If you really want to get away from it all, how about hiding out in an abandoned slate quarry on the north coast of Cornwall? Perhaps, somewhere you can swim in a wilderness lake and maybe even wash in a waterfall. That may sound pretty “out there” but it’s what a stay at Kudhva Architectural Hideouts offers – with all the rough edges smoothed away. You’ll still have the chance to get off grid and switch off from modern life but its tipis and cabins make sure you do it in style. Tucked among the rewilding shrubs and trees of a former industrial landscape, these architectural boltholes are simple spaces with truly innovative designs.
Choose from the stilted Kudhva Cabins, which sleep two, the Danish Cabin, which is modelled on a Cornish engine house and sleeps four, and the site’s seaview tipis. Each is essentially a bedroom in the wild. Bedding is provided in the cabins but you’ll need to bring your own if you opt for a tipi. All of the hideouts have a fire pit nearby; some private and some communal. And there are shared facilities too – a kitchen, showers and loos. These are all housed together over at the reception building which doubles as a place to socialise either organically or through one of the site’s occasional yoga sessions or long-table suppers.
The whole idea of this place is to provide a kind of refuge to relax and recharge in tune with nature. The site is completely off grid with limited power in the communal space from solar energy. All of the indoor spaces, while innovative and interesting, are fairly stripped back: expect ply, timber, and corrugated tin with neutral and natural fabrics here and there rather than plush surroundings. To be honest it’s all very "Cornwall" – and let’s not forget that’s where you are. This site is two miles from the closest beach at Trebarwith Strand and not far from many of the Cornish north coast highlights: Tintagel, Boscastle, and Port Isaac are all very nearby with Bude, Bodmin, and Rock within a half-hour drive.
Kudhva Architectural Cabins are situated close to the north Cornish coast, just a couple of miles inland of Trebarwith Strand. The site itself has a lake, waterfall and trails to walk. The beach at Trebarwith is the closest one but time your visit with low tide when a kilometre of sand is revealed backed by flat rocks. There are, of course, plenty more beaches and coves to visit all along the coast including Widemouth Bay (15 miles) and Bude (17 miles). These and the string of harbour villages and towns you’ll want to visit are all linked by the South West Coast Path. Tintagel with its clifftop castle is just three miles away, Boscastle (five miles), Port Isaac (nine miles), Polzeath (12 miles) and Rock (14 miles) with its ferries to Padstow. Inland, Bodmin Moor is a drive of about 11 miles.
You can pre order breakfast hampers of local produce and the site hosts occasional feast nights with visiting chefs so get in touch direct to enquire if any coincide with your stay. For eating out and about, there’s a wealth of good options. Closest of which are the Tintagel Brewery, Bar and Bistro and The Mill House Inn – about a mile in either direction from site. The Port William’s beachside dining with outdoor seating is recommended down at Trebarwith Strand. For great seafood, try The Rocket Stove in Boscastle (five miles) or Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen (10 miles away) in Port Isaac. Pilchards, at Port Gaverne near Port Isaac is another good option. For something more casual and closer to home try the fresh chimichangas and quesadillas of Mexi Kernow, served from a colourful shipping container near Camelford, just two miles from site.
