Holiday rentals in Rock

Boutique cafes, award-winning restaurants, and a refined atmosphere attract discerning travelers to this seaside town in North Cornwall. Royals, politicians, and A-list actors have all chosen it as a holiday spot. Rock repays the compliment with a mile-long stretch of sandy beach with gorgeous views across the Camel Estuary — a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — not to mention azure waters and a village shop that stocks gourmet delicacies and fine wine. You’ll see plenty of sailing yachts, too, while the estuary’s sheltered waters also make it popular with waterskiers, kayakers, and windsurfers.

An easy, scenic 10-minute ride on a pedestrian ferry makes a trip across the river to Padstow almost compulsory (there’s a local rivalry between the towns, and Padstow has its own fine-dining scene) while a 30-minute coastal walk north of town leads you over undulating dunes to the equally attractive beach of Daymer Bay.

Rock is busiest between June and August, when the temperatures are the warmest and the swimming is most pleasant. If you come in July you’ll be able to witness the annual open-water swim across the river from Padstow (one mile, if you’re considering taking part). August is when the town hosts its Rock Oyster Festival, a celebration of music and shellfish. September usually stays pretty warm, but you don’t need sunbathing weather to appreciate Rock’s stunning surroundings. The Estuary is equally beautiful in spring and autumn, though you’ll want to make sure you’ve packed layers for the days when the temperatures drop and the wind kicks up. Winters can be chilly and wet, but good for watching dramatic Atlantic storms, and finding snug comfort in the pubs and restaurants that have open fires.

Brea Hill

The South West Coast Path linking Rock with Daymer Bay leads you around this hillock rather than over it, but it’s worth the short steep climb up its rounded sides. The shapes at its 62-metre summit are caused by the Bronze Age burial mounds that lie beneath it, and the views of the estuary let you see all the way to Pentire Point in one direction and Padstow in the other.

St Enodoc Church

Nicknamed “Sinking Neddy” by the locals, this 12th-century chapel was buried by the sand dunes around it for 300 years. The church was eventually dug out, but the spire has been left permanently wonky as a result, and is a quirky sight, set in the middle of a scenic 19th-century golf course.

Doom Bar

At the mouth of the Camel Estuary, you can see foaming white breakers where the waves run over this famous sandbank. Doom Bar is a natural feature that keeps the estuary waters protected during storms, but it has also run many ships aground. The name has also been given to a local ale, and you can tour the brewery in Rock that makes it.