Cornish Tipi Holidays

From £40 For 1 night, 2 adults 9.1 40 reviews
Morning view from the tipi (added by manager 22 Apr 2015)
Luminous lake with row boats and canoes that can be used by guests (added by manager 22 apr 2015)
Plenty of room in the meadow (added by manager 03 aug 2022)
Family camp out (added by manager 20 apr 2015)

  • Peaceful site on the north Cornish coast
  • Five minutes' drive from the nearest beach
  • On-site lake for swimming, boating, and trout fishing
There is, perhaps, nothing better than landing your own trout on a campsite fishing lake... and then landing it in a pan over a campfire for dinner. Unless it’s waking up to the sounds of birds twittering and then – with luck – the sizzling sound of a bacon and egg breakfast being cooked by a considerate beloved and carried lovingly into your tipi? If you have a beloved who seems allergic to frying pans, you might think your chances of having breakfast cooked for you on holiday are approximately nil. But the romantic feel of this place might be catching: there’s been at least one proposal a year at Cornish Tipi Holidays near Polzeath on the north Cornish coast since it opened in 1997... This site's always a huge hit with families and kids, but grandparents, loved-up couples, honeymooners, weekend breakers, artists, surfers and painters, and all sorts of Cornish holidaymakers have bedded down in the woodland valley at Cornish Tipi Holidays over the years, so you should toddle along to it to see why it all works so well. Cornish Tipi Holidays is owned by Elizabeth, whose family has worked the farmland and quarries around this area for 11 generations, and she’ll be happy to give advice, info and directions to wherever tickles your Cornish fancy. So come one, come all – just be sure to remember the lemon, black pepper and, possibly, the champagne...?

Site type

Touring caravan pitches 5
Motorhome pitches 10
Rent a tent 19
Tent pitches 30
Open now
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Single-sex bookings of 6 or more people (couples and immediate family members excepted) are not permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • The outdoor swimming pool is open between 08/04 and 01/10 (subject to weather conditions).
  • Entertainment and activities are available between 08/04 and 01/10.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • The site is a glorious outdoor wedding venue and in the busy summer wedding season there may well be a wedding or two during your stay. Campers are usually a long way from the festivities but it's a good thing to be aware of when booking your trip. No dogs allowed (except guide dogs).

Languages spoken

English

Open from Fri, 22 Mar to

Pitch types & availability

Reviews

90%

would recommend this site to a friend

83%

would stay here again

  • 75%
    10
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    8
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    5
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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Fantastic stay

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Emily S. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Tipi (large, secluded)

Liked: The weather was fantastic so kids wanted to play in the beautiful like, tipi was fully equipped

Disliked: No signal to make calls and no lighting in the toilet block

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Such awesome pics of family fun at the lake and at your tipi...thank you so much for posting with your fantastic 10 out of 10 review! We're so glad you had such a good time and apologies for the rubbish signal - not much we can do about rural signal unfortunately but if you walk up the lane towards Reception a little way from the private tipis it does get much better. What we can do is sort out any failed solar lighting so the Asst Manager is going down after dusk this evening to check out the loo block nearest to your tipi and sort out any problems - thanks so much for letting us know and hope to see you again next year!

We will be back loved it

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Ashley H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: The weekend was so magical! My boys became brave enough to go on boats and enjoyed fishing/ chasing chickens and roosters. The staff were so friendly. I’m American and this place reminded me of home. The little cafe was an added bonus.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you so much for the top 10 out of 10 rating & lovely review - magical is a word we love to hear & it's how we feel about the campsite too! We're so pleased your boys enjoyed themselves and enjoyed the lake (the chickens have just about got over it!) and you found our staff friendly & enjoyed the cafe. We know Americans are famous for the welcome & hospitality they offer so are honoured our place reminded you of home. Look forward to seeing you again!

Overall a fantastic off grid camping style 😎

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 6
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 4
Wifi 2
Sam P. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (secluded, XL)

Liked: Large private pitch (Dykes). Ability to have a camp fire. Beautiful lake with activities and free to fish large rainbow trout. Option to eat at Gastropod. Central to lots of beaches and activities. Very friendly and helpful staff. No dogs allowed -this was a massive plus for us.

