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Why Notter Bridge Holiday Park has you covered, wherever you fancy today…
Ask most people planning a holiday in the South West and they’ll tell you they had to choose: Devon or Cornwall. At Notter Bridge Holiday Park, you don’t have to. We sit right on the River Lynher, just a few minutes from the Tamar Bridge, which means Cornwall’s beaches, Devon’s waterfront city, and some of the region’s best gardens and heritage sites are all within about half an hour of your lodge, pod or pitch. Here’s what’s on your doorstep.
Cornwall’s Beaches, All Within Half an Hour
South East Cornwall’s coastline is quieter and less crowded than the postcard spots further west — and every one of these is a short drive from Notter Bridge.
(around 20 minutes)Whitsand Bay…
A dramatic three-mile sweep of sand and shingle beneath high cliffs, popular with surfers and divers; the wreck of HMS Scylla, deliberately sunk offshore in 2004, is now an artificial reef. It’s a proper wild beach: access paths are steep, and RNLI lifeguards only patrol from May to September, so it’s one to treat with a bit of respect rather than a beach for a lazy paddle with very young children.
(about 15 minutes)Portwrinkle…
Sits at the western end of Whitsand Bay, a tiny former fishing hamlet with two beaches and old stone pilchard cellars that now double as cottages. There’s little more than a beach car park and a café, which is exactly the appeal if you want somewhere quiet.
(around 25 mins)Kingsand and Cawsand…
The twin villages of pastel cottages on the Rame Peninsula, with three beaches between them and a proper smuggling history; Kingsand was actually part of Devon until 1844, so technically you’ll have crossed the county line without even trying. In summer, a passenger ferry runs from Cawsand Beach straight to Plymouth’s Mayflower Steps, which might be the easiest Devon-to-Cornwall day trip going.
(about 27 mins)Polperro…
The classic car-free fishing village; you park up at Crumplehorn and walk in; with harbourside cottages stacked above the water, a Heritage Museum of Fishing and Smuggling, and boat trips where dolphin and seal sightings aren’t unusual. It gets busy in peak summer, so an early start is worth it.
(about 22 mins)Looe…
The most “proper seaside town” option of the five: split by the river into East Looe (sandy beach, shops, restaurants) and West Looe (the stonier Hannafore beach), with boat trips out to Looe Island and, slightly unexpectedly, its own Shark Angling Club.
Devon in 20 Minutes: Plymouth’s Waterfront
Cross the Tamar Bridge and you’re in a different county within minutes — and Plymouth’s waterfront is worth the short drive on its own.
(about 20 minutes)Plymouth Hoe
One of the best free viewpoints in the South West: a clifftop green overlooking Plymouth Sound, with Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse and the Art Deco Tinside Lido as its two landmarks
The Barbican
Plymouth’s cobbled Elizabethan quarter around Sutton Harbour. The Mayflower Steps mark where the Pilgrims actually left for America in 1620, and it’s home to England’s oldest working gin distillery (Plymouth Gin, distilling since 1793), plus the National Marine Aquarium.
(25 mins)Royal William Yard
Grade I-listed 1830s naval victualling yard, beautifully restored into waterfront restaurants, bars and apartments with a promenade along the Sound; genuinely one of the nicest spots in Plymouth for a smart lunch out.
(10 mins away)Port Eliot Estate
St Germans is the closest attraction to Notter Bridge by far! The Stables at the estate entrance is a farm shop, café and the Elephant Bar, and the wider gardens and parkland are open daily (small admission charge), with guided tours of the State Rooms for those who want to see inside the house. One thing to note: the estate closes for a private event for around a week each late summer, so it’s worth checking porteliot.co.uk for the current dates before you plan a visit.
(about 20mins)Antony House and Garden (National Trust)
Grade I-listed 1720s Georgian house — you may recognise the gardens from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland — with formal grounds and a National Collection of daylilies. The house and main garden run on specific open days rather than being open all week, so it’s worth checking the National Trust’s website for this week’s opening days before you set off.
(about 30 mins)Mount Edgcumbe House and Gardens
Pairs a deer park with Italian, English and French formal gardens and the National Camellia Collection, overlooking Plymouth Sound. The country park itself is free and open every day, year-round; but the house and Earl’s Garden only open between April and September.
A Few More Ideas While You’re Here
If you’ve got more than a long weekend, Cotehele —the National Trust house, quay and working watermill just up the Tamar from us — is another easy add-on, and the Tamar Trails near Gunnislake are a good shout for an afternoon of easy cycling if the little ones are with you. Rame Head, with its tiny chapel on the headland, rounds off a coastal walk nicely if you’re already down at Whitsand Bay.
And when you’ve had your fill of both counties, the nicest part of the day might just be coming home to Notter Bridge itself — a fishing rod by the River Lynher, an evening in a private hot tub, and a dog-friendly walk along the wildlife trail before dinner. You genuinely don’t have to choose between Devon and Cornwall on this holiday. We just happen to sit right on the line between them.
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