Spring 2024

So Spring is finally here , after what seems like months of excess rainfall , the lambs are in the fields around us and the birds are singing amongst the blossom and the new leaves .

 

We start 2024 with 3 awards under our belt which we are thrilled with . 

The first we received last Autumn which was the "LuxLife best self catering farm stay 2023 in Cornwall "  the second one we received in January was the "Luxlife best self catering accommodation in Cornwall 2024" and we have just received the " SME most idyllic luxury self catering cottages 2024 - North Cornwall". 

 

We do our upmost to try and ensure everyone has a great stay here and its lovely when we get positive reviews and its acknowledged in this way.

 

We were closed again in January and February to catch up with some jobs, some more new windows in Snappers, Otterbridge and Butterwell, new fire safety regulation implementation with new fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and radio interlinked alarm systems plus some general odd jobs and maintenance to keep standards high - which has all paid off as we have maintained our 4star Gold rating for the 7th consecutive year.

 

As our regulars will know we said goodbye to Dillon last year after 15 doggy years at Penrose Burden. He could never be replaced , but we do have a new addition to the family , he is Benji and has been re-homed with us from Kent , he is a very friendly little chap , perhaps a little too friendly at times but is settling in well and looks forward to seeing everyone this year.

 

We look forward to a busy season in 2024 , welcoming back our returning guests and new friends alike.

 

Ian, Jane, Sam, Henry and Benji 

Welcome to 2023

Spring has arrived and its wonderful to see the lambs in the fields and the daffodils in the gardens.

We closed for a few weeks to make sure the cottages were ready for 2023 holidays. The cottages were deep cleaned, carpets cleaned and some windows replaced . The electrics had a full check and we were ready to open the doors for March.

We are still facing , like everyone else, the energy crisis but keeping everything crossed the chancellor will help small business like ours in the coming budget.

For those regular visitors you will be pleased to know Dillon is still visiting daily for his treats and is very pleased to have guests back in the cottages.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Penrose Burden in 2023 and hope you have a wonderful holiday in Cornwall enjoying all the delights it has to offer.

The BBC comes to Burden!

Along with everyone else we are seeing our energy prices going sky high. Unlike the domestic market business energy rates are not capped and here at Penrose Burden we find ourselves with a 400% increase in electricity charges.

We used to pay 14p a unit and its now 65p a unit!

We will subsidise what we can from our savings but will also have to put the cottage prices for 2023 up to help out. We hope our guests will be understanding and as energy conscious as we have now become.

BBC Spotlight - the local southwest news program are trying to raise awareness of the difficulties for small businesses and got in touch - heres the results of our day filming on the 30th August - lights, camera, action …………

Spring 2022

Its exciting to be open for a full season again and we started this year on a high with a 4 star gold assessment on all of our cottages and 5 star assessment for cleaning which we are thrilled with.

The sun is shining, the lambs are springing in the nearby fields and the fresh green leaf buds are bursting into life.

This is a family run business in a small rural Cornish community and we are continuing with our COVID cleaning regime as the virus is still here. 

So to keep all our guests as safe as possible ,all surfaces, handles, light switches and plug sockets are still being cleaned with anti-bacterial cleaner and all crockery , cutlery and utensils are being put through a hot wash in the dishwasher and cushions and soft furnishings being sprayed with a disinfectant . All properties are still being aired for 8 hours between guests and with that in mind check in continues at 5pm and check out is 9am.

We hope that one day soon things will return to normal , but for now we will carry on with precautions so that all our guests enjoy a safe and wonderful Cornish holiday.

We look forward to welcoming you in 2022 and hope you enjoy the rural tranquility, wildlife and views as much as we do.

Ian, Jane , Sam, Henry and Robin

We're Open!

We are so pleased to be open again and welcoming holiday makers to Penrose Burden.

The cottages are looking beautiful in the Cornish sunshine and most local amenities are now open ready to welcome visitors, you may just need to book them in advance.

We would like to reassure all our visitors that we are totally COVID compliant and implementing all the measures recommended by the government. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or queries.

Check in times have had to be amended to make sure we are COVID compliant so check in is now 5pm and check out is 9am.

June 2020 Update

With the continued lockdown we unfortunately remain closed. We hope to open as soon as we are allowed and welcome guests back to our beautiful, tranquil haven here at Penrose Burden.

 

If you have any queries regarding an up and coming booking please contact Cornish Horizons. 

 

 Tel : 01841 533331

Email : cottages@cornishhorizons.co.uk

 

I know they are exceptionally busy and are working through the queries as quickly as possible, starting with the imminent bookings. Please be as patient as you can.

 

If you have any other queries don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

 

We hope you all keep safe and hope we can see you again soon.

 

Ian & Jane  

COVID-19 UPDATE

  • Each cottage is always cleaned extensively between guests however we are now paying special attention to high risk zones such as door handles, kitchens and bathrooms.

 

  • We can facilitate a 'non contact’ holiday by self -check in and departure and any assistance required can be done by mobile phone.

 

  • All major supermarkets, our local shop (which is fantastic), and other local food suppliers deliver to the cottages and we are more than happy to assist with this before or during your stay.

  • We have some terrific wide open spaces locally, Bodmin Moor, local beaches on the North Cornish coast and the Camel Trail where you can get out and about ideal for social distancing.

