Best Things to Do in Rock, Cornwall

On the northern banks of the Camel River, surrounded by sandy beaches and turquoise bays, lies the coastal village of Rock. This well-heeled, yachtsman’s haunt is believed to have been named after a local quarry which once supplied ballast to cargo ships docking across the river. Today, Rock is considered one of Cornwall’s most exclusive seaside resorts, dubbed “Britain’s Saint-Tropez” and continues to attract famous faces. Watersports enthusiasts flock to its golden shores and coastal walkers love its dreamy wends and headland views.

If you’re planning your Cornish escape and would like some ideas about things to do both in and around Rock, this is the blog for you.

St John Betjeman Walk – Rock to Daymer Bay

Buried in St Enodoc Church, Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman often wrote about his clifftop walks, having retired to the nearby village of Trebetherick. This gentle, weaving circular route begins in Rock and follows the eastern bank of the River Camel and its sparkling shores, traversing the prestigious St Enodoc Golf Course towards Daymer Bay. The estuary is separated by the Doom Bar sand bank, a notorious landmark for shipwrecks, which according to popular legend was sculpted in a fit of rage by the Mermaid of Padstow after being shot by her lover who mistook her for a seal.

In his inimitable style, Betjeman described the walk to Daymer Bay as “a mile of shallow pools and lugworm casts” remarking on the abundance of wildlife and wild herbs that “burnished” the path. In the lee of Brea Hill, the old stone spire of St Enodoc church points above the dunes. Once buried beneath the moving sand, the church often receives the brunt of the howling Atlantic, but on a calm day it’s an enchanting setting folded into the fairways, the odd golf ball flying above the gravestones.

The site itself dates back to the 5th century, shrine of a Celtic saint. Brea Hill was once a Roman outpost and lookout, and Bronze Age burial mounds undulate the local landscape. You’ll also be able to visit the holy well of Enodoc, once frequented by a saintly Welsh hermit who used the spring water to bless her followers.

This is an easy-going walk ideal for young families, the white sandy sweep of Daymer Bay another of north Cornwall’s dog-friendly beaches.

Ferry Trip to Padstow

A familiar sight on the Camel Estuary, the Black Tor ferry runs between Rock and Padstow all year round. This ten-minute trip allows you to debark and explore the characterful coastal village of Padstow, famous for its rich maritime heritage, and more recently, its seafood bistros and restaurants including that of world-renowned chef, Rich Stein. Enjoy a stroll around the harbour, peruse the boutiques and galleries, enjoy a pint or two at the Padstow Brewing Company, or pickup the coast path and discover the local beaches. Other popular things to do in Padstow include the National Lobster Hatchery, the Grade I listed Elizabethan country house, Prideaux Place, and the Padstow Museum.

Surfing at Polzeath

Polzeath (also known as Hayle Bay) is one of the north coast’s most popular surfing settings, attracting droves of waveriders to its sunny shores. It’s considered a good spot for beginners to find their feet, sheltered by the Pentire Point headland, while more advanced surfers enjoy the bigger swells on the northern corridor of the bay. The walling waves and peaks make for fun rides while stand up paddle boarders, water skiers and windsurfers also launch from the beach. Less than three miles from Rock, the beach is always clean and the water quality gets five stars as well as being the recipient of Blue Flag and Marine Conservation Society Awards. Lifeguards patrol the shore during the holiday season and you’ll find pubs and cafés in and around the village. If you’re keen to get into surfing but need some tuition, the friendly team at Surfs Up Surf School will help you find your feet with courses for all abilities.

St Enodoc Golf Club

Considered one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country, the immaculate greens and fairways of St Enodoc Golf Club overlook the Camel estuary and boasts far-reaching ocean views past the surrounding headland. Hills and sand dunes help form the roaming topography, perhaps the only golf course in the world to contain a church within its acreage and also the grave of a former Poet Laureate, John Betjemen, who wrote in his poem Seaside Golf “How straight it flew, how long it flew, it clear’d the rutty track and soaring, disappeared from view beyond the bunker’s back – a glorious, sailing, bounding drive that made me glad I was alive.”

This is a classic links golf course with a glowing reputation, known for its characterful holes and a personal favourite of many seasoned players who return year-on-year. If you’re planning a golfing tour of north Cornwall make sure St Enodoc is on your swing list.