Disliked: COMPOSTING LOOS! Massive let down. Very smelly. Very unhygienic. Shared with a lot of fellow campers who do not use properly or with care. For the size of the site, more flushable and clean loos needed. For the price paid for this beautiful site, the communal facilities were not acceptable. The loos and showers nearby to the Dykes pitch had no lighting. The solar lights were broken. This was the most disappointing issue for us.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for calling us a fantastic off grid campsite and giving us 8 out of 10 overall. It sounds as if we got lots of things right during your stay such as your private camping pitch, campfires, the lake with fishing etc but you obviously really disliked the composting loos (the nearest loo to your pitch being a composting one, although of course there is a standard flushing block 2 mins walk away) and it also sounds as if some of your fellow campers that week were either casual or negligent when using the unit closest to your tent. This can become a problem when we're busy - especially in the school holidays when we may have children using the composting loos without parental supervision. This is often when mistakes/accidents etc happen. We are always very keen for our staff to be alerted to anything unpleasant in any loo or just something mechanical like a broken light. The problem is we can't help immediately unless we know about it at the time. A quick trip to Reception to speak to someone or even to leave a note if staff are all out & about working across the site should resolve the problem. We're really sorry we didn't live up to our usual high standards when you were here but would be delighted if you'd like to come back when our new loo block is built next year!

Great swimming lake with canoes and boats

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 6
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 8
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Andrew M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: The amazing swimming lake with free boats and canoes already there on the lake. This campsite is all about the lake. The facilities were fine - hot showers, sinks and compost toilets (flushing ones apparently nearby too). There's a cafe onsite (didn't actually use it though). It was quiet and peaceful at night (no wedding that night!)

Disliked: Would be very different if there was a wedding on, as the reception marquee is right next to the campervan area, so definitely worth checking before booking - there was one the day we checked out - a Thursday (so don't assume this is just weekends). Pricing policy was in our favour this time, as it is per-person rather than per-campervan - we were 1 adult, 1 child, so price was reasonable. With 2 adults and 1 or 2 children, it would be very expensive for bringing your own campervan (or tent)!

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your great review - glad you enjoyed the lake and the boats!! We do ask Meadow campers to check before they book if there is a wedding on - many guests enjoy the atmosphere of them but we are aware it's not for everyone...

The lake and surroundings…

Overall 8/10
Location 8
Value for money 6
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Rene L. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (medium, secluded)

Liked: The lake and surroundings

Disliked: The mud

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: We really appreciate the 8 out of 10 rating and are delighted you liked the lake and we're sorry about the mud...it's been probably the wettest peak summer weeks we can remember and the mud has been an issue. Needless to say we've now got a mini heatwave and the mud is long gone! Do come again when hopefully there'll be better weather :)

Setting & lake. Very eco friendly…

Overall 6/10
Location 8
Value for money 4
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 6
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: Setting & lake. Very eco friendly

Disliked: No hot water in showers - ran out of gas Too expensive

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thank you for your review. We are glad you liked the woodland setting and the lake and hope you managed a swim or row about in one of the boats!. Normally the showers are lovely & hot. You don't say if you contacted the staff so they could look into it for you? Sometimes the gas needs changing or if windy the pilot lightoccasionally goes out but this doesn't take long to fix. Everything seems to be expensive at the moment but our prices include things that other places don't, ie boating, swimming, fishing etc (catch your own supper of fresh rainbow trout) on our lake at no extra cost. There are beautiful woodland walks and lots of wildlife right on your doorstep. You can also have a campfire which lots of places don't allow...

Excellent, quirky site with amazing facilities

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness No rating
Wifi 10
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass motorhome pitch

Liked: We liked just about everything really! The 2 sites we stayed at prior to arriving were notably cheaper but we understood why once we arrived. We loved the lake and that there were boats to use as well as being able to swim or fish. We had such a relaxing morning there! We also loved all the animals roaming around, the peacocks were just hilarious to watch and listen to but my favourite was the cat. What an absolute sweetheart, he/she made my entire week! The staff, we only met one.. the guy with glasses but he was really helpful. Just the general vibe of the place was incredible. We can't wait to come back after the summer holidays have ended

Disliked: Nothing

Recommend to friends Visit again

One of the best sites in Cornwall, it will not disappoint

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 8
Sharna W. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Amazing amazing location and facilities. The lake is brilliant, beautiful and clean. We adored swimming and fishing there, we also took our paddleboards. There are peacocks and chickens and rabbits milling about the place and its overall just fab. We We absolutely be back.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks so much for the brilliant 10 out of 10 rating and the awesome pics! So glad you had such a great trip & so loved the lake - we love it when campers bring their own boards and do a bit of SUPPing our little stretch of inland water. We'll look forward to seeing you again soon!

Fantastic place

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch (medium, secluded)

Liked: Brilliant place the site is great we will be returning soon

Disliked: No dislike the place is great

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Wow! Definitely showing us how camping suppers should be done! We love your menu of our fresh caught lake trout, seasonal asparagus, new potatoes & corn on the cob - that's proper outdoor cooking...and next time you come we're kind of hoping for an invite to your tent! Thanks so much for the fantastic 10 out of 10 rating and the great review - we really hope to see you here again soon!

