Tom’s Cottage Cornwall is a period farmhouse now run as a holiday cottage by Chris and Juliet. Born in one of the front bedrooms and living just down the lane, Juliet and her family have farmed the surrounding land for generations.
Recently retired from agriculture, this is the spouses’ first (and only) tourism venture; although they previously worked together in a farm partnership.
Lead image: G Tom-Baird
Settled in their own house when Juliet’s childhood home became vacant a realisation struck her. There was a reason there’d never been family holidays as she grew up – there was nowhere worth leaving this idyllic spot for. Set in rural seclusion yet within moments of the best of North Cornwall, the place radiates happiness while being a perfect springboard for days out.
This is how Tom’s Cottage started welcoming guests, but what drives Juliet and Chris’s commitment to Green Tourism? The clue lies in their previous life: farming native breed cattle and sheep, that grazed pastures in an extensive but managed regime. They perfected the skill of minimal artificial inputs which benefited natural habitats, while producing sublime beef and lamb.
Combine this with the cottage’s backdrop – located in Medieval Farmland, and on the fringe of a coastal National Landscape (AONB) with both the Camel Estuary and Bodmin Moor National Landscapes nearby; nurturing the environment at Tom’s Cottage has always been a destiny. One written in the stars.
Chris’s family has also farmed locally for generations – never further than 2 farms away from Tom’s Cottage (and yes: it was one of those boy/girl next-door romances!) So Juliet and Chris are truly rooted in the local community. It’s a double whammy – they are part of a tight-knit rural district, and are Cornish to the core (the Duchy of Cornwall is a quirky British region that feels more Welsh than English).
This isn’t to say the couple are unfamiliar with travel. Juliet backpacked New Zealand in the mid ‘80s on a cattle scholarship, and the pair were involved with several international farm tours of the UK in the 2010s. Some were herd visits they hosted from Australasia, and others Juliet acted as tour guide on the Cornish leg of the Devon Cattle Breeders World Tours. Another fellowship was discovered: a farmer is a farmer the world over - irrespective of native tongue.
Hospitality is also a trait the Cornish hold dear according to Juliet, although she is unsure if it dates back to them being great seafarers in days of old (including welcoming tin/spice traders ashore in ancient times) or housing passing travellers wherever a Monterery Pine grew by a homestead. Either way, both Chris and Juliet grew up in families that welcomed guests with genuine warmth.
It was a natural progression to join Green Tourism a couple of years after opening Tom’s Cottage. Receiving a Silver Award meant the world to the couple – it confirmed they were on the right path, highlighted their strengths and provided structure to improving the areas that would benefit from enhancement.
In the assessment, Tom’s Cottage’s best scoring areas were: Experiences, Biodiversity, Chemicals, Destination and Awareness. This appraisal felt to Juliet like looking in a mirror – a reflection of the values that she cherishes, and cultivates.
A structured approach to monitoring and reducing the carbon footprint of Tom’s Cottage now commences, with creating a plan and recording data that’ll lead to developing efficiencies. This will be a major contributor in realising the green-dream for Juliet – to attain Green Tourism’s gold standard.
As Tom’s Cottage continues to be a pivotal hub within the farmland around it (by securing a retirement income for the couple, while a young cousin of Chris’s begins his agricultural career on the acreage); a commitment to keeping the farm together as one whole unit is being achieved. Preserving local character, heritage and knowledge. And sharing a unique experience by offering holidays in a traditional haven.
The guest book reveals many gratifying comments - beyond remarking on household comfort – with ‘amazing place’ and ‘fantastic house’ regularly cropping up; along with ‘gorgeous gardens’ and ‘beautiful and tranquil’. There are owls by night and buzzards by day at Tom’s Cottage, but how many butterflies are there to be spotted?
Tom’s Cottage is available to book through Classic Cottages (01326 555 555) and more information can be found about Green Tourism and Tom’s Cottage sustainability on their own websites. @tomscottagecornwall can also be followed on Instagram and Facebook.
