An unusual name for an unusual place! Spring Water Barn is a wonderful one-bedroomed space for two set in the tranquillity and seclusion of the magnificent Bonython Estate. Originally part of the Manor Farm and used to house the pumping mechanisms for the Estate’s private supplies of spring water, the restored barn is now beautifully furnished, earning a 5-star rating from the Cornish Tourist Board. The layout of the single-storey property has been designed with great thought and style.
Whilst privacy, peace and seclusion are the hallmark of Spring Water Barn, the renowned twenty acre Bonython Estate Gardens are there for guests to enjoy whenever they choose.
Situated six miles south of Helston, the cottage is close to the magnificent beaches and coves of The Lizard Peninsula. Eight minutes drive brings you down to Poldhu Cove and the wonderful coastal paths.
Accessed via the private Estate road, Spring Water Barn closes the eastern side of the original 16th century courtyard complex. Having left your car in its dedicated parking space, it is a few steps through a gate in the enclosing wall to a completely private patio courtyard. With a small wood to the north and lawn to the south, once inside, Spring Water Barn is full of surprises!
With oak flooring throughout, the large open plan living space includes a large sitting area which is open to the eaves and focuses on a huge granite hearth, now filled with a most efficient wood burning stove. Furnishings are contemporary and luxurious with a dining area and open plan granite topped kitchen area, separate utility room and boot store.
Continuing the luxurious theme, the sumptuous bedroom has a 6’6″ zip and link bed and Victorian style roll-top bath complete with aromatic candle for that special relaxation. A separate shower room adjoins the bedroom.
Rated as one of the ‘Great Gardens of Cornwall’, Bonython Estate Gardens comprise 20 acres and offer excitement and surprises, with colour and interest in all seasons. Remodelled in recent years to include a contemporary water feature behind the delightful Georgian house, stroll through an eighteenth century Walled Garden, a traditional Potager Garden and an orchard of Cornish variety apple trees, on through parkland to a series of three small lakes, each with different atmosphere and planting with a stream cascade in a sheltered valley.
Bonython is a traditional, mixed agricultural Cornish estate with the 18th century Manor, farm and woodland stretching almost from one side of the peninsula (the Helford River) to the other (the beach at Poldhu Cove) with each shore just over a mile away.
For those who want to explore further, the magic of The Lizard Peninsula is close by with world-renowned beaches such as Kynance Cove and Kennack Sands, coastal paths, historic coves and numerous fishing villages such as Mullion, Coverack and Cadgwith. Mullion (2 miles), the largest village on the Lizard, is famous for Cornish crab and lobsters. Its many amenities include shops, convenience stores, inns, cafes and restaurants, craft shops and art galleries. The nearest supermarkets are in Helston (5 miles distant) - there is Sainsbury, Tesco and Lidl.
Spring Water Barn is one of four exquisite holiday cottages on the Bonython Estate, the other three properties being Bonython Farmhouse (sleeps 10), Mews Cottage (sleeps 6) and St Corantyn Cottage (sleeps 4). Please check out their links for more details.
"In 2019 we spent a week walking and looking at gardens. Visiting Bonython Estate made us fall in love with the place and we decided if we come again we have to stay at this place! So we did this year 2022, not all 8 thought it was such good idea to stay in one place walk and visit gardens from there, but after having done so, everyone was happy!!" (Robert stayed at Bonython Farmhouse)
Had a brilliant time. A very well equipped stay, very comfortable and great (rural) location with the coast a matter of minutes away. Thank you!
"The cottage was lovely, very homely and clean. would recommend."
"Absolutely loved the property, it was easy to access and lots of lovely "perks" like coffee, tea, cake and biscuits. Very peaceful, quiet and private. Absolutely perfect."
"Spring Water Barn was perfect for our first family holiday (our baby is 7 months old) as there was plenty of space, a well-equipped kitchen and it was ideally located for exploring South Cornwall. We arrived to find a beautiful welcome basket with tasty goodies (many from the estate) and some necessary supplies in the fridge which was a lovely surprise. We would definitely book again if we visit the area in the future."
