You'll feel like smuggling Lugger's relaxing ambience in your luggage
IT HAD taken seven-and-a-half hours of driving – two of them stressed and stationary in a jam on the M1 near Chesterfield – but, finally, we'd arrived.
Frazzled, a little fractious, we pulled in to the car park of The Lugger Hotel in Portloe, Cornwall, and wondered if actually we'd need a week, not just the two nights we'd booked, before we ever felt relaxed again.
We needn't have worried. There's nothing for it but to unwind at The Lugger.
The first sign that resistance was futile came from our mobile phones. They didn't work, and no amount of holding them imploringly at arm's length above our heads could coax a signal from them.
The second was the sound of the sea. Swishing rhythmically, in and out, it soon set a hypnotically soothing pace. Seagulls soared on the late afternoon air currents above the cliffs and, at the water's edge below, a salty seadog in a chunky jumper gathered in his nets.
Portloe, still a working fishing village heaped with lobster pots, is tiny. The twisting lanes which wind down through the countryside to reach it are wide enough for only one car, and The Lugger, at the mouth of the cove, is the only hotel. The only pub, The Ship Inn, is closed on Mondays which meant we had to wait till the next night for a pint of local ale Tribute next to the crackling coal fire.
The Lugger itself is an old smugglers' hideaway where one 19th century landlord, Black Dunstan, was hanged for dealing in contraband liquor. Nowadays it's a hideaway for couples on romantic breaks – our fellow guests were well-to-do types getting away from it all.
We trundled our cases into reception in the main building on the harbour's edge, and were checked in by a smiling lady called Joanne who led us to our room, 303, in a separate building a few steps away.
The room was vast, with New England-style wooden shutters on the windows, an enormous bed made up with white linens and cushions, and fresh fruit and freesias on the dressing table. Fluffy robes hung in the bathroom, slippers awaited in the wardrobe, and a jug of fresh milk for tea-making was in the fridge. Outside, through the French doors, was our very own balcony planted with troughs of blossoming rosemary, and with a wicker lounger and chair looking out over the cove to sea.
We decided to head out and explore Portloe. You could walk the village from end to end in under five minutes, but there was plenty to see – envy-inducing holiday cottages, a wild coastal path, colourful fishing boats bobbing in the water beneath the rugged cliffs.
At night we ate in The Lugger's restaurant, where the fish and seafood is brought in daily by the village fishermen. Judging by the comments in the hotel's Visitor Book most guests find the food to be spectacular. We thought it was good – the starter of Cornish crab salad with lemon crme frache was so delicious I chose it both nights running, but my grilled sardine main course was small, and a hake fillet in herb crust on a bed of linguine was a little bland. But an unexpected power cut just after dessert on our first night, leaving the restaurant illuminated only by candlelight, added to the romance and we ended our meal with drinks in the cosy lounge.
We began the next day early, on our balcony, watching the sun rise over the almost blindingly sparkling sea. After breakfast, in the restaurant's conservatory beside the picturesque cove, we tried out the hotel's Seboni Spa – a tiny haven converted from a stone outbuilding on a grassy path beside the hotel. It was hard to believe we'd arrived at The Lugger only yesterday, fraught from our long drive. By now I'd unwound so completely I submitted to my first ever facial – a 70 "anti-aging booster for tired, stressed skin" – which was a lovely relaxing experience enhanced by the sound of the swishing of the sea and the occasional cry of the gulls outside.
In the afternoon we visited The Lost Gardens of Heligan a half-hour drive away, and explored the mysterious restored estate which spent more than 70 years entwined in a bramble of neglect. Afterwards we spent an hour in the seaside town of St Mawes, where we spotted a seal, browsed the little shops and galleries, and admired the elegant pink-painted houses which line the coastal road.
We checked out the next day feeling utterly revived and recharged.
Thanks to its peaceful location, and friendly staff who made sure The Lugger is exclusive without ever being pretentious, we left feeling like we'd stayed for a month.
Charles stayed at The Lugger Hotel, Portloe, Cornwall Visit www.luggerhotel.com or call 01872 501322.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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