Aspirational Living A collection of exceptional homes in Cornwall
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Aspirational Living
Welcome..
Welcome to the 2024 issue of Aspirational Living. The eighth edition of our magazine includes a unique selection of our interesting and exceptional properties covering the length and breadth of Cornwall. There is a very interesting interview with David Waters, head chef at Hotel Meudon in Falmouth, about his inspirations and career highlights. We also provide insight into why the Lizard Peninsula and St Austell Bay areas are such unique locations and beautiful places in which to lay down roots or to just own a property. As we predicted in our last issue, the 2023 housing market proved to be challenging. However, here at Rohrs & Rowe, through our unique approach combined with our 50 + years of industry experience, we continued to help many clients navigate the uncertainties of the market and reach their ultimate goal of successfully selling their property. The crowning recognition of our hard work was being named the Best Estate Agency in Cornwall 2023/24, for a fifth time, by the prestigious International Property Awards. If you are thinking of selling or you currently have a property on the market and you are looking for a different approach, please contact us for a confidential discussion.
01872 306 360 | info@rohrsandrowe.co.uk | www.rohrsandrowe.co.uk Front cover image: Aerial Cornwall. Published by TBC Publishing Limited, Telephone: 01223 874483. ©TBC Publishing 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction is forbidden except by express permission of the Publishers. The content of this magazine is believed to be correct but its accuracy is not guaranteed and it does not form part of any offer or contract. TBC Publishing Limited cannot accept responsibility for any omissions or errors.
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For Sale
Roseland Peninsula | South Cornwall Guide Price £2,250,000
For Sale
Falmouth | South Cornwall Guide Price £1,750,000
Sold
Nr Newquay | North Cornwall Guide Price £1,650,000
For Sale
Fowey River | South Cornwall Offers In The Region Of £1,640,000
For Sale
Nr Penzance | West Cornwall Guide Price £1,600,000
Sold
Porthtowan | North Cornwall Offers Over £3,000,000
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In Conversation
Aspirational Living speaks with David Waters, Head Chef, at Hotel Meudon in Falmouth
Please tell us a little bit about yourself – your background, and what you’ve been up to lately Born and raised in Cornwall, I’m from Penzance but moved to Praa Sands when I was 13, where I fell in love with the beach and seaside. This is where I began looking in rock pools and coastal paths finding edibles like rock samphire and mussels. I started life in the kitchen when I was 15, working a Saturday job as a kitchen porter in a small beach cafe. During my college years, I began working as a chef on the weekends alongside studying for the International Baccalaureate. It was at this time I began to fall in love with the industry. Then while at university in Birmingham I worked in a few cafes and began to realise that I wanted a career as a chef.
Photography © Adj Brown
I came back to Cornwall and began searching for an apprentice position. I got a job at the Watergate Bay Hotel, where I stayed for around nine months before moving back to my home area of Penzance and began working at the Victoria Inn at Perranuthnoe under Stuart Eddy. I began as a commis and worked up to sous chef and then head chef. It was here while I was the head chef that we won 2 AA Rosettes and Taste of the West awards. We were in the top 50 gastro pubs in England and made it into the Michelin pub guide. 17 | Aspirational Living
“I started life in the kitchen
when I was 15, working a Saturday job as a kitchen porter in a small beach cafe. During my college years, I began working as a chef on the weekends alongside studying for the International Baccalaureate. It was at this time I began to fall in love with the industry.
