Our other holiday flat, The Salt Loft, is in lovely Fowey -

an ancient port which once thrived on imports such as salt from Spain, and exports like tin - pirates and smugglers abounded. It still flourishes, not just because yachtsmen and tourists are drawn by its beauty, but also because huge cargo ships visit its sheltered, deep-water harbour to load china clay. Large cruise liners also call, dropping off passengers to visit the Eden Project six miles away, or Heligan Gardens, near Mevagissey.

The town is in a delightful setting, at the mouth of the Fowey River, facing a skirt of National Trust protected woodlands which dip to the waves on the other side of the estuary. No wonder novellist Daphne du Maurier chose to live here. In summer, visitors can hire sailing or motor boats to explore the creeks up- river, or take boat trips to Polperro and Mevagissey. The Bodinnick car ferry at one end of the town links motorists with routes to Polperro, Looe and the coast beyond, while a foot ferry at the other end whisks passengers across to the charming village of Polruan.

Walkers enjoy the rewarding coastal path, the creekside woodland tracks, and the heights of Bodmin Moor.

The Salt Loft is two minutes' walk from most of Fowey's pubs (5) a bar, and restaurants (12) serving excellent food, priced to suit every pocket. Fish, lobster, crab and local scallops, mussels and oysters are on many menus. A small beach and paddling pool at Whitehouse are five minutes walk away, and the safe Readymoney Cove bathing beach is 15 minutes stroll.

The China Loft offers a different kind of holiday: it is within easier reach of the A30 trunk road, so makes an excellent base for a wider exploration of Cornwall. It is just two miles from the delightful 18th Century harbour at Charlestown, where square- rigged ships are kept by a film company who provide them for blockbuster movies and TV series like Hornblower.