Flat, well at up facilities and clean…

Overall 10/10
Location 8
Value for money 8
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 8
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Susan J. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Meadow non-electric grass tent or trailer tent pitch

Liked: Flat, well at up facilities and clean

Disliked: Can't have your car next to the tent, guess that's why they call it wild camping! Lousy Internet data signal makes working out your logistics for the next day difficult.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Thanks for your nice review; we do state on the website that we try to keep cars in their own area so the whole campsite doesn't just become one big car park - not to mention we want children to run and play and campers to be able to walk safely without fear of being run over by off roading cars. You're quite right that our signal is pretty rubbish in large areas of the campsite but really quite good in some other places - about 25% of the area is generally fairly reasonable. Members of the team are always happy to suggest the best areas but it does rather depend on which provider you're with. The advantages are of course that you can go for a bit of a digital detox while you're here!


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Wild swimming

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Tents for hire

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

No dogs allowed

Themes

Forest

Lake and/or mountain

Peaceful

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Walkers' paradise

Wild camping

Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Large (51-200 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Restaurant nearby

Sailing nearby

Surf school nearby

Tennis nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

Cornish Tipi Holidays

Tregildrans Quarry

Trelill

Polzeath

Cornwall

England

PL30 3HZ

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

50.58148°N
-4.77085°W

Nearest transport

Coach
5.3 mi Lidl Superstore
5.3 mi Lidl Superstore
7.9 mi Car Park
Rail
10.5 mi Bodmin Parkway Rail Station
11.6 mi Roche Rail Station
12.6 mi Bugle Rail Station
Ferry
7.3 mi Rock Padstow Ferry Landing
7.8 mi Padstow Ferry Landing
17.7 mi Fowey Custom House Quay Ferry Landing
Airport
13.9 mi Newquay St Mawgan Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Cornish Tipi Holidays is five minutes’ drive from the nearest swimming beach, Port Gaverne, and from the fishing village of Port Isaac which Doc Martin fans will doubtless recognise from the gogglebox. From Port Gaverne, wander the half mile west to Port Isaac to wander among its narrow streets and have a happy morning sourcing the freshest mackerel, crabs and scallops to buy. Or stay above the town to keep on hiking along the clifftop, south to Polzeath and Rock or north to Boscastle and Tintagel ten and 12 miles along the coast from your pitch. Going watersporting? Course you are, you’re in Cornwall. If you’re on holiday with the kids, both the beach at Port Gaverne and the one at Daymer Bay about 15 minutes’ drive away are particularly suitable for smaller swimmers; the lack of surf at Daymer means it’s one of the best and safest places in Cornwall to learn windsurfing too. If you do want to surf or learn how to – course you do, you’re in Cornwall – bring your board or the means to hire one to Polzeath about six miles from base, or a bit further down the coast to Newquay.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Trebarwith Strand 4.4 mi Sea N/A Excellent Good Good
Polzeath 6.4 mi Estuary N/A Excellent Good Excellent
Daymer Bay 7 mi Estuary N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Trevone Bay 9.4 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent
Harlyn Bay 10.3 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Tintagel Castle 6.1 mi

Rock Beach 7.2 mi

Cornwall's Crealy Great Adventure Park 9.4 mi

Eden Project 14.6 mi

Newquay Zoo 17.6 mi

National Trust

Tintagel Old Post Office 5.7 mi

Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps 13.3 mi

Trerice 18 mi

Lawrence House 18.3 mi

Cotehele Mill 24.7 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

LAMELLEN 1.6 mi

Trebarwith Strand 4.4 mi

Camelford Town and River 4.9 mi

Camelford and Countryside 5 mi

Camelford Country 5 mi

Local events

  • Eden Sessions (Wednesday 12 June 2024 – Wednesday 12 June 2024)

    Par, Cornwall 15.4 mi

  • Boardmasters (Wednesday 7 August 2024 – Wednesday 7 August 2024)

    Newquay, Cornwall 15.5 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Cornwall?

  • Does Cornish Tipi Holidays have a swimming pool? Yes View all features
  • Is Cornish Tipi Holidays dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Cornish Tipi Holidays? Cornish Tipi Holidays is five minutes’ drive from the nearest swimming beach, Port Gaverne, and from the fishing village of Port Isaac which Doc Martin fans will doubtless recognise from the gogglebox. … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Cornish Tipi Holidays?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  4 p.m. –  8 p.m.
    Depart by:  10:30 a.m.

    Arrivals are up to 9pm. Late arrivals are subject to a £20 cash charge payable on arrival to the warden. Unfortunately, no access is allowed after 11pm.

    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Cornish Tipi Holidays? From £40 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.