Luxury self-catering cottages in Portwrinkle

At the end of Whitsand’s crescent of beach is Portwrinkle, a mix of sand and shingle with a tiny harbour. Finnygook, the east bit of beach, is popular with boardies hoping for some wave action, while Hoodny Cove lies to the west. History abounds in these parts. The beach was once a busy pilchard harbour and the ancient walls of the old pilchard cellars – where the fish would have been salted – still hold evidence of the village’s maritime past. In nearby cliffs, visitors can track down Sharrow Grotto cave to find the inscription carved into stone.

These days, guests forage for golf balls up on the cliffs at Whitsand Bay Golf Club, prettily located at the western end of scenic Whitsand Bay. The Finnygook beach part of Portwrinkle has a café and a car park, providing easy access as well as lunch or tea when hunger strikes. Children can race each other down the steep tracks that lead to the sea, then spend lazy days poking about in rock pools. At high tide, the little rocky puddles turn into perfect snorkelling territory for older swimmers, no doubt hoping to catch sight schools of little fish flashing past.