pubs
The Shipwrights… Best pub in town, good food, jetty, open most days 11am - 11pm. Music.
On the other side, at Helford Passage, there is the Ferryboat Inn.
New Inn in Manaccan
Prince of Wales in New Town.
Black Swan in Gweek.
Ferries
Will collect you on demand (up to 5pm) from Helford Point to go to Helford Passage. VHF Ch 37 if you need collecting from your boat.
Food:
Helford Stores is great, and opens at 9am for fresh bread, milk, etc.
Sainsburys in Helson will deliver if ordered online.
Kernow Sashimi, wholesale fishmonger down a track on the Mawgan road, signed. From Helford, stay on the road through Newtown, and it is on your left, a mile beyond Newtown.
Fuel
Petrol from Sainsbury’s in Helston
Fishing
The Blue Pointer runs fishing trips. Based on Helford River. www.bluepointercharter.co.uk
Diving. Porthkerris divers.
Crabbing - from the jetty at the pub, or the bridge outside the house at high tide.
Books
Please read them, but don’t take them away.
Breakages
Don’t worry at all, but please let me know so that I can replace whatever it is.
Kitchen
I hope you find everything you need - scales / pans / cake tins / etc.
Have a lovely time in Helford..