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In 2016 I moved to Port Isaac and began working at Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, the flagship 2 Michelin Star restaurant. I began as a commis chef and worked up to sous chef within three years. I worked every section in the kitchen and for a period of around eight months, I became the ‘fish person’, sourcing and prepping the fish and shellfish for both of Nathan’s restaurants. In 2018 and then again in 2019, we were named the Good Food Guide’s best restaurant in the UK. I eventually moved back to the part of Cornwall where I was born a raised and will forever call home. I fell in love with Hotel Meudon the first time I came here for a look around the gardens, beach and restaurant. My goals and aspirations are to continue developing the success of Restaurant Meudon and to put my stamp on the local food scene. I can’t wait to get out into the Hotel Meudon gardens. Tiff the gardener is going to be growing micro-herbs for the kitchen. We’re also looking to grow chillies, potatoes, herbs, strawberries and raspberries. This will be small-scale to being with, but I’d like to use homegrown fruit and veg to elevate dishes e.g. garnish desserts with a strawberry grown in the garden. I’m excited about using local fish - Cornish fish is the best in the world due to the cold water. And Cornish produce generally, from the seas to the farms, this is an environment that grows great produce. Tell us about your food. What are you passionate about when it comes to different cuisines? I love Southeast Asian food and bold flavours - my partner is from Thailand, and we generally eat Thai food at home. 18 | Aspirational Living
How would you describe your own food and how has this style developed? I would say that it’s produce-led, simple, and not over complicated. Flavour is the most important element. Over the years I’ve learnt to pull back from trying too many crazy ingredients on the plate. Nathan’s ethos is three main flavours to a dish, and this is something I try to live by in my own cooking. What rules do you live by in your kitchen? It must be clean. And no shouting - if you need to shout you’re not organised enough and you’ve lost control. Also, everyone should be operating to the same standard or should be trained up to achieve that standard. Tell us about some of the highlights of your cooking career Gaining 2 AA Rosettes at the Victoria Inn would be up there. As would getting the job at Nathan Outlaw’s and being part of the team winning the Good Food Guide accolade. What ingredients couldn’t you live without? Mackerel. Finally, what is your guilty food pleasure? MacDonalds - the most consistent restaurant in the country! www.meudon.co.uk
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For Sale
Withiel | North Cornwall Guide Price £1,500,000
Sold
Colan | Nr Newquay Guide Price £2,700,000
For Sale
St Merryn | Padstow | North Cornwall Prices from £1,395,000
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Sold
St. Ives | West Cornwall Guide Price £1,750,000
For Sale
Nr Falmouth | South Cornwall Guide Price £2,950,000
For Sale
Newquay | North Cornwall Offers In Excess Of £1,250,000
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Discover the Lizard Peninsula As the southerly most area of the British mainland, the Lizard Peninsula offers up some unique experiences that make it a very desirable place, not just to visit, but to lay down some roots too. Firstly, framing this ancient landscape are a number of wonderful beaches. On the east side you will find a selection of beautiful hidden stoney coves and beaches such as Gillan Cove, Porthoustock and Coverack. On the west side there’s Loe Bar, a tract of sand that separates the sea from the largest expanse of fresh water in Cornwall and reputably the last resting place of Excalibur. Working around you’ll encounter Dollar Cove (a favourite location for the TV series Poldark) along with Gunwalloe and Church Cove - all ideal for swimming and body boarding. Not far after this is Poldhu, the ‘surfers beach’, complete with an excellent sand-side cafe. However the jewel in the peninsula’s crown must be Kynance Cove, dubbed Britains best beach by many and it is not hard to understand why!
The Barn | Manaccan
As you would expect from a piece of land surrounded on three sides by the sea, there are plenty of opportunities to engage in water sports from traditional surfing to paddle boarding as well as in-shore diving and canoeing. You can bring your own kit but all of these activities are catered for by locally run businesses. 32 | Aspirational Living
its menus inspired by the seasons. And of course, there are traditional pubs & cafes dotted about the landscape, such as the Halzephron Inn at Gunwalloe, the inland bistro & wild campsite Fat Apples Cafe near Porthallow or the Shipwrights Arms nudging the shoreline of the Helford River. With our in-depth knowledge of the area, Rohrs & Rowe are in the ideal position to either help you find your dream property here or to help you sell. In fact, negotiator Jason Fletcher, has spent the last 12 years living on the Lizard! The team at Rohrs and Rowe have lots of experience selling in the area with some fantastic successes over the last couple of years. The Barn in Manaccan, sold in 2023, is a charming detached residence that sits within a beautiful private setting. As the name suggests, this exceptional house was built in the style of a barn and its design provides sleek and spacious accommodation. Also sold in 2023 is Colvennor Farmhouse in Cury - a property that offers up fantastic views across Mounts Bay. This former farmhouse has huge charm and many original features to enjoy. The drawing room with its impressive inglenook fireplaces and views into the rear garden are lovely. Two other properties on the Lizard sold recently by Rohrs & Rowe are Tredower - an immaculately finished 4-bedroom farmhouse which had recently been meticulously renovated throughout, and Penmarth House in Coverack - a fabulous residence set in a commanding position that affords it the most outstanding panoramic views across the harbour and bay.
