Staying at The Vean is like enjoying a house party in a country estate where the owners have gone away for the weekend. You and your friends can have this beautifully restored Georgian rectory to yourselves, but with all the attention to detail you would expect from a five star hotel. It sleeps up to 16, in eight ensuite bedrooms. The house is available for big group hire on a bed and breakfast basis, though if you would like additional catering, there are chefs available on as formal or casual a basis as you wish. Weddings and small conference groups are well catered for too, with some superb beach and garden photo opportunities for brides and grooms.
The Vean is tucked away in the tranquil Porthluney Valley, with gorgeous views over Caerhays Castle Gardens. On the doorstep are beautiful beaches, glorious walks and amazing scenery. The combination of castle, sea and Georgian rectory is a seductive package. “Define your dream”, say the owners, “and The Vean will exceed your expectations.”
The drawing room is a light, elegant and comfortable room with access to a veranda. The walls are painted in 'Cornish Clay', a soft grey/green, and the curtains are pale gold silk. It is furnished with Georgian period pieces including wing chairs, card table and corner cupboard, and there are two sofas covered in Zoffany fabric where you can laze and enjoy an open fire off season. The more informal sitting room is a cosy place to sit and relax, read, play games or watch TV. The large screen TV, with Sky, can be used to project videos and DVDs to give a cinema effect.
Up to 16 guests can eat together around a handmade mahogany, Chippendale style table in the dining room, surrounded by carefully chosen portraits and mirrors. The ladder-back chairs, upholstered in green and gold, have been specially commissioned.
Although you won’t be cooking in the kitchen, you are welcome to use its facilities if you need them. It is similarly Georgian in style, and equipped to commercial standards. It has a wonderful 18th century butler’s cupboard and a small cherry wood table for casual meals.
The eight bedrooms are a joy to sleep in, individually decorated in Georgian style, with interlined curtains, antique mirrors and desks or dressing tables. Each is named after a farmhouse on the Caerhays Estate, and over the years new rhododendron hybrids bred in the Castle gardens have also been given these names. All the rooms have ensuite bathrooms with limestone floors, simple but elegant fixtures, soft bath towels and robes and Molton Brown toiletries.
The Vean is well equipped to hold small conferences and wedding parties, either within the house (it’s licensed for Civil Ceremonies) or in the Georgian Hall at the Castle. Guests can then return to the Vean for rest and relaxation. It has its own marquee, which can be erected over the terrace, providing a large party space with seating for 60. A small marquee can also be put up on the lawn for 150 people. The owners are happy to help with the planning of any event, and to liaise with you to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day.
The house is not ideal for small children; it’s always a good idea to phone and discuss with the manager, Sally Gammell.
You can arrange for full catering during your stay. The chefs can prepare meals to suit you, whether simple home cooking, a beach barbecue or a full blown formal feast.
A great team of cleaners looks after the house, and there’s an in-house laundry provided.
Between February and June, guests have free entry into Caerhays Castle Gardens, which holds the National Magnolia Collection, and tours of the castle can be organized.
All the bedrooms have digital TVs as well as wifi access throughout the house.
Given enough notice, the owners can arrange almost anything you would all like to do, from sea fishing to hang gliding. Clay pigeon shooting can be arranged on the estate, with excellent tuition. The Vean has its own in-house masseuse/reflexologist when any pampering is called for.
The house stands in the middle of the village of Caerhays, a tiny village belonging to the Caerhays Estate. It’s a short distance from the A30, 20 minutes from St Austell, 30 mins from Truro and approximately four hours’ drive from London. The nearest village shop is three miles away in Gorran and there are many pubs in nearby Mevagissey and in local villages. Mevagissey also has some excellent restaurants.
Airport: Newquay (45 mins)
Station: St Austell (20 mins – daily service and overnight sleepers to London Paddington)
Castle Air, who are based near Liskeard in Cornwall, frequently fly shooting guests in helicopters to Caerhays in the winter months, and are available for sightseeing bookings or for last minute rushes to important meetings in London or on the continent.
Prices do not vary on a seasonal basis. Packages are arranged to suit you.
The basic rate for bed and breakfast is £82 per person per night.
Short breaks, from one night, are available at the same rates as above. Special offers are available from time to time. Spring breaks are aimed at garden enthusiasts.
If you require additional accommodation Gilly Vean (the cottage on the drive) is also available in conjunction with The Vean for an additional £800. Gilly Vean can sleep four people and has two double bedrooms.