Cornwall

Cornwall occupies the far south-western tip of England, and for many motorhome travellers it represents the ultimate British road trip. From the rugged cliffs of the north coast to the sheltered coves of the south, from the artistic communities of St Ives and Newlyn to the subtropical gardens of the Helford River, Cornwall packs an extraordinary variety of landscape and experience into its narrow peninsula. The drive from our Pontefract depot takes around six hours via the M1 and M5, but every mile of it builds the anticipation for what awaits.

The journey south is itself part of the adventure. Head down the M1 to the M42, join the M5 through the Midlands and Somerset, then cross the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall. Many motorhome travellers break the journey in Devon or Somerset, making a two-day trip of it and arriving in Cornwall refreshed and ready to explore. Once you cross the Tamar, the landscape changes immediately — the roads narrow, the hedgerows grow high, and the air carries the unmistakable scent of the sea.

The north Cornwall coast is where many visitors head first. Padstow, the fishing port made famous by Rick Stein, sits on the Camel Estuary and offers outstanding seafood alongside a working harbour, sandy beaches, and the Camel Trail — a flat cycling and walking route that follows the old railway line inland to Wadebridge and Bodmin. The coast path from Padstow to Newquay passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in England, with towering cliffs, hidden coves, and the constant percussion of Atlantic surf.

Newquay is Cornwall's surfing capital, with Fistral Beach drawing surfers from across Europe. But Newquay is more than surf — the town has excellent campsites for motorhomes, including Hendra Holiday Park and Trevella Park, both of which offer full hook-up facilities and are within easy reach of the beaches. Watergate Bay, just north of Newquay, combines a magnificent sandy beach with Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant and a growing reputation for wild swimming.

Further south, the Lizard Peninsula is the most southerly point on the British mainland. Kynance Cove, with its serpentine rock stacks and turquoise water, is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful beaches in England. The Lizard village itself has an atmospheric lifeboat station, and the coast path around the peninsula takes in dramatic cliff formations, wildflower meadows, and the eerie ruins of abandoned tin mines.

St Ives, on the north coast of the Penwith Peninsula, has been attracting artists since the 1880s. The Tate St Ives gallery, perched above Porthmeor Beach, showcases modern and contemporary art inspired by the Cornish landscape. The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, tucked away in the old town, preserves the studio where Hepworth worked for the last two decades of her life. The light in St Ives is genuinely extraordinary — clear, bright, and constantly shifting — and you begin to understand why generations of painters have been drawn here.

Land's End, the westernmost point of mainland England, has a wild, windswept grandeur despite the commercial attractions at the headland. The coast path in both directions is magnificent, with Sennen Cove to the north offering one of Cornwall's finest swimming beaches. The Minack Theatre, carved into the cliffs above Porthcurno, stages open-air productions through the summer against a backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean — an experience that is entirely unique to Cornwall.

The south coast has a gentler character. The fishing villages of Mevagissey, Polperro, and Fowey tumble down steep hillsides to harbours filled with colourful boats. The Lost Gardens of Heligan, a Victorian garden restored from decades of neglect, and the Eden Project, with its iconic biomes housing tropical and Mediterranean environments in a former clay pit, are both outstanding attractions. For motorhome travellers, campsites such as Pentewan Sands and Seaview International near Polperro offer excellent coastal bases.

Cornwall's food scene has matured enormously. Beyond the traditional cream teas and pasties — both of which remain essential experiences — the county now boasts exceptional restaurants from Padstow to Porthleven. Nathan Outlaw's restaurants, Paul Ainsworth's Number 6, and a growing network of farm shops and seafood shacks mean that eating well in Cornwall is easier than ever. The local ales from Sharp's Brewery in Rock and Skinner's Brewery in Truro are the perfect accompaniment to an evening parked up near the coast.

For motorhome travellers from Yorkshire, Cornwall is a genuine expedition — but one that rewards the journey many times over. The combination of world-class beaches, exceptional food, a thriving arts scene, and some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in Europe makes it a destination that lingers in the memory long after you have returned the motorhome to our Pontefract depot.