Kynance Cove Unsurprisingly, the Lizard is also a treasure trove of places and activities, with its hard rocky coastline combined with its proximity to the English Channel, the peninsula is a paradise for explorers and walkers. Stepping back from the more obvious destinations you’ll find the lesser known ‘best kept secrets’, places such as Gillan Cove, concealed just inside the mouth of Gillan Creek and backed by the woodland of the Helford. There is also Tremayne Quay, built by Sir Richard Vyvyan in 1847, anticipating a visit from Queen Victoria. The planned visit never happened but the quay remains and the walk to it through idyllic woodland highlights the diverse landscape of the peninsula. The sheltered coastal village of Porthallow, once a busy fishing village with a thriving pilchard fleet is well worth a visit; as is the local pub, the Five Pilchards! Just north of here is Nare Point, the site of an ex-MOD observatory, where panoramic views encompass St. Mawes Castle from across the bay. Two places that will find you going back to time and again, are St. Anthony and Cadgwith, the latter for its charm and that it maintains a way of life almost completely forgotten elsewhere. After all of these activities you’ll need to replenish and refuel. Again, you won’t find the area wanting. The Polurrian Bay Hotel, just on the outskirts of Mullion, provides an exceptional environment to enjoy fine food with its contemporary vibe and unrivalled panoramic sea views. Further round the coast is the House Bay Hotel, mainlining on locally grown produce with
Tredower | Newtown So, if you are looking to buy a home on the Lizard, or if you have a home here and are considering selling, make sure to get in touch to see how Rohrs & Rowe’s expect local knowledge can help.
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For Sale
St Merryn | Padstow | North Cornwall Guide Price £1,300,000
For Sale Truro | South Cornwall Guide Price £1,175,000
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Country Life
This year, the outstanding landscape that forms the Scottish Trossachs provided the perfect playground for Crockett & Jones’s new Autumn Winter collection.
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Makers of ‘more than just’ fine shoes, Crockett & Jones has applied decades of knowhow and manufacturing prowess. Bringing new styles and new materials, we have further added to an already plentiful offering of English made winter-ready footwear. With a long-standing alliance with Scotland, where Crockett & Jones once had a successful wholesale market during a time when our current Managing Director, Jonathan Jones, was rebuilding our footwear collections from the ground up. Scotland, indirectly, laid the foundations for many a best-seller still available today. So travelling north, we made our way over the boarders to the Trossachs National Park.
“ The Autumn Winter 2023
collection is available now from all Crockett & Jones stores nationwide and online.
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Surrounded by peace and tranquillity, with only the calming sounds of nature breaking silence. As we took in rolling Bens and glass like Lochs, it soon become apparent that the very essence of where we were, had paved the way for previous collections of similar ilk. Collections that our forefathers once regarded as ‘practical footwear’. Functional, fit-for-purpose and more important than ever, sustainable, given that four decades on, we were back. The great outdoors inspired much of Crockett & Jones’s country footwear for many years. This AW23 brings together that dynasty with two more high performing leathers: Rough-Out Suede & Hurricane Hide. Having always specialised in the manufacture of high quality footwear, this marriage of craft and casual leathers has brought about a great opportunity, offering customers ‘more than just’ fine cap oxfords and penny loafers, although both are here to stay.
