Coast with the most

Release your inner novelist with an inspiring dose of sun, sand and seafood in the South West.

Meandering along Constantine Bay in northwest Cornwall, almost horizontally thanks to an astonishingly powerful wing, I came over all Daphne du Maurier and decided this, surely, would be the place where I would write My Novel.

Yes, I would cast off the bonds of grimy urban “civilisation” to head down here, having packed a very nice jumper, a fountain pen and a year’s supply of leather-bound notebooks. Inspired by the overwhelming beauty of my surroundings, the words would pour for the book and I’d sell the film rights for a six-figure sum before meeting a handsome, grizzled sailor on the beach and…er, hang on a minute…

Well, a girl can dream, and Cornwall is one of the best places on earth to look beyond the everyday. It’s one of the most truly beautiful parts of Britain and still retains a certain otherworldly quality.

We wisely based ourselves in Padstow, the small fishing port that’s taken on a worldwide renown image, thanks to super-chef Rick Stein. There are mutterings from the locals about “Padstein” and to a "Rick Stein theme park” but we were entranced. We ate in his Seafood Restaurant (book months in advance, but it’s worth the wait) and wolfed down glorious, perfect cod and chips, sublime mushy peas and tartar sauce from chic boxes outside his chippy on the harbour.

We came away from his gift shop armed to the teeth with Stein-branded tea towels, wine and champagne. (By the way, there are other foodie options in Padstow. Try to get a table at the Ebb restaurant- lovely food, lovely place.)

Padstow is great for pottering (nice shops), so despite our grand plans to explore for miles around, we ended up staying comfortably close to home – the incredible Eden Project isn’t too far away and is well worth a visit, as are the gorgeous Lost Gardens of Heligan.

We were lucky to find a cottage slap in the heart of the town, yet far enough from the busy bit to enjoy the peace and quiet. Sunday Cottage and its neighbour School Cottage are lovingly restored old school buildings let as holiday homes. And they have parking – in somewhere as titchy as Padstow, a godsend!

You will need to at least try to walk off some of those chips, and Padstow is surrounded by stunning bays and beaches. Just don’t write your novel before I’ve done mine, will you?

Alison Graham