"Spring Water Barn is a fantastic place for couples to get away. Communication with the host was brilliant, very quick to respond to messages and lots of helpful information provided. A wonderful hamper of treats awaited us, and was very gratefully received after our long journey down. We loved exploring the grounds of Bonython and the surrounding areas of the Lizard peninsula. Highly recommend this cottage. Thank you."
"Very nice location, great local garden (Bonython). The welcome pack was greatly appreciated. Getting the key to the Spring Water Barn was swift and easy. Further, the local Bonython Estate Garden was very nice and a must see while being there."
"Lovely place, we particularly enjoyed the fireplace which made for romantic evenings in. I would advise only to bring a board game or some DVDs in case of emergencies as unfortunately we were stuck inside during heavy rain! Did not get to see the gardens but they sounded wonderful. Would love to stay again."
12 GREAT REASONS TO HOLIDAY ON THE LIZARD PENINSULA
With so much to see, it’s hard to do the Lizard Peninsula justice! You can click here to read our blog post ’12 great reasons to book a Lizard Peninsula holiday’ which spreads the word about this unique region.
SHOPPING
The nearest supermarkets are in Helston (5 miles distant) - there is Sainsbury, Tesco and Lidl.
DAYS IN
The beautiful and renowned Bonython Estate Gardens are available to guests to enjoy the tranquility beyond the cottage’s own courtyards.
BEACHES
The closest beaches are:
Poldhu Cove Beach (2.7 miles). Visit The Marconi Centre and discover the fascinating historical advances made in transatlantic radio communication.
Polurrian Cove Beach (3 miles).
Mullion Cove Beach (3.5 miles). Walk along the thick harbour walls dramatically surrounded by tall stacks of black volcanic rock.
Gunwalloe Church Cove Beach (4.5 miles). Visit St Winwaloe Church located right on the beach, dating from the 13th century and also, due to its location, known as the Church of Storms. Scenes from ‘Poldark’ of the terrible shipwreck at night were filmed on the beach.
Cadgwith Cove Beach (6 miles).
Dollar Cove Beach (6 miles).
Kennack Sands Beach (6.8 miles).
Kynance Cove Beach (7.3 miles).
Coverack Beach (7.6 miles).
Loe Bar Beach (7.7 miles).
Porthleven Beach (7.8 miles).
HOUSES & GARDENS
Apart from the magnificent gardens at Bonython, there are plenty of other gardens in the area which are open to the public:
Bosahan Garden, Manaccan, Helston (6.4 miles).
Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth (10.7 miles).
Godolphin House & Estate, The National Trust, Godolphin Cross, Helston (11 miles).
Glendurgan Garden, The National Trust, Mawnan Smith, Falmouth (11 miles).
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval, Penzance (17.2 miles).
Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, St Ives (19.8 miles).
Trereife House & Gardens, Newlyn, Penzance (20.4 miles).
Trengwainton Garden, The National Trust, Madron, Penzance (20.4 miles).
Trelissick Gardens, The National Trust, Feock, Truro (21 miles).
Trewidden Garden, Buryas Bridge, Penzance (21.2 miles).
Tresco Abbey Garden, Tresco, Isles of Scilly (boat trips to the Isles of Scilly from Penzance).
The Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell (40.3 miles).
TOWNS & VILLAGES
MULLION (2.2 miles) is the largest village on the Lizard. A great spot for fishing with a number of boats for hire that can take you out for a few hours or an entire day. Walk along the thick harbour walls dramatically surrounded by tall stacks of black volcanic rock. Mullion is the largest village on the Lizard and has shops, convenience stores, inns, cafes and restaurants, craft shops and art galleries.
GWEEK (5 miles), on the north bank of the Helford river, is a pretty village and home of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary. It has a very good Pub, The Black Swan.
HELSTON (5.8 miles) is a pleasant busy market town famous for its Flora Day Festival and the many stories and legends about the “Furry Dance” are told in the fascinating Helston Folk Museum. The Blue Anchor is an historical pub in the centre of Helston dating back to the 15th century. Explore the Penrose Estate (National Trust) and take a ride on the Helston Railway.