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The new Collection is available now from all Crockett & Jones stores nationwide and www.crockettandjones.com
For Sale
St Austell Bay | South Cornwall Guide Price £1,850,000
For Sale
Port Navas | Falmouth | South Cornwall Guide Price £1,050,000
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Sold
Nr Padstow | North Cornwall Guide Price £1,850,000
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For Sale
Camel Estuary | North Cornwall Guide Price £995,000
Seaways | Porthpean
Discover St Austell Bay From Gribbin Head in the east, extending to Chapel Point in the west, the magnificent St Austell Bay area includes the communities of Polkerris, Polmear, Carlyon Bay, Charlestown, Duporth, Porthpean, Trenarren, Pentewan and Mevagissey. The natural curvature of The Bay is part of its beauty and provides some protection from the English Channel, making it an excellent choice for numerous water sport activities and safe swimming, as well as being a firm family-favourite destination for holidays. Sat on the water’s edge is the picturesque port of Charlestown. For those who are familiar with Poldark, then it needs no introduction. It has also been used on numerous occasions as a backdrop to films such as Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland and The Eagle Has Landed starring Michael Caine. Its harbour dates back to the late 18th century when entrepreneur Charles Rashleigh developed it from a minor fishing village (West Polmear) into a port for the exportation of China Clay, that the wider St Austell area is so widely famed for.
Aneth Mor | Duporth
Charlestown remains relatively unchanged since its construction, hence its appeal as a period location for movies and TV. It also hosts many excellent eateries and pubs as well as quaint places to stay. Each location around The Bay is also home to a beach. It’s hard to recommend any particular one over another, as each has its own unique appeal. They range from the quaint beach at Polkerris to the sandy and secluded shores of Duporth Beach. 48 | Aspirational Living
Compass Point | Mevagissey
There are much wider stretches of sand at both Polmear and Pentewan, and Porthpean has a café and toy shop! You can also hire out kayaks and watercraft from various locations to make a sea-based exploration of the coast. One of Cornwall’s main attractions lies just inland – the world-renowned eco park and educational hub – the Eden Project. Its reputation goes before it and should be on everyone’s bucket list. Over the summer, it is also host to many world class entertainment acts that in 2023 included Lionell Richie, The Who, Pet Shop Boys and Kasabian to name just a few. Around the area you’ll find some stunning properties which Rohrs & Rowe are marketing and have successfully sold. The first are Aneth Mor and Seaways, located in Duporth and Porthpean respectively. Due to their elevated positions they enjoy magnificent views that stretch out across the waters of St Austell Bay. Mevagissey is home to the spectacular cliff- top house, Compass Point. Built in 2014, this exceptional architect designed house enjoys truly world class views across St Austell Bay from its spectacular and dramatic location. The house enjoys three en-suite double bedrooms, with each benefitting from the magnificent sea views via floor to ceiling sliding doors, which also have access onto a full width outside balcony. The living area is a cavernous semi open-plan room comprising the living area, dining room and kitchen. The focal point though are the sea views via multiple floor to ceiling glazed windows and doors that run the entire width of this stunning room – the views can only really be compared to being onboard a large ship!
Penarwyn House | St Austell Bay
Outside is a full width infinity terrace that provides a vast area for outdoor entertaining or alfresco dining providing and enjoys some of the most spectacular sea views that you will find anywhere on the south coast of Cornwall. A further large terrace is home to a glazed dining pod and the large timber summer house. There is a lawned area that runs the width of the terraces, and three private parking spaces outside of the entrance gates to the property, with a further area of secure hardstanding provides room for further car parking or the storage of a boat. Recently sold and just under one mile in-land from the coast is the magnificent Penarwyn House. Built in 1895 by John De Cressy Treffry, High Sheriff of Cornwall, it is a beautiful and impeccably presented Victorian residence, set in private grounds. The entrance driveway opens to reveal a broad courtyard and the imposing and handsome house makes a lasting first impression. The whole property is a showcase of interior design, cleverly displaying the size and flexibility of the accommodation at its best. Each room has its own individual styling, which combine as a whole to provide a truly exceptional and unique home. All of the rooms are all very generous – Victorian proportions provide high ceilings making the whole experience very grand. Upstairs the bedrooms are just as impressive, each with a very luxurious feel. In addition to the main accommodation there is a separate staircase leading to three very beautiful apartments that the current owner offers as holiday lettings. So, if you are looking to buy a home either overlooking or within touching distance of the coast and you haven’t considered the St Austell Bay area, we would highly recommend a visit. Or, if you have a home here and are considering selling, please get in touch and see how Rohrs & Rowe can help?
