Tredarrup Magical Moments

The 1st of May brought with it some beautiful weather - warm sunny days, sunburst night time skies and magical clear mornings. We wake early at Tredarrup and it is a time that was once described to me as 'the birds' time of day' and it really is. Much of Tredarrup is about the animals and birds and over the past 5 years we have nurtured our bird population, and it shows. The morning stillness and silence is a time to watch and listen - the tens of house sparrows flitting about and feeding, our many swallows swooping through the air feeding on the wing and looking where to build this years nest. The pied wagtails pottering about and cleaning their feathers with the early morning dew, the blue tits feeding their young - any many more.
And our chickens of course (you've yet to meet the newest ones) , that come 7am are already queued by the chicken shed door waiting to come outside. PURE MAGIC...........

Visiting Cornwall in May

Cornwall loves festivals and May is a month of many.....here are just some:
1st - Obby Oss Day, Padstow. A wonderful spectacle, a Spring festival reputed to be the oldest dance festival in the country.
3rd& 4th - Bolster day, St Agnes. Puppets, crowd involvement, crafts, music, dancing.
5th - St Ives May Day. The town celebrates the coming of Spring.
8th - Helstone Flora Day. Whole town decorated with greenery and dancing starts at 7am!
8th-17th - Daphne du Maurier Festival, Fowey. Arts and literature in and around.
26-31st - Fal River festival. Celebrating the culture of the Fal Estuary.
View our May availability.

May Day - Obby Oss

May day will soon be here and so too will Obby Oss day in Padstow. This old tradition celebrates the arrival of Spring and may even be an ancient fertility festival. Those born in Padstow traditionally dress in white, with family loyalties dictating whether they follow the 'Red'/original Oss, or the 'Blue'/peace Oss. Both Oss' are similar in appearance and perform a dancing ritual accompanied by an hypnotic folk song around the town. Each Oss is lead by a group of followers as they make their way through the narrow streets and around the harbour. The festivities start at 10am with the 'Blue' Oss making its first appearance from its stable, followed at 11am by the appearance of the 'Red' Oss from its home. Celebrations go on all day until the Oss' finally go to bed after 10pm.

Meet the Birds - The Chickens - Egg laying

Spot the difference. 3 eggs (on right) laid today, 2 brown from our Cornish ambers and the little white is from Squark, a brown bantam. And just to compare the difference on the left is an egg from the black bantam and a neighbour's duck egg (great for cakes), not hard to guess which one !?

Meet the birds - The new chickens are on the move!

So the sunny weather has sent the new chickens out up the lane, wandering around new territories and......laying eggs !!! But couldn't say which ones are laying eggs as they both produce brown eggs and that's what they are but not enough for all four to be laying, alongside the bantams.
Both the ambers and the speckleds have been joining the bantams on their daily adventures in and around Tredarrup. And we'll be adding to the flock as we're buying 2 or 3 more black or brown to add to the team ! Here's hoping we'll be able to supply you with our own eggs sometime soon during your stay at Tredarrup.

A great meal out....

Custard in Padstow, well worth a meal out...delicious !!!

Meet The Birds - our swallows are back

Yesterday, 16th April our first swallow arrived back at Tredarrup. Whilst walking the dogs I was treated to my own air display in the evening light, with the familiar chattering of our first male (they arrive first) back for the summer with others soon to follow. Last year's first arrival was 13th April (see April archive). They are a magical site and loved by many that stay at Tredarrup.

Some previous visitors in what is now Mill Barn's main bedroom

& hanging out on the telephone line