CADGWITH (6 miles) is an attractive fishing village on the Lizard with two small east-facing shingle beaches either side of a rocky promontory.
LIZARD VILLAGE (6.2 miles), situated on the most southerly point of England, has an old Lifeboat Station, Lizard Lighthouse and lovely walks to Kynance Cove or Cadgwith and pretty Landewednack Church Cove.
HELFORD (6.4 miles) is a pretty village nestled around the creek. A foot ferry takes passengers to the delightful gardens of Trebah and Glendurgan. Hire a motor or sailing boat and explore the still meandering creeks and inlets of the Helfords waters. There are beautiful walks up river to Frenchman’s Creek.
COVERACK (7.4 miles) is a picturesque Cornish fishing village with a small sand and pebble beach on the eastern coast of the Lizard peninsula.
ST KEVERNE village (7.6 miles) is one mile inland from the coastal path and has a beautiful church, whitewashed cottages, two public houses, restaurants and shops clustered around the village square which really comes alive at the annual festivals of the Ox Roast, Carnival and Rodeo.
PORTHLEVEN (7.7 miles) is one of south west Cornwall’s hidden, coastal gems. The iconic clock tower sits on the harbour entrance and the pubs, shops, cafés and restaurants, including the new Rick Stein’s, cluster around the historic inner harbour, where there is plenty of boating and marine activity.
MARAZION (14.6 miles), is home to the iconic castle, St Michael’s Mount. Mounts Bay and Marazion Marsh are home to hundreds of species of wildlife.
FALMOUTH (14.8 miles). Attractions include Pendennis Castle (English Heritage), the multi award winning National Maritime Museum Cornwall and the award winning Falmouth Art Gallery (free entry). Ferries criss-cross the water connecting Falmouth with the charming harbour town of St Mawes and the city of Truro.
PENZANCE (19 miles) has many shops, pubs and restaurants as well as cinema, bowling and laser quest. there is easy access to the beautiful Isles of Scilly by ferry. Have a wander around Morrab Gardens near the seafront. Art galleries include Penlee House Gallery & Museum and The Exchange Gallery.
ST IVES (21 miles) has a thriving art scene – the cobbled streets are filled with quirky shops, galleries and lots of fabulous restaurants. Attractions include the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden and Tate St Ives.
TRURO (22.6 miles). Cornwall’s one and only city, with Truro Cathedral taking centre stage.
TIN MINES
Poldark Tin Mine & Gardens, Wendron, Helston (8.5 miles).
King Edward Mine Museum, Troon, Camborne (14 miles).
East Pool Mine, The National Trust, Pool, Redruth (16.2 miles).
Cornwall Gold – Tolgus Tin Mill, New Portreath Road, Redruth (17.4 miles).
Geevor Tin Mine Museum, Pendeen (26.8 miles). Geevor tin mine is one of the largest preserved mine sites in the country and a Cornish Mining World Heritage Site.
LITERARY CONNECTIONS
POLDARK
Check out our blog on Poldark filming locations, all easy day trips from Bonython. The closest, just a mile from Bonython, is Church Cove, Gunwalloe, next to Dollar Cove. Other locations include: St Breward and Charlestown to the east; Porthcothan, St Agnes Head and Wheal Coates to the north; and Botallack, Levant and Porthgwarra to the west. All the coves and beaches are quite as beautiful as they look on screen, but all are deceptive, changing from sunny, peaceful places to dreadful deathtraps for ships on a lee shore when gales howl.
ROSAMUNDE PILCHER
Bonython Manor and its estate gardens were the location for the Rosamunde Pilcher ZDF film adaptations ‘The Prime of Life’ (Blüte des Lebens), ‘Summer of Awakening’ (Sommer des Erwachens) and ‘Anwälte küsst man nicht’ (loosely ‘Lawyers Do Not Kiss You’).
Rosamunde Pilcher’s name has long been synonymous for outstanding entertainment, both for her novels – which have sold over 30 million copies all over the world – and for the ZDF small-screen adaptations of her works. Some of the actors who have been at Bonython are Esther Schweins, Jan Sosniok, Hugo Egon Balder and Edmund Kente. A treehouse was built for one of the films, and retained as a feature of the garden.
