Cornwall! Who knows why - the Celts, the Normans perhaps? or King Arthur, Agatha Christie, Virginia Woolf and Daphnée du Maurier? In any case, it's a local destination that's relatively unknown to business tourism agencies, but one that's likely to be in the news very soon.
By Serge Barret -
Its rugged coastline punctuated by wild beaches and the charm of its welcoming little ports have made Cornwall a long-loved tourist destination across the Channel, notably for Virginia Woolf and Agatha Christie.
Text Serge Barret / Photos Alain Parinet
One hour. Just one hour by plane, a very exotic Bombardier propeller from Paris Charles-de-Gaulle to Exeter in Devon, the county bordering Cornwall. One hour and it's a tiny, friendly, almost charming airport. With a ping-pong table set up under the canopy of the entrance hall, tables for picnics in the fresh air and even big bowls of clear water for the dogs - we know how much the English love their farts. The tone is set: kind, well-mannered and warm. Cornwall, in the far south-west of England, is not Normandy as you might imagine it from this side of the Channel, nor is it Ireland or even Brittany: it's a country apart, almost removed from the world.
So we're starting with a stopover in Exeter, which is a must. And why is that? Because of its sublime cathedral. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the whole of England. With the exception of its two Norman towers, the XIIIe It is a contemporary of Notre-Dame-de-Paris and has a unique, highly ornate style, decorated on its facade with hundreds of statues... An hour, or even two if you include a short stroll through old Exeter, before heading west.
Cathedrals of greenery
First the motorway, barely an hour of green hills to reach deep" Cornwall. And then there are the roads where two minibuses barely manage to pass each other, the twists and turns, the sunken lanes buried in cathedrals of greenery and the tiny harbours tucked away behind their jetties. Until now, Cornwall hasn't featured much in the itineraries of French Mice agencies. But now it's changingCornwall is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, with professionals from across the Channel sparing no energy on promotional campaigns or trade shows. In 2017, Cornwall welcomed 346,000 foreign visitors. And among them, 5,% for business purposes, including business tourists.
With around twenty establishments tailored to the needs of MICE travellers, plus a host of boutique hotels for more confidential groups, the region is fairly well equipped in terms of accommodation. What's more, it boasts some exceptional sites, such as the Eden Project in Bodelva - gigantic plastic bubbles housing a reconstituted primary forest and Mediterranean landscapes - or, in a completely different genre, at the end of the country and overlooking the sea, the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno, an open-air amphitheatre built in 1923, based on the ancient model, which can accommodate very large groups.
There's culture too, with castles to visit, manor houses to gather around, extraordinary English gardens like Trelissick in Feock, hotels set in old mansions, historic villages shrouded in mists where the soul of Agatha Christie, who loved the country so much, floats, not to mention what could be called, as they do in France, art villages, art ports. Leading the way is the very obvious Saint Ives, with nothing less than a branch of London's Tate Gallery, as well as artists' studios and, all along its cobbled streets, art galleries galore, both good and bad.
Old England Institution
These ports are everywhereThey are never very large. They are never very large; Portloe, for example, can only accommodate a few boats, others like Charlestown are still active, but more or less transformed into eco-museums, and others, finally, are more imposing like Mevagissey. These are chunky trawlers with whole clusters of big red or bright orange balloons on their sides to protect them from collisions with other boats when the sea gets rough. It's all very cheerful, a little flon-flon, it's 14 July every day.
But, as everywhere in the English countryside, they all have something in common, these ports at the end of the world; a recurring gimmick, an essential refuge, a must-see Old England institution The pub! Extravagant signs, low ceilings, a mahogany bar, pints of beer drawn by hand... A unique atmosphere and, above all, a very powerful feeling of communion with one's contemporaries. It may be raining all the halberds in the sky behind the windows, but tomorrow is sure to be a very different day.
MEETING AT THE CASTLE
No towers, no keep; no machicolations, no watchtowers. None of those slightly brutal things that bear witness to a time when people weren't exactly laughing every day. Clearly, nothing is fortified in this Elizabethan-style manor houseThis is a classic E-shaped building, almost as if it were built for the sheer pleasure of living. The stonework, of course, the elaborate pediments and the multitude of white windows with tiny panes of glass give it a real charm. Built on the site of a former manor house, the current building was constructed by John Arundell in 1572, taking over part of the 14th-century building.e century, then sold in the middle of the XVIIIe to the Acland family, who occupied it until 1915, when it was practically abandoned.
