Looking for a taste of The Good Life by the sea? How about a stay at West Kellow Yurts in the Cornish village of Polperro? Just don’t mention Beer while you’re there. We don’t mean ale (there’s plenty of that in this harbourside village’s traditional smugglers’ inns). We mean the Devonian village of the same name. It pipped Polperro to the post in the West-Country heat of Channel 4’s 'Village of the Year' competition. That makes Polperro only the second-best village in the west, according to presenter Penelope Keith. We’d say that’s a matter of opinion. With a working harbour, tumbling lanes of fishermen’s houses, beautiful countryside and beaches within reach – it’s hard not to love this location.
It’s a steep 25-minute walk out of the village to West Kellow Yurts. A duck pond, a chicken coop, a back-to-basics approach and eco-friendly facilities help make up this small glamping getaway. Three yurts, a gypsy wagon and a summer-only bell tent share a nine-acre field on a third-generation family farm. There’s no electricity to the tents or the wagon and the shared double kitchen’s power supply is from West Kellow’s own solar farm. It’s eco friendly for sure but it’s still glamping, with the hammocks, sun loungers and comfortable bedding helping to make sure this is a place to unwind. Campfires, sea views, birdsong and starry nights help too.
The site seems to attract couples and adult groups (perhaps it’s that steep climb out of the village) but it’s suitable for all the family – and dogs are welcome as well. There are swings and swingball on site as well as free football golf for glampers. Half-a-dozen lovely Cornish beaches and the South West Coast Path are within easy reach and Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary is nearby. It’s less than an hour’s driving to The Lost Gardens of Heligan and The Eden Project. But you might be content with something more local and low-key.
Exploring coastal villages with picturesque views, heritage museums and traditional inns might be sightseeing enough; and there’s arguably nowhere more scenic than Polperro itself. Reflecting on that televised competition between it and the village that must-not-be-named; the winner was perhaps more Margot’s version of The Good Life. Charming, traditional Polperro might have been a better fit for Felicity Kendall’s character, Barbara – and nowhere more so than in the fields above the village at West Kellow Yurts.