Cliff top view: Fowey Hall Hotel is said to have inspired Toad Hall
The Victorian mansion, commanding a cliff-top view over the Cornish seaside town, is said to have inspired Toad Hall – Kenneth Grahame, author of
The Wind in the Willows, was a regular visitor. Following a £3.5m refurbishment it’s a glamorous, grown-up hotel that wholeheartedly greets young families. For adults there’s a huge spa and a stylish shop, curated by a former
Vogue editor. Younger visitors will love the outside playground with zip-wire, the games rooms, cinema and a library filled with 700 or so childhood classics. Dogs are very welcome, and provided with beds, bowls and treats. It would be easy to spend the day on the terrace gazing out to sea – lunch, tea, cocktails – but a 20-minute stroll takes you to Readymoney Cove, a sheltered sandy beach ideal for paddling. Head into Fowey for its many old-fashioned delights (aquarium, boutiques, fish and chips sitting on the harbour wall, fudge shop