Dog-friendly places in the UK: A log cabin in Cornwall
We adore Cornwall and since having our pup Indie, we’ve found it to be a brilliantly dog-friendly place here in the UK. This secluded log cabin made the perfect staycation and has since become one of our UK holiday highlights!
After living in Australia for a couple of years and spending 6 months travelling the world, we touched down in the UK back in early 2019 and completely fell head-over-heels in love with the UK again.
It’s safe to say we had no appreciation for our home country, AT ALL.
The sunrises we saw were those 5 am taxi rides home and we mostly explored our cities one pub at a time. Oh, how times have changed; travel (and age!) has shown us that some of the best adventures can be had on our very own doorstep.
Throw in a 2-year pandemic and being outside, roaming around in nature, and seeing new places has taken on a whole new meaning. We then got a dog who might be small, but good god does she love a ramble. So now we adventure as a 3 and we’re loving it.
Don’t get us wrong, flying off somewhere new to explore in terms of culture, food, and the weather is definitely something we’ll be doing soon. We’re wiser about what the UK has to offer us now, so regular holidays abroad are not the be-all and end-all. (Although some guaranteed sun that is consistent would be super welcome right now!)
Take Cornwall for example, what an impressively beautiful part of the UK that is!
A Dog-friendly log cabin in Cornwall
5.1 miles South East of Rock sits Wildwood Hideaway, a wonderfully secluded log cabin perfect for escaping the routine of every day and getting back to nature.
We enjoyed such a lovely staycation in this magical woodland cabin - it’s surrounded by 200 acres of farmland and woods, serves up a never-ending countryside view, and even has a hammock you can sway the day away in.
Our stay at Wildwood was organised by Unique Hideaways who boast an expertly curated portfolio of hidden havens in what feels like untouched corners of the UK - They also have plenty of dog-friendly glamping spots on offer too.
What to expect at Wildwood Hideaway
Whilst this woodland cabin felt pretty rustic, the attention to detail was on point once you walked inside.
Its small and cosy interior features a dining table and chairs plus a sofa - it’s not big but comfy enough to curl up on and watch a DVD.
Yes, you heard right, the cabin has a DVD player built into the TV as there’s no WIFI available. This is the second time we’ve stayed somewhere off-grid with a DVD player and we can’t tell you how much of a novelty it is.
The neutral Farrow & Ball painted wooden cladding is accentuated with octagonal top-shaped doors that lead through into a bathroom and bedroom, and there’s a small kitchen with everything you need.
There’s a BBQ too, we made good use of that on the first sunny evening we arrived and it was utter bliss.
We stayed for 3 nights - The 1st night we BBQ’d, 2nd night we pubbed (more on that delicious meal later), and 3rd night we lounged on the sofa with food cooked in the kitchen.
What’s on the menu?
Food - one of our favourite things about going away.
Before any UK staycation, we’ll always make sure there’s a food shop on the route - usually preferring an M&S or Waitrose because, well, we’re on our ‘olidays! We’ll spend a bit of the journey discussing what we plan on cooking, then make a list, before hitting the shop.
On top of that, we love to know if there’s a local pub nearby. There’s nothing like a traditional homecooked meal in a local boozer and luckily for us, there was an incredible one 3 miles away.
If you do stay here then make sure you book ahead at St Kew Inn - recommended by Unique Hideaway, this village pub blew our socks off.
The grub was off the charts, so much so that we just assumed they’d carted in top chefs from London, but after chatting to the owner we found out that everyone who worked there were locals.
A local village pub with locally sourced food and local chefs - honestly, it was our idea of heaven. Oh, they allowed dogs AND had a roaring open fire, yep it doesn’t get much better! Be warned, it’s a popular spot so make sure you book ahead.
If you do forget any foodie essentials then Wadebridge is a short drive away where you’ll find a large Co-op and plenty of independent shops.
What to do and where to go if you stay at Wildwood Hideaway in North Cornwall
We enjoyed 3 days at the log cabin and thanks to the weather, it was the perfect mix of adventure and chill.
Two days of adventuring and exploring the local area and the one rainy day spent kicked back on the sofa with films - lovely.
Before we checked in around 3 pm we decided to explore Port Isaac, a historic fishing village that is home to a picture-perfect harbour, cobbled streets, and glorious views out to the ocean. It’s also a rather famous tv and film location!
We kickstarted our afternoon with lunch in @themote_portisaac and it was un-bloody-believable - nothing like a pub on the beach serving good fish and chips!
With full bellies we took a slow mooch around the village, admiring the white-washed Cornish cottages and strolling through the narrow streets. Port Isaac is renowned for having one of the narrowest thoroughfares in Britain so make sure you park at the main car park up the top.
Once we had walked off lunch we’d developed a new appetite - this time for something sweet - we hit up the local ice cream shop and headed to the beach for a ball throwing session for Indie and some people watching for us.
It's totally worth visiting this popular spot a little out of season for fewer crowds and a shorter ice-cream queue! And it makes a great afternoon trip if you do stay at Wildwood Hideaway.
Our next sunny day was spent at the scenic village of Boscastle. This ancient fishing port sits 14 miles South of Bude, a place we love and have visited before, you can read all about our two days in Bude, here.
Before we hit part of England's longest National Trail, we grabbed some sandwiches from Boscastle Bakery.
Strangely for us, we didn’t do much eating that day, too busy walking and photographing its beauty but, if you want to know where to eat in Boscastle, then Boscastle Farm shop and The Rocket Store came highly recommended.
We stomped along the iconic South West Coastal path making our way from the harbour round to The Lady's Window. This natural arch made a rather peaceful spot to gasp at the steep cliffs below and daydream out to sea- a great picnic spot and a really good walk.
Boscastle is perfect for a day trip during your stay; get up early and enjoy the views from the coastal path then head into the village and support the local eateries and gift shops. It’s a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by.
Thank you so much to Unique Hideaways for organising and whilst this was a PR trip, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and as always, wouldn’t share it if we didn’t rate it. So thanks again, guys!
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