I need suggestions today, please, about Cornwall.

[PrettyCandles]

Going to Cornwall for a few days early tomorrow (Wednesday). We'll be staying between Looe and Polperro, a few miles inland.

Any suggestions where we can go with 7yo, 5yo, and 18mo (other than Eden Project!)? Thursday's weatherforecast is dire, so an indoor activity would probably be a good idea, too. Dh wants to visit Land's End - is there anything there, or anything to do on the way there or back?

Thanks.

we went to

Trethorne Leisure Farm

near to Launceston. Not sure how near to you that would be but we had a really good day when we went there.

i love Polperro,no suggestion for you sorry, when we go it's just me and dh I can waste hours just sitting down by the harbour

Here are couple of things - Monkey Sanctuary & another wildlife park from Tourist Board site.

I was going to say Dobwalls (which was an old-fashioned adventure park thing just north of where you'll be) - but it has closed!

You're not too far from the Bodmin steam railway.

And you could catch the train down to Falmouth, for the National Maritime Museum. Also Truro, for various county-town type activities, inc. shopping and a nice museum.

What I always do is find a tourist office and pick up the current printed Visit Cornwall booklet - it has a map with all the main attractions located on it, with details. I always find something new on that. (I think it's odd you can't find an interactive version of that same map on the Tourist Board website ... or maybe I just haven't found it.)

Aren't there some caves up near where you'll be? We've never got there as we're always down by St Ives.

PS - Land's End a bit Blackpool Pleasure Beach-y. Have a look on Tourist Board website & see if it's your thing.

Land's End is grim and tacky. St Ives is very nice, though. I love Cornwall

Lappa Valley is cute - trains, boating lake, playground, crazy golf - all outdoors though

or go down to the Lizard to Roskilly ice cream farm

St Ives for lunch overlooking the harbour and then beach/little amusement aracade if raining

and the Tate

Seal sanctuary in Gweek

Another vote for St Ives! Nice to go there on a sunny day to make the most of the beaches but if it's raining you've got the tate and the shops and the leisure centre. When I was a kid I always loved Flambards near Helstonand the bird / animal centre (Paradise Park?) near Hayle.

Mevagissey for crabbing, Cornish pasties, shopping (lovely little narrow streets), a museum and tiny little sandy beach.

oh yes, Paradise Park is good

indoor play area too if raining

Do NOT be tempted to do a detour to "World of Fishes" - it is literally just a shop that sells fish.

I was going to say Roskilly!! - but thought Lizard too far for them, even for such an important pilgrimage. (PC, Roskilly is a little organic family farm, which makes the very best ice-cream in the whole world (from Jersey & Guernsey cows) - it has a calf barn where you can coo at the (admittedly somewhat pongy) babies, and a marvellous dining room, and one of the best toyshops ever. But you have to know it's so great before you make what will be a looong drive to get there.)

Could combine with Flambards, though ...

tis so nice, isn't it, Bink? we were there last Thursday, mmmm, beautiful cows

ooooh tell me where your staying
I used to live near looe
Its a real shame that dobwalls has closed down

Good ideas, thanks! Please keep them coming!

We loved Lappa Valley a couple of years ago, but it's definitely a fair-weather attraction.

If you think Lizsrd is too far, would Land's End also be too far?

I remember we cycled The Camel Trail, which I think goes between Bodmin and Padstow. It's an old railway line which is now a cycle track, so it's all flat. You can hire bikes at both ends. It is long, but maybe you could do a section.

The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth is good if you like boats - they've got loads of old boats on show there. Not sure if it's very child friendly though.

Off the A387, near Barcelona and Trelaske.

Fowey is nice to wander around in, and you can take a passenger ferry over to Polruan, which I loved just for the journey as a child.

If you're energetic walking people, there's a lovely walk from Fowey, called the Hall Walk, which you do by taking the ferry over to Polruan, following a footpath around and finally ending up at Bodinnick to take the car ferry back over the river. At adult pace it take about an hour.

Land's End is straight down the main road, whereas the Lizard is off into the little roads, so it's different. But LE is still a long way, & you'd have to be very sure you wanted to see it - in Michelin terms, it's NOT "vaut le detour" (for me).

Land's End is a bloody monstrosoty and P de S should NEVER have been granted pp, IMO

Lands End is overpriced and overcrowded and a hell of a drive from Looe! Waste of your brief time if you ask me. Heligan Gardens is lovely. Fowey is worth a mooch and you can get lovely river trips there. Charlestown has a good ship/sea museum.

Chica - we did the Hall walk. Very nice but we took DS#2 is a buggy

Lands End - absolute and total rubbish - avoid, avoid, avoid.

St Michael's Mount much lovelier than Land's End.

trebah gardens are amazing. also lost gardens of heligan are def worth a day out

We went to St Michael's Mount (a very short visit as the boats only run in summer, so we walked both ways!) and Mousehole (the dcs have a CD of the story), and the Monkey Sanctuary. All excellent outings.

Thanks!