The National Trust (a not-for-profit organisation set up in 1895 to safeguard historic houses, gardens and estates) acquired it in 1953 to restore it, and even rebuild identically a part of the building that had almost collapsed. Today, we visit. We cross the centuries, moving from a dining room with armour and an extension table to an 18th-century library.eThe rooms range from well-furnished reception rooms to a very long gallery originally designed for physical exercise. The windows overlook either a garden that looks like it was made especially for romantic photos, or the adjoining former farmhouse - but what a farmhouse! - now partly converted into a reception and meeting room: 200 people for cocktails, 120 for seated dinners and 100 for conferences.
Trerice, Kestle Mill, Newquay, Cornwall TR8 4PG. - Tel: +44 1637 875 404 - Tel.
E-Mail : trerice@nationaltrust.org.uk - Internet : www.nationaltrust.org.uk/trerice
THE ENGLISH PLATE REVISITED
The days are long gone when crossing the Channel was akin to embarking on a strict diet, so off-putting was the English plate, at least to French palates. Boiled food, lots of boiled food, improbable saucesWell, that's all over now. Today, London has become a gastronomic capital, with star after star, and the rest of England is following in its wake. It's no longer enough to just eat, we're having lunch and dinner with pleasure. In Cornwall as elsewhere, although the region has always been relatively untouched by the improbable compositions of English housewives, seafood and fish occupy a large place on the tables of this seafaring people. And to miss out on seafood... Some chefs have even carved out a niche for themselves. an international reputationThey are transforming everyday tables into exceptional ones. On the tiny and very pretty port of Padstow, for example, Rick Stein, TV star in the cookery section, is creating a buzz by opening no less than four establishments. Stein's Fish & Ships is said to be one of the best in the region. Fish, all the fish wrapped in batter and served with traditional Chips, which in this case could almost be Belgian. For business groups, or anyone else for that matter, courses are given in specially equipped kitchens. The chef also offers another restaurant with a contemporary design, the Seafood Restaurant, a particularly imaginative fish and seafood table.
Stein Fish and Chips: South Quay, Padstow PL28 8BL - Tel: +44 1841 523 27 00 - Internet : www.rickstein.com
FROM PORT TO PORT, FROM PUB TO PUB
As you'd expect, there are plenty of harbours in Cornwall, from small ones like Portloe with its two or three boats, to larger ones like Mevagissey. They are all absolutely charmingThese are quintessentially English towns, with their low-slung houses, doll's shops and obligatory pubs. And if there's one of them you really shouldn't miss, it's Saint Ives, which really does have it all. Boats at moorings, a quayside lined with white houses and restaurants, pubs, narrow streets winding their way up the hills, art galleries here and there, endless beaches and surfers gliding against a backdrop of mistless light. The artists of the late 19th centurye-early XXe Virginia Woolf, who spent all her summers there in the 1930s, and sculptor Barbara Hepworth who worked there from 1953 until his death in a house fire in 1975. You can visit this house. As well as his studio, which opens onto a delightful garden filled with his monumental sculptures with curved lines in the tradition of Moore. The Tate Gallery, no doubt not wanting to be outdone, has set up a small branch of its London institution. A jewel of contemporary architecture, it features works by Moore, Picasso, Mondrian and Dubuffet, as well as many of the artists who shaped English modern art at the turn of the last century. Business groups can reserve the top floor for chic cocktail parties overlooking the beach.
Barbara Hepworth Museum. Barnoon Hill - Tel: +44 173 679 6226 - Internet : barbarahepworth.org.uk/st-ives
Tate Gallery. Porthmeor Beach, TR26 1TG. - Tel: +44 173 679 6226 - Internet: tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives
EDEN PROJECT
It's the moon, Mars perhaps; it's an imaginary habitat that could be located elsewhere in the cosmos, all in the middle of Cornwall. Contrary to the fantastic appearance of the place - gigantic bubbles scattered around the countryside - it is a reproduction of installed climates. under huge biomes. The first, and most spectacular, is the 'rainforest', where you can discover the world of the equatorial forest. Waterfalls, suspension bridges over the canopy, real birds in the flesh and feathers and even rusty tin huts, just like over there. You can even organise cocktail parties for 150 people in this rainforest. The only problem - but is it a problem? It's very hot. And humid too. But who could complain? The second biome is devoted to Mediterranean vegetation. With olive trees, garrigue, palm trees, orange trees, lemon trees and rows of vines scattered with contemporary sculptures celebrating the glory of Dionysus. Greece, then. And to complete the illusion, a café-restaurant (for up to 160 people) has been installed in the centre of the landscape, reminiscent of what you might find on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Without the slightest doubt, the 'product', respecting the basic rules of ecologyIt also has a large room that can accommodate 400 people seated and 500 for cocktails.