In Germany, Rosamunde Pilcher is a household name, because of her position in German TV ratings for over 20 years where the ZDF films of her books are watched by around six million people. The first ZDF Pilcher movie, ‘The Day of the Storm’, was screened in 1993 to over eight million viewers, and more than 100 films have been made since. Bonython has been chosen as a location for several of the films.
Rosamunde Pilcher was born about 15 miles away from Bonython in Lelant, and she says that that it all started here in Cornwall, “on the beaches, sitting on the rocks and making up little stories in my head, a long time ago.”
For more information, check out our blog on Rosamunde Pilcher filming locations.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Goonhilly Earth Station, Goonhilly Downs, Helston (2.9 miles). Please check the web site before your visit as the Visitor Centre may still be closed for refurbishment.
Flambards, Culdrose Manor, Helston (5.5 miles). A large selection of rides and indoor attractions and exhibitions to suit everyone.
Roskilly’s Farm Ice Creams, Tregellast Barton Farm, St Keverne (7.7 miles).
Chysauster Ancient Village Iron Age settlement – English Heritage, New Mill, Penzance (19.6 miles).
Lanyon Quoit Chambered Tomb, Madron (22 miles).
The Mermaid of Zennor, Zennor (23.3 miles).
Tregiffian Burial Chamber (English Heritage), near St Buryan (26 miles).
Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Porthcurno, nr Penzance (28 miles).
Minack Theatre, Porthcurno (28.3 miles). Cornwall’s world famous open-air theatre, carved into the granite cliff and set in glorious gardens overlooking the spectacular panorama of Porthcurno Bay, shows both local and national productions.
EVENTS
FEBRUARY
5 St Piran’s Day, Penzance (19 miles).
The St Ives Feast – Hurling the Silver Ball, St Ives (21 miles).
Falmouth Spring Festival, Falmouth (14.8 miles).
The Truro Festival, Truro (22.6 miles).
APRIL
Falmouth Spring Festival, Falmouth (14.8 miles).
The Truro Festival, Truro (22.6 miles).
Trereife Easter Food and Craft Fair, Trereife House, Penzance (20.2 miles).
Porthleven Food and Music Festival, Porthleven (7.7 miles).
Trevithick Day, Camborne (14.6 miles).
MAY
St Ives May Day, St Ives (21 miles).
Helston Flora Day, Helston (5.8 miles).
St Ives Literature Festival, St Ives (21 miles).
Fal River Festival, Variety of venues around the Fal River, Falmouth, Truro, Roseland.
JUNE
Fal River Festival, Variety of venues around the Fal River, Falmouth, Truro, Roseland.
Penzance Literary Festival, Penzance (19 miles).
Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival, Falmouth (14.8 miles).
Golowan Festival, Penzance (19 miles). The two main events are Mazey Day and Quay Day.
Murdoch Day, Redruth (15.5 miles).
JULY
St Buryan Rally, St Buryan (24.2 miles).
Marazion Carnival, Marazion (14.6 miles).
AUGUST
St Keverne Ox Roast (7.6 miles). Usually taking place on the first Wednesday of August, the whole of the village celebrates with brass bands, entertainment, stalls, refreshments and of course an ox roast. The first slice of beef goes to the highest bidder.
Falmouth Week, Falmouth (14.8 miles).
Helford Passage Regatta, Helford (6.4 miles).
SEPTEMBER
St Ives September Festival, St Ives (21 miles).
OCTOBER
Falmouth Oyster Festival, Falmouth (14.8 miles).
DECEMBER
Montol Festival, Penzance (19 miles).
Tom Bawcock’s Eve, Mousehole (23 miles).
Things you need to know about Spring Water Barn if you’re thinking of booking a holiday there:
*Internet access is offered at this property for recreational purposes only and is not meant for business use. Speed/service may vary depending on the package obtained by the owner which is provided to guests free of charge. Should guests experience difficulties or loss of use, neither the owner nor the agent will be held responsible.
Follow us on social media