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Daphne Du Maurier’s Cornwall
Much like visitors coming to Cornwall on holiday, Daphne Du Maurier retreated from London society to the landscape of Cornwall. It’s here that she would spend time with simpler pursuits, writing, fishing and sailing – free of the pressures and expectations that came from her life in the city.
Honeymooning in a cottage on the Helford River at Frenchman’s Creek (the setting that would later inspire the novel of the same name) Du Maurier’s love of Cornwall was all-encompassing. The Helford River is the perfect place to be immersed in the countryside that so inspired her writing.
You can tread the steps Du Maurier once paced easily from your holiday cottage, taking the ferry from Helford Passage over to Helford Village, following the coast path up Frenchman’s Creek to the cottage where she stayed. Here it’s easy to understand the magic and intrigue that this place once held and still continues to hold within the imagination. Frenchman’s Creek remains one of the quietest parts of Cornwall, with the tide lapping against the dense woodland that lines the creek you’d be forgiven for thinking that Du Maurier herself might just wander around the corner.
Another place nearby, and one of many great Cornish houses that can lay claim to having some part to play in the inspiration for ‘Manderley’ in Du Maurier’s novel ‘Rebecca’ is Trelowarren. Rumour has it that after a muddy walk through the woods and fields alongside the Helford River, Du Maurier and her party were refused entry by staff who mistook them for travelling vagabonds. Du Maurier would later describe Trelowarren and it’s long sweeping drive amongst oak trees as ‘the most beautiful place imaginable’ in a letter, so it’s safe to assume that she must have returned later on in a slightly more presentable state and had a look around…
‘Rebecca’ is likely to be Du Maurier’s most memorable work, having never gone out of print since it was first published back in 1938 and selling over 2.8 million copies between then and 1965- a number likely to have quadrupled in the years since. Soon to be on the small screen is a Netflix adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s iconic ‘Rebecca’ starring Hollywood A-Listers Lily James and Armie Hammer.
Menabilly, the Country House that Du Maurier restored from a dilapidated state in Fowey and lived in is another fine house likely to have influenced the ‘Manderley’ of her imagination. Ivy covered and only visible from the water, with an ‘eerie and most ghostlike atmosphere’, Du Maurier would trespass here and pace the empty hallways and rooms for years before finally taking on the lease. Her relationship to Fowey is intimate and easily understood when you pause for a moment at it’s romantic and picturesque harbour.
Familiar to all of our guests must be the iconic Jamaica Inn, which can be seen towering over the moorland on the journey down along the A30. The scene for the novel of the same name, the inn still operates as a pub, and recently harboured stranded drivers during a snowstorm. Jamaica Inn is a dark tale that references the smuggling past of Cornwall, now known for beaches rather than pirates. Nevertheless, Jamaica Inn is an important work which uses the setting of rugged moorland to great effect. Jamaica Inn was recently adapted into a 3-part series by the BBC starring Jessica Brown-Findlay, so readers and non-readers alike can absorb themselves into this story.
Visit Cornwall from the comfort of your sofa (or chaise…) by ordering a book set in Cornwall from The Falmouth Bookseller.
New Yard Restaurant – Trelowarren
You don’t end up at the New Yard Restaurant by mistake. Set deep in the heart of the Trelowarren Estate, on The Lizard, you’ve got to either want to be there, or be extremely lost. Cornish Holiday Cottages were there by no accident.
The sprawling and beautiful estate once spanned 20,000 acres – now a meagre 1,000 – and has been in the Vyvyan family for 600 years. From the Helford River to the cusp of Goonhilly Downs, there’s a lot of history to Trelowarren, some beautiful woodland walks and an archaeological treasure in an Iron Age fogou.
The New Yard Restaurant is housed in an old coach house, but the restaurant itself almost has the feel of a Raymond Chandler novel. With large black and white tiles on the floor and repurposed anglepoise lamp heads hanging from the ceiling, there’s a monochrome, but sophisticated ambience.
The current menu reflects this fashion savvy interior, but somehow retains the sense of heritage that comes with an English Estate. Head Chef, Max, is a keen forager and the restaurant is well stocked from the larder of local produce: there are oysters from the Helford River; fish and shellfish caught by local dayboats; game from the estate; fruit and herbs from local farmers, too. Everything, including the bread, is freshly made on site.
We started our lunch-time meal with a miso broth, seaweed, wild mushrooms and tofu. There was no tofu though. The friendly, informal waiting staff apologised for this but they really didn’t need to, as it was delicious without it. The broth had a warming saltiness to it and a hint of seaweed added a certain sweetness to the flavour.
For our main course we had Cornish Crab, pumpkin and parmesan macaroni, which did a fantastic job of blending the lightness of the crab and pumpkin with the rich parmesan.
We also had slow roasted pheasant leg with a pheasant black pudding parcel, from the specials board. The bird must have been sourced onsite as I even found a piece of shot. That in no way detracted from the dish though, as it was an outstanding and original dish, served with creamed leeks and baby onions. I can’t express how delicious the black pudding parcel was.
From there, we at Cornish Holiday Cottages, just managed to squeeze in a dessert between two of us. A hot chocolate pudding with figs and home made honey ice cream. It was a beautifully decedent lunch. One that would be best coupled with a long, long walk in the woods.
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