 

  • Our local pub - The Old Inn, is still open for business however they also now are offering takeaway meals so you can still have a treat!

If you have any special requirements please do get in touch.


Ian & Jane Moore

February 2020

February 2020 - BLOG update

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2018 was a year of juggling getting the cottages refurbished, managing the building project along with welcoming our first holiday guests - 2019 has been a bit calmer and our first full year of running Penrose Burden cottages without project managing all the associated works.

 

Its been lots of fun and we haven’t looked back, its hard work doing all the changeovers on Fridays and Saturdays, 3 on a Friday and 4 on a Saturday but as a family we all muck in, Jane does bathrooms and dusting, Ian does kitchens and floors and the boys change the beds, fill up the logs and empty the rubbish bins – that’s how they earn their pocket money. After a year we are getting it down to a fine art just and its so great to meet lots of new guests every week from far and wide.

 

This move has given us lots more family time together and much less commuting time, Ian’s has been cut down by 4 hours 55 minutes a day with just a 5 minute commute to the cottages or the barn and he doesn’t see 4.30 am anymore luckily.

 

In the week there are still a fair few jobs to get on with, it takes a day to cut all he lawns and we try and do that when our guests are out so as not to disturb them to much. There are always lots of logs to split for the wood burners and kindling to chop, plus the 40 odd pots and baskets to keep flowering and looking good and then there are the weeds – Cornish weeds seem to be more prolific and it’s a full time job keeping on top if them. There are always a few little painting touching up jobs or repairs to do along the way ensuring we maintain our high standards and 4 star gold level of rating.

 

Its been so lovely to greet returning guests already just 18 months in and hopefully as the years roll on we will get to know our customers more and more as they return to spend time in this lovely part of the world and share Penrose Burden with us.

 

There have been many moments of hilarity along the way, the neighboring cows managed to get out early one morning, 4am and were wandering around the garden mooing, you don’t realize how big these lovely beasts are until they are coming towards you in the dark! Then there are the lambs – they are so cute and cuddly but small so they get under the fences and run around the gardens unable seemingly to find there way back into the fields – so we have the “lamb rescue” squad – which entails Ian and Henry going one way and Jane and Sam going the other way and in a pincer movement we get them back through the gates – although not for long as normally an hour later they are out again – what do they say, the grass is always greener on the other side, I guess it means less grass cutting but it gives hours of amusement to our holiday guests watching us trying to round them up.

 

We do find that we seem to get proper seasons here, the Winter brought us snow which was so picturesque although our thoughts went out for all the people stuck on Bodmin Moor at Jamaica Inn, plus those locals who got stuck in their cars, Spring was lovely and warm with long days and superb flowers on all he camellias and rhododendrons, Summer was gorgeous with days on the beach and cycling along he Camel Trail and Autumn seemed calm and still although buried in leaves with the obligatory windy and wet day of course.

 

So 2020 will see a bit more building work, giving us a reception room to greet guests with a few shelves of local goodies and essentials for sale plus we are looking at our sustainability credentials – we use a natural spring bore hole for water and in January have just moved over to a biomass renewable electricity source plus now we are using a new company to recycle all our waste.

 

So we really are looking forward to welcoming returning guests and new ones alike and of course Dillon is still here as part of the welcoming committee with his waggy tail and constant search for treats!

Its time for a change, driven by our love of Cornwall.

The view from Jingles luxury self catering holiday cottage at Penrose Burden in North Cornwall near Bodmin Moor-cropped.jpg

Its time for a change, driven by our love of Cornwall.

Ian’s grandparents lived in Caharrack for 30 years and he spent every school holiday exploring the towns, villages and beaches of this amazing county. We have have been in book selling and publishing for over 30 years and Ian reached the heady heights of Sales Director at Penguin and Dorling Kindersley latterly. And Jane at WHSmith head office. But in November 2017 that all changed.

I guess we all dream, in every edition of Cornwall Life magazine we would read about people jacking in their jobs and moving to Cornwall to start a new life, always dreaming, never really thinking that we would do it. But after 13 years of getting up at 4.30 every day and commuting to London from the Cotswolds, constantly missing the 2 boys sports days, Christmas plays, football tournaments etc., etc. and Jane playing mum and dad, it was time for a change.

We had always dreamt of running a self catering holiday complex and had been half heartedly looking online for one, but last January we decided to take a look at a few, just to see what was about. We had seen Penrose Burden cottages up for sale the year before and it had sold, but fate works in mysterious ways and the sale had fallen through and it had come back on the market.

We went and had a look and although it needed a huge amount of work, we fell in love with the spot overlooking the Camel Valley and decided to take things further.

We have had to write 3 year business plans, budget refurbishment programmes for 8 old Cornish stone barns and cottages, have just taken delivery of 9 kitchens, sort out huge planning issues, understand mining surveys, tackle a missing bore hole and move our 2 boys schools along with
resigning both our jobs, along with selling our house in the Cotswolds and my Dads house as we wanted to bring Grandad with us - it's a 3 generation project!

It's been an amazing journey so far, managing to get 3 cottages ready for the Easter holidays. We now have 5 online and are tackling number 6 – the biggest project of the lot. We’ve got plenty to keep us busy but its great to see holidaymakers starting to make memories in Penrose Burden.

Best wishes,
Jane