Rock Fishing Trips

Running daily seabound excursions from the Rock pontoon, Rock Fishing Trips offers exciting angling adventures along the Camel Estuary and the big blue beyond. This friendly, family-run enterprise invites you aboard a spacious Lochin 33 with a 280 horsepower Iveco engine and a comfortable cruising speed of 12 knots. This fully licenced charter boat can cater for parties as large as twelve, its father and son skippers keen to share their local knowledge. Ideal for beginners, the mackerel trip is designed around a family experience, while more established anglers are sure to be reeled in by the tope and reef trips.

RIB Sea Safaris

Also departing from Rock pontoon are Cornish Sea Tours offering exhilarating RIB sea safaris and power boat trips along the sparkling peninsula. With enough room for twelve passengers, your qualified skipper will take you in search of the local sea life for close encounters with basking sharks, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sun fish and puffins and impart you with fascinating facts. Life jackets are provided but don’t forget your binoculars. Prepare to be exhilarated.

Water Sports with Camel Ski School

If you’re seeking an action-packed sea salty adventure full of adrenaline, look no further than Camel Ski School set on Rock’s pontoon. The UK’s largest waterski centre, there’s nowhere better to learn the ropes or try your hand at wakeboarding. For family fun, there are also inflatable rides on offer, while those looking for something a little more tranquil, there are kayaks and stand up paddle boards session on offer.

Sharp’s Brewey Tour

If you’re enamoured by the taste of a crisp, craft ale, you’re sure to appreciate a trip to the Sharp’s Brewery for an exclusive tasting session. Imbibers can indulge themselves in the magic of the brewing process and enjoy an introduction to the heritage of its ingredients with some fascinating history thrown in for good measure. Bookings can be made for groups of six who will embark on a tutored tasting session of seven local brews. You’ll also receive a 10% discount in the brewery shop and a keepsake Sharps tasting glass as proof of your graduation. Founded in 1994 in St Minver Lowlands, Rock, among the Sharp’s flagship range is the Doom Bar, the UK’s best-selling cask and bottled ale and a proper taste of Cornwall.

Cycle the Camel Trail

Stretching 18-miles from Wenfordbridge to Padstow, the magnificent Camel Trail follows the old railway line through the scenic folds of the Camel Valley and along the banks of the estuary. Cyclists adore this enchanting route and those staying in Rock can take full advantage of bike hire at nearby Wadebridge and Padstow. Relatively flat, the Camel Trail is great for all ages, especially with the promise of an ice cream or Cornish pasty at the finish line.

Family Attractions Close to Rock

Make a splash at Ratallack Water Sports, an aqua park in the heart of Cornwall where you can tackle the inflatable assault course, carve and weave the wakeboarding park, bump around in water zorbs or hang ten on the surfers’ flowrider. A 25-minute road trip from Rock, this fun-filled centre is sure to get the whole family active and is perfect for little daredevils.

Another destination for family fun is Camel Creek Adventure Park, an all-weather attraction packed with rides and slides guaranteed to rev up your fun dials.

Steeped in history and shrouded in Arthurian legend, Tintagel Castle is surely one of the most dramatic settings on Cornwall’s north coast and remains one of the region’s most popular attractions.

Set amid fifty acres of stunning Cornish countryside and located on the fringes of Bodmin Moor, Pencarrow House and Gardens has been in the seat of the Molesworth-St Aubyns for almost 500 years. Explore the Grade II listed gardens and Iron Age fort and savour the peace and tranquillity of this historic estate.

The Lappa Valley is a longstanding family attraction that plays host to quarter-sized miniature railways which can transport you on scenic trips past wooded glades and wildflower meadows, under bridges and through tunnels – fun and nostalgia in equal measure. The attraction also has a canoeing and boating lake, toddler’s path maze, crazy golf, play zones and nature trails.

Known for its baron and desolate landscape, a patchwork of steep granite contours, peat bogs and mires, deep valleys, cascading waterfalls and plumes of heather, Bodmin Moor provides unrivalled views of Cornwall. Standing 420 metres above sea level “the hill of swallows”, more commonly referred to as “Brown Willy”, is the highest point in the county with a panorama that stretches from coast to coast. These lonely uplands have been the inspiration for artists and writers for centuries, perhaps most famously Rough Tