Flicking through the brochure of the Rose-in-Vale Hotel, the phrase ‘time stands still here’ caught my eye.

From the hustle and bustle of a busy working day in Reading, this was an appealing invitation.

I am notoriously bad at unwinding on holiday but from the minute I walked into the grade-two listed Georgian Country Manor House Hotel, I felt the tension of the working week seep away.

My partner – a pilot – and I had reached Cornwall in a slightly unconventional way, having borrowed a light aircraft from a friend and embarking on a three-hour flying adventure from our starting point in Lincolnshire.

The tray of homemade tea and cakes provided in the residents’ lounge, after a warm welcome from co-owner James Evans, provided the perfect setting to dissect our journey and re-charge us for the day ahead.

James and his wife Sara bought the hotel in 2006 and have spent their time since making improvements to the accommodation offered.

Our master room was extremely welcoming, with no less than five large windows filling the room with light and providing beautiful views of the wooded valley.

The matching, fresh wooden furniture, imported from Indonesia, gave the room a traditional feel, with the plasma screen television and luxury bathroom products providing us with all the modern twists we needed.

There is an outdoor swimming pool and hot tub within the 11 acres of garden, woodland and pasture which looked perfect for summer afternoons.

The secluded Rose-in-Vale, situated in Mithian, is in the perfect location to avoid the main tourist trail but close enough to pay a visit to the attractions which make Cornwall famous.

We had taken a peek at the picturesque coast as we flew into Perranporth Aerodrome, so a stroll into Perranporth itself, a short car journey from the hotel, proved almost as beautiful as the view from above.

The sea air gave us a huge appetite for dinner and the hotel’s AA Rosette Valley Restaurant did not disappoint.

The menu offered numerous dishes inspired by local produce, including lobster, Stithians Cornish beef fillet and Falmouth Bay mussels.

I tucked into Cornish asparagus, the first delivery of the season, topped with a superbly-cooked poached egg and fresh parmesan, while Christian enjoyed his homemade cream of leek and potato soup.

For main course I opted for oven roasted guinea fowl wrapped in smoked bacon with sautéed wild mushroom and tarragon cream, which was presented well and really tasty.

There were no complaints from the other side of the table as Christian devoured his West Country lamb served in a mint jus.

A delicious vanilla seed pannacotta served with fresh raspberries ensured our appetites were suitably sustained and drinks in the lounge while playing board games rounded off the evening perfectly.

The next day we re-joined the tourist trail with a visit to the Eden project, a conservation project featuring the biggest conservatories in the world containing more than a million plants, including those from rainforests and Mediterranean regions.

Stepping into the Rainforest Biome from the snow and sleet outside was truly a unique experience.

The natural environment is recreated so well it is not difficult to imagine you are trekking in South America or going on a rainforest safari in Malaysia.

The visit is very educational, packed with tons of information about environmental issues and exhibits about how the world depends on plants for much of its food, shelter and medicines.

Our next stop was Fifteen Cornwall, one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants which provides disadvantaged youngsters with the chance to train in the restaurant business.

Fifteen Cornwall is established as a social enterprise, with all profits going to The Cornwall Foundation of Promise, which in turn gives youngsters career opportunities.

The Jamie Oliver touch is visible throughout the restaurant, down to his cook books and the menu choices, but whether you are a fan or not, the restaurant is well worth a visit.

There are spectacular views of Watergate Bay, complete with a sandy beach which seems to go on forever.

The restaurant’s open kitchen provides an interesting insight into the training of the youngsters while waiting for the food to arrive.

The Italian-inspired menu is a real treat, and the service is spot-on, with the staff happy to help explain the menu choices and give you adequate time between courses.

Our Sunday lunch stretched over hours and it was very relaxing watching the tide come in as we lingered over a glass of wine.

In the evening we returned to the hotel’s lounge for a round of Battleship with a bottle of wine in front of a roaring log fire. Perfect.

Looking down the long drive which leads to the rose and Virginia creeper covered manor house it feels like the hotel could easily be the perfect setting for a period drama.

The Rose-in-Vale really is a perfect retreat but is ideally placed for exploring the tourist attractions Cornwall has to offer.

If you have the opportunity to fly into Perranporth Aerodrome the team there give you a very warm welcome and are keen to help.

It was lucky I had enjoyed two days of relaxation as the runway we took off from led directly off the end of a cliff, which got the adrenalin pumping.

The views from the coast were spectacular as we made our way home and I would urge anyone planning to visit  to get in touch with director Tony Arthur (01872 552266) to book a scenic flight and see for themselves.

Whatever way you do it though, Cornwall really is a beautiful place to visit.

On the 18th May one of our ducks appeared on the pond with 12 tiny ducklings.  The mum seemed to be very good with them keeping them all together out of harms way at the back of the pond.  We went over to have another look just after we had finished with our Sunday lunches and we faced with a sorry sight, the Mum had gone taking 10 ducklings with her and leaving two behind.  The ducklings were chirping away looking for their mum who was no where to be seen.  We went back a bit later and still no sign of Mum. 

We managed to catch the two ducklings and have been hand rearing them ever since.  They spent the first few days in a box in a stable with a lamp to keep them warm overnight.  Then James and Mr G built them a lovely house and run.  So they were moved outside and bought in at night.  When they became bigger and the weather warmer they stayed out all the time but were put in their Duck House at night.

Their mother did eventually re-appear with 8 ducklings but within a week they had all disappeared.

With a ready supply of chick crumbs and water Dib and Dab have been thriving.  Their house and run is now located by the stream and pond.  They have regular swimming lessons on the new pond.  In their run there is  a large container filled with pond water and weed, this is to encourage them to find food for themselves.

We look forward to the day when that have their feathers and are thus water proofed so that we can release them back in to the environment.  We hope that once they are free that they will continue to use their duck house and become our full time resident ducks.

We will keep you updated. 

We have now prepared the pool for the summer.  It has been cleaned and freshly painted.  We have installed a new boiler and heat exchanger for heating the pool and so we are hopeful that the pool will be warmer and more enjoyable for all.

Sara’s vegetable patch is also coming along.  The herb garden has had a set back as the rabbits have helped themselves to our Parsley, Coriander and Chives, so next week we will fence in our embryonic herb garden.

This year we have a Gardener, called Mr G.  Mr G has tidied up the gardens up by the road and cleared out the bog pond.  It looks lovely we are leaving the grass around the bog pond long and sowing wild flower seeds to help attract butterflies and other wildlife.

We were in the Rose Suite and very good it was too!
This Hotel is tucked away in a typical cornish valley and it is so peaceful and very easy to get to beaches and other sites.
The owners will do all they can to make you comfortable and the staff are very good. Excellent Chef with a very reasonably priced three course meal at dinner.
We were too early for the pool to be open but that looked good and a decent size too.
All in all we had a very good week-end ,despite the fact that we were on our way to the Scilly Islands from Bristol Airport and flights cancelled due to fog. We found the Rose in Vale in the AA Hotel Book in Smiths and it went from there and Mr. and Mrs Evans saved our week-end from being a disaster!
Much appreciated and very much enjoyed!

Mr & Mrs H