Bodelva, PL24 2 SG - Tel: + 44 1726 811 911 - Internet : www.edenproject.com (Business tourism professionals: Tel: +44 7813 04 19 23 - Email: drowe@edenproject.com)
SAINT MICHAEL'S MOUNT
Like its Norman brother, this Mont-Saint-Michel from across the Channel can be seen from afar. It is staggering resemblance. There's the beach, there's a long towpath that sinks at every tide and there's a rock, a mountain planted there by a God who was a bit of a copycat... And, at the very top, a monastery built in the Middle Ages by the monks of the French Mont-Saint-Michel, then turned into a fortified castle before being bought out in the 17th century...e by Colonel Saint Aubyn, whose descendants still occupy the site. At least in part. We visit the rest, intact over the centuries, moving from a maze of cramped rooms to a charming library, from a gigantic dining room dominated by an imposing carved coat of arms to a 17th-century church.e. What's missing, though, is the grace of the archangel perched over there, on the other side of the sea.
Saint Michael's Mount. - Tel: +44 1736 710265. - Internet address: stmichaelsmount.co.uk
HOTELS
Padstow Harbour Hotel
Thick carpeting, heavy drapes, sash windows and polished furniture: England in this old-fashioned charm that belongs to her alone. The building's pediment bears the date 1900. The renovation work on the ground floor, due to be completed by the end of the year, is almost regrettable. There will be colour, lots of colour, as this is the signature of the Harbour Hotels brand, which offers 16 boutique hotels in England. There will even be an outdoor swimming pool. On sunny days, the view from the windows of the rooms, as well as through the large picture windows, over the harbour, a real fishing port, but also over the village, the beach and the sea, is truly sublime. Easy: the hotel is situated on a hill. 55 rooms, seated dinner for 80 people, meeting room for 40 participants, a bar and a restaurant.
Station road, Padstow, Cornwall, PL 28 8DB. - Tel: +44 1841 53 24 86 - E-mail: padstow.event@harbourhotels.co.uk - Internet: www.harbourhotels.co.uk/hotels/padstow/
St Ives Harbour Hotel and Spa
An explosion of colour, stripes, polka dots, triangles, squares... in every shade of the colour wheel. Strangely enough, you don't feel suffocated inside - quite the opposite, in fact, as this almost tawny palette against a backdrop of white or grey walls is quick to tame even the most Cistercian of tastes. Works of art to matchThe bar is accessorised with a firework display of footstools so you can sip a well-stocked gin and tonic at the end of the day, just as you would in England. On sunny days, the parasols on the terrace overlooking the harbour, Saint Ives and the sandy beach are literally overrun. In fact, when the sky is blue - which it often is - it's almost like being on the Mediterranean. The establishment is perfect as a base camp for an incentive group. 50 rooms, two meeting rooms for up to 150 people, indoor pool, spa, bar and restaurant.
The Terrace, Saint Ives TR26 2BN - Tel: +44 1736 795 221 - Internet: www.harbourhotels.co.uk/hotels/st-ives/
How to get there
Flybe operates two daily flights between Paris CDG and Exeter, code-sharing with Air France. Flights are offered mid-morning and late afternoon on the outbound leg, and early morning or early afternoon on the return leg.
Internet : www.flybe.com
To reach Cornwall by train, groups can take one of the 14 high-speed trains. Eurostar between Paris and London, then travel to the South West of England from Paddington station on a Great Western Railway, with a Pullman restaurant car that can be privatised with service at the seat, in a very British style.
Internet : www.eurostar.com ; www.gwr.com
By using our site, you consent to the use of cookies.
We use cookies on our site to store and/or access information about your device, in particular to offer you advertising and to compile statistics in order to improve ergonomics, navigation and editorial content.
Analytical cookies enable us to gather valuable information to optimise the performance of our site and improve your user experience.
By accepting cookies, you are supporting the work of our editorial team in providing you with quality information, while enabling us to offer you content and services tailored to your interests.
For more information, please consult our page Privacy policy.
