The Old Rectory

Boscastle

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The Situation

The Old Rectory offers quality Bed & Breakfast in a historic house. Situated near Boscastle on the beautiful North Cornish Coast. Within an hours drive of the M5 at Exeter. An ideal base to visit Cornwall's Eden Project, Lanhydrock House, a variety of Cornish gardens, unspoilt beaches and many other Cornish treasures.

Our house is surrounded by 3 acres of mature south facing gardens including a Victorian walled garden. Thomas Hardy stayed here as a young architect and met and fell in love with Emma Lavinia Gifford. The romance led to the novel "A Pair of Blue Eyes", and to some of his finest poetry. 

The Old Rectory is a family home and has recently been updated and is decorated in period style. Guests have their own Sitting Room which they are welcome to relax in throughout the day. Come and stay as our guests and enjoy a brush with history.

The Accommodation

The house has been recently updated and is decorated in period style. It is centrally heated throughout. Guests have their own Sitting Room which they can use during the day, with seasonal log fires. They can also help themselves to fruit from the fruit bowl.

The walled garden supplies ample fresh fruit and vegetables in season, as well as free range eggs. Breakfast is cooked on an Aga and is served in the Entrance Hall and consists of a wide range of Cornish produce including our home made marmalade and preserves. 

Unlike many Bed and Breakfast places we will serve breakfast up to 10.00am

Prices include a full cooked breakfast and a daily newspaper of your choice except Sundays (No delivery!)

Open from February 28th until November 30th

We are a non smoking establishment.

No pets in the house, but one well behaved dog in the Old Stable.

Children over 12 years old welcome.

Evening meals served in our conservatory using our own and local ingredients by arrangement.

How to find us

The Old Rectory is within an hours drive of the M5 at Exeter.

Directions.

From the M5 at Exeter keep going until you get to junction 31 where the Motorway divides into two the A38 and A30. Take the left lane marked A30 to Okehampton – Launceston - Bodmin.

When arriving in Cornwall stay on the A30 for about 2 miles past Launceston and take the exit marked Kennards House (A395). To North Cornwall, Wadebridge, Camelford and Bude. You will then drive over the dual carriage way and turn left.

After a few miles on this road you will drive through a village - Pipers Pool. You will then pass through a wind farm and then on the right you will pass a plantation and a Pub on the right called Wilsey Down at Hallworthy. Here there are two right turns. You need the second right (B3262) Marked Otterham Station and Bude. (The first one is marked Canworthy Water do not take this one)

Keep on this road until you come to ‘T’ Junction turn right to Bude (A39)

Take the next left marked Boscastle, Crackington, Marshgate and Tresparett.

Keep on this road until you come to a crossroads and turn left to Boscastle.

Up the hill over the brow and you will see the Atlantic ocean on the way down the hill you will see our road sign and a sign to St Juliot Church and Lesnewth follow this and you will come to our entrance about ¾ of a mile on the right hand side. Drive down the track beside the farm. 

There is ample room for turning and Parking outside our house. 

If you are in Boscastle we are well sign posted from the B3263 Boscastle to Bude road.

History
St Juliot Rectory is not only an interesting house situated in an entrancing part of Cornwall, it is also the setting for one of the most important romances in literary history. It was here that in March 1870 Thomas Hardy, later to become one of England's greatest poets and novelists, met Emma Lavinia Gifford, the Rector's sister - in - law, and there began his `Cornish Romance'.

An architect at the time he had come to St Juliot to make plans for the restoration of St Juliot Church. Emma and he fell in love almost as soon as they met, Hardy made several more visits to St Juliot, and they were married in 1874. Hardy was never to forget the girl and the Rectory which brought `magic' to his eyes, and he immortalised them in his novel, A Pair of Blue Eyes.

On the death of Emma in 1912 he returned to St Juliot and wrote some of his greatest poetry, deeply moving in its memories of the past, of the Rectory, and of the `wandering western sea' Many of the places Hardy mentions can still be recognised 130 years later.

The house is Grade II listed, built of local stone in 1847. It was the home to 10 Rectors before being sold by the Church Commissioners in 1956

Walks

Guests have the advantage of leaving their car here and exploring the local countryside and the dramatic coastal scenery. The highest cliffs in the county are here just ready to be explored. You can see seals either swimming or just lying on the rocks sunning themselves. There are several circular walks including the famous Valency valley where you can see an abundance of wild life including Dippers and Kingfishers on a good day. For guests who would like shorter walk we are only 3 fields away by footpath from the Church.

Beaches

The North Cornish coast is well known for its Surf and for those looking for beaches there are several to choose from. Heading north there are: - Strangles, Crackington Haven, Widemouth and 2 beaches at Bude. South of Boscastle there are:- Bossiney and Trebarwith (both of these are not accessible at high tide, but great at low tide). Port Isaac, Port Quin, Polzeth and Daymer Bay. The furthest beach mentioned above is only 40 minutes by car.

Boscastle 

There is something for everyone, magnificent cliffs and scenery, rare seabirds, a beautiful functional Elizabethan harbour. The chance to take fishing trips, a Museum of Witchcraft, the unique Boscastle Pottery, a gentle stream with ducks bobbing in it. Historic old Cornish Cottages with sagging roofs, the Boscastle blowhole – an astonishing feature that emits a loud booming noise, and sends a spray of water across the harbour. 


Wonderful pubs full of character, some with live music in the bar on certain evenings, abundant eating-places, to suit every pocket. The medieval `stitches’ near Forrabury Church, a relic of times past, the Tourist Information Centre with lots more information!!






Tintagel – 6 miles

Many like to believe that this was the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur, or even the site of
Camelot, the mythical headquarters of the Knights of the Round Table. The Castle ruins that can be seen today date from the twelfth Century. Whatever your views of this magnificent place, the steep scramble down the cliff and onto the Castle Island will leave you feeling exhilarated.

Also worth a visit, `King Arthur’s Hall’ a magnificent hall with over 70 stained glass windows, and a fine display of stone. In the centre of the village is the picturesque and much photographed Old Post Office, a small 17th century slate manor house that was converted to a Post Office in the 19th century. The Parish Church set on the windswept cliffs is Norman in origin and retains much of its original fabric, including the font, windows and some walls.




Camelford – 8 miles


This small former wool town has the North Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, both well worth a visit. On the outskirts of the town, at Camelford Station is the Museum of Historic Cycling. 


Camelford lies on the edge of Bodmin Moor, and many fine walks can be enjoyed from close by. Roughtor is particularly spectacular and gives far-reaching views of both the north and south coast of Cornwall - on a clear day.

Bodmin Moor

The highest points in Cornwall are Brown Willy and Roughtor which are just 15 minutes by car, from here you can see both the North and South Coast of Cornwall. There are many picturesque villages around the moor

Local Towns

Bude - 13 miles

A thriving seaside town with two beaches and for those who like to give the beach a miss you have the Canal to walk along side. There is an interesting museum and a wide range of shops. The Rebel cinema is only 9 miles rom here.

Wadebridge - 15 miles

With its new Bypass this has become a rejuvenated town. You can hire a bike and cycle to Padstow along the Camel trail (A disused railway track) and in the opposite direction to the foot hills of Bodmin Moor. Wadebridge has a cinema and many small delightful shops.

Cornish Gardens

Lanhydrock, Cotehele, Heligan and the Eden project - All within an easy drive from here.