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Sold
Constantine Nr Falmouth | South Cornwall Guide Price £1,850,000
For Sale
Mawnan Smith | Nr Falmouth Guide Price £850,000
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Sold
Perranuthnoe | South Cornwall Guide Price £1,450,000
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For Sale Glynn Valley | Cornwall Guide Price £675,000
Sold
Porthleven | South Cornwall Offers Over £1,000,000
For Sale
Porthtowan | North Cornwall Guide Price £1,500,000
Sold
Newlyn | West Cornwall Guide Price £1,500,000
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For Sale
Roseland Peninsula | South Cornwall Guide Price £560,000
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For Sale
Porthleven | South Cornwall Guide Price £1,295,000
What our clients say.. “
Treviades Barton | Constantine Nr Falmouth
We decided to sell our unique Cornish farmhouse that we had bought through Rohrs and Rowe some years previously. We had always admired Matthew’s enthusiasm as well as the Rohrs and Rowe marketing collateral and Matthew utilised his local knowledge and experience to market the house. We soon had several viewings, which Matthew conducted personally; one of these led to a sale at the guide price we had agreed. Throughout, Matthew kept in close touch with us and remained invariably cheerful, which was both helpful and reassuring. We were delighted with Rohrs and Rowe and are very happy to recommend them.
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Beach House | Porthtowan North Cornwall
When we made the difficult decision to sell our beautiful beachfront home, we decided that we wanted a more private approach to the sale. We were recommended to contact Rohrs & Rowe, due to their track record of selling similar one-off properties. They have excellent contacts and agreed to offer the property to a select group of buyers off market. A sale was able to be negotiated very swiftly to some excellent buyers, at a price we were very happy with. They gave us excellent advice at every stage and were there every step of the way. We would highly recommend them to anyone with a special property to sell.
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Blue Elvin | Newlyn | West Cornwall
We chose Rohrs and Rowe because we liked Matthew immediately when he came to appraise the house. He had a clear-eyed take on the property market in South West Cornwall, including very detailed knowledge of the character and appeal of our area. Matthew knows Newlyn and Penzance well, so the whole experience felt very tailored to the house itself and the potential of the locality. We loved the house, and its situation, so it was a hard decision to sell; but made considerably easier by working with someone who we felt, also ‘got’ it. The brochure was wonderfully produced and the support from Jason, and the Rohrs and Rowe team was extremely professional. From the very first meeting through to the sale Matthew provided a truly bespoke service. He gave us excellent advice and honest feedback, listened carefully, was available whenever we needed to talk and seemed to have great prescience at every stage of the transaction. He made it clear and straightforward for us, and I believe for the buyer too. His expertise was evident throughout. He ironed out any wrinkles before they arrived and everything purred along smoothly. It is never enormous fun buying or selling a house but this felt like being driven round a car park in a Rolls Royce. We would highly recommend!
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Penarwyn House | St Austell Bay South Cornwall
We chose Rohrs & Rowe because we were so impressed with their enthusiasm for selling our property. Also, the high quality photography and marketing materials are second to none. Rohrs & Rowe have worked extremely hard to ensure that we have got the best price for Penarwyn and have followed up and provided support every step of the way, we really appreciate it. We would thoroughly recommend these guys to anyone, buying or selling. Thanks again Jason!
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