About Cowries St Merryn

Our family has been visiting this area of Cornwall for over 70 years and in 2016 we were lucky enough to make our dreams come true when we were able to buy a little piece of it.

We have tried to make Cowries as special as we can, using our experience of holidaying here to make a holiday home that you will want to return to time and time again. Visit England also think its a great place to stay – we have been awarded a Four Star Gold rating four years running!

Cornwall is one of the most beautiful places in the England, if not the world – we hope that we have provided all you need for a base to go explore this wonderful county. If the weather isn’t too great, there’s still plenty to do.

Whether it’s your first surf, your first trip to Eden, your first swim or even your first time winning monolopoly – go and make some memories, and if you love it here, as much as us, please fill in the visitirs book, leave us a review on Facebook or follow us on twitter and Insta.

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #cowries

Bryony & Gavin

Why the name Cowries?

One of our favourite pastimes is searching for Cowrie shells. Hence why the house is called Cowries. The seven Cowries shells in our logo represent the Seven Bays of St Merryn.

Cowries are marine gastropod mollusks (Sea Snails). The term porcelain derives from the old Italian term for the cowrie shell due to their similar appearance. The cowrie shells you find around the seven bays are from the European Cowrie.

Shells of certain species have historically been used as currency in several parts of the world as well as being used in jewellery.

Art at Cowries

When designing the interior for Cowries, we knew we wanted to keep it clean and modern and use art to bring personality and colour into each room. Of course, the art needed to be Cornish, so we chose Sara Holden to be our “featured” artist. We worked with her to choose the right piece for each room.

Each one of the paintings depict a Cornish scene or setting. The colours used are as closely considered as the composition and unique to each piece which keeps her work fresh and vibrant.

You can see Sara’s other work at the Picture House Gallery in Padstow or you can buy prints from her website.

Meet your hosts

Cowries is owned by the Sadler family. We have been coming on holiday to Cornwall since we were children.

We have stayed in many self catering cottages over the years – we know what works and what doesn’t. We have used this experience to turn Cowries into our dream holiday home. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

As a family we enjoy walking our dogs around this beautiful area. We spend a lot of our time at the beach and love all type of water sports, such as surfing and swimming. We make use of the local pubs and shops in St Merryn and a trip to Cornish Arms is always part of our stay.

More than just a holiday home...

Our Property

Lounge

50” Wall mounted TV, Blu-ray DVD player, Sky (family package), PlayStation 3

Kitchen

Seating for 6. Patio doors open onto the patio and garden .

Dining Area

Built-in electric oven, ceramic hob, built-in microwave oven, American fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine.

Master Bedroom

King size bed (5′), wall mounted TV, bedside units, built-in wardrobe, chest of drawers, chair En Suite Shower Room: Thermostatic shower, basin, w.c.

Twin Bedroom

Twin beds (3′), chest of drawers.

Bunk Beds Bedroom

Bunk beds (3′), chest of drawers, wall mounted, TV/DVD combi.

Family Bathroom

Bath (shower over off mixer taps), basin, w.c.

Garden & Parking

Enclosed garden and patio with garden furniture. Shed for storing wetsuits and surfboards. There is parking for 2 cars at the front of the property.

Play Area

Play park on site available for persons occupying residences within Fairfield.

Perfect for a family break and just minutes from seven wonderful beaches - Book Now!

Happy Guests

Just returned from an amazing weekend here at Cowries!! This is just the perfect place for anyone, it has everything you need to feel right at home, well actually it’s ten times better than home really!! The rooms are spacious and light and beautifully decorated and accessorized. The beds are so comfy with quality bedding! The location was perfect with the seven bays on your doorstep. Great local shops and pubs. Fantastic place for walking! Can’t wait to go back.

Lorraine Bowey

Spacious, clean, and comfortable accommodation, perfect location for holidaying in cornwall. Great for a mums weekend way! And will definately be returning for a family holiday.

Katherine Long

An absolute 5 star home from home experience. This beautiful house lacks nothing and offers a real luxury family holiday. The location is perfect for untold attractions and unlimited bays, with each bay offering a completely different experience. Of all the many places we visited St Nectan’s Glen in Tintagel is an absolute must. A completely unspoilt natural waterfall, it’s a magical experience for all the family, just breathtaking. You can’t help but leave a little piece of your heart in Cornwall after a holiday at Cowries, with endless days at the bay and a luxurious home to relax in of an evening. It really is just perfect *****!

Vikki Louise Russell

A few lovely days spent in Cornwall. ‘Cowries’ is a beautiful house, in an ideal location for dog walks on the beach or up on the cliffs around the coast line. Put your boots and coats on and away you go!
The house was perfect for our family- the baby and dog were well catered for! It is cosy, stylish, and felt like home. The local ‘Cornish Arms’ Pub is a must for a Fish n Chip Supper and Padstow is lovely and close by; so you can easily stock up on Pasties, Fudge and a Cornish Cream Tea! We are already looking forward to our next visit!

Gemma Fogarty

Just spent a weekend at Cowries! Such a beautiful home in a lovely location! Ideal for family’s with loads of costal walks and local towns to enjoy.

Stef Hake

This is the perfect place to stay for any family group, couples, if fact, just about anyone who wants to have the perfect mix of ‘home from home’ comfort & magical days out.
This property has been kitted out with everything you’re likely to need whilst self catering & is uber comfortable, stylish & most importantly, practical.
The location offers an excellent mix of eateries, shops & breathtaking places to visit.
Everyone need a break at Cowries &, I promise, once won’t be enough!!!!!

Samantha Jane Dixon

Giving something back

We understand how important tourism is to Cornwall but this also has an impact on the environment. Where we can we try and make Cowries as eco friendly as possible. From small things like removing single use plastic straws to purchasing recycled plastic garden furniture. We are trying to do our bit for the planet. We do also take a more active approach to this, which is why we are proud supporters of Beach Guardian.

We also realise how important spending holidays with your loved ones is – this is something we all take for granted, which is why we also support an amazing small Charity called The Sandcastle Trust.

Please click below to find out more about these two great organisations.

Beach Guardian

Beach Guardian organise community beach cleans and conduct educational workshops with schools and other groups to connect people with the environment and to improve health and wellbeing.

We try to attend as many beach cleans as we can whilst staying at Cowries and if there isn’t an organised one on we do our own 2 Minute Beach Clean.

Find out more

The Sandcastle Trust

Their mission is to support people of all ages living with a diagnosis of a rare genetic condition, to build lasting positive family memories and strengthen their family relationships, through the granting of Sandcastle Memories.

We share this belief and give away free week stays at Cowries, so families affected by a rare genetic conditions can enjoy family time in this wonderful part of the country.

Find out more

Connect With Us

You can contact us by phone, email, enquiry form or social media messages. These are available during office hours or you can leave a message and we’ll get back to you.

Address
Cowries, 19 Fairfield, St Merryn,
Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8FQ

Phone: 01841 721070
Email: contact@cowriesstmerryn.co.uk