12
6 Rooms
3 (peak)
2 (off peak)
Yes
Yes
Yes
2 Dogs
6
Stairs
Herons is part of the desirable Retallack Resort that’s outside St Columb Major in North Cornwall. Sleeping twelve across six en-suite bedrooms, the holiday home is built for the kind of holiday where everyone turns up at once — three generations under one roof, a stag do, a 40th birthday that will have its own footnote in history. The heated pool and hot tub sit in a walled, astro-turfed garden overlooking the resort lake, with a sauna right beside them for anyone who wants to flip between hot and cold. Upstairs, the cinema room opens onto its own balcony, and the view does most of the talking once the light starts to drop in the evening. Two separate sitting rooms mean nobody has to agree on a film, which matters more than you'd think when there are twelve of you under one roof. By the time the pool lights come on and the garden settles into quiet, it's easy to forget how many of you there actually are.
St Columb Major is a few minutes' drive from your holiday house. It’s a proper working market town rather than a tourist set-piece, with a butcher's worth detouring for and a couple of solid pubs if you want a pint that isn't a fiver. There's a local shop too, handy for the things you'll inevitably forget before you've even unpacked. Most evenings at Herons, you won't bother leaving - the kitchen's set up for it, with two ovens and enough worktop for several people to cook at once, and there's a Green Egg BBQ on the terrace if the weather holds. Mornings are slower: coffee on the breakfast bar, kids appearing one by one, someone already in the pool before breakfast's cleared away. When you do go out, Mawgan Porth and Watergate Bay are both close enough for a beach supper, with the Lookout Restaurant at the resort for anyone who can't be bothered to drive at all.
Padstow is about eight miles off, easy enough for a morning at the harbour and lunch at one of Rick Stein's places, or further round for Paul Ainsworth's restaurant if you fancy booking ahead. Newquay's ten minutes the other way, with Fistral Beach and its surf schools if anyone in the group wants to get in the water properly. The Camel Trail runs between Wadebridge and Padstow and is flat enough for kids on hired bikes, with an ice cream waiting at the other end. Further afield, the Eden Project is about twenty minutes and worth the detour on a wet day, though less so if the sun's out and the pool's calling instead. Lanhydrock, the National Trust house near Bodmin, is a good alternative if you've already done the Eden Project on a previous trip, and Bodmin Moor is there too for anyone wanting a proper walk away from the coast.
Owner details:
Amy Dods joined Independent Cottages in June 2026
Accommodation Comprises: Herons is arranged over three floors, built around two sitting rooms, six en-suite bedrooms and a walled garden centred on the pool.
Ground Floor
First Floor
Second Floor
Outside
You and your guests will love the walled garden. It has astro turf for use all year round, and a heated pool, hot tub, and a sauna. Outdoor entertaining is always fantastic thanks to the Green Egg BBQ, covered dining area, and outdoor table tennis table, and there's free private parking.
Additional Information
Two dogs are welcome at no extra charge; bowls are provided. Baby equipment is available on request: two cots, two highchairs, a baby bath, a changing mat, a potty, and a training seat. You'll receive a welcome basket of Cornish produce, plus starter packs for the dishwasher and bins.
Twin beds in any room can be made up as a superking on request, for a small charge. Mid-stay cleaning is possible.
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