Kerensa

Kerensa is a detached one-bedroom barn conversion in Portreath for two, set 900m from the harbour beach on Cornwall's quieter north coast. The village sits 4 miles north-west of Camborne, with the South West Coast Path running through on its way west to Hell's Mouth and Godrevy.

The cottage has one bedroom, one bathroom, and a washing machine. Single-storey, compact, and aimed squarely at couples - there is no garden, no parking listed, and no second bedroom for guests. The harbour beach is a 12-minute walk down through the village.

Portreath Beach is a sandy bay between two headlands, with the 18th-century tin and copper harbour wall at its eastern end. It is lifeguarded in summer and the surf school operates from the sand. The Beach Bar sits on the slipway; the Waterfront Inn is a short walk inland. Coast path west reaches Hell's Mouth in 3 miles and Godrevy lighthouse - the one Virginia Woolf wrote about in *To the Lighthouse* - in 5. Tehidy Country Park, 250 acres of woodland and lakes, lies 2 miles inland.

Best for couples wanting a walking-and-beach base on a working stretch of north coast that has not turned into Newquay or Perranporth. Less good for families needing a second bedroom, dog owners, or anyone who wants to drive straight to the door - parking in the village is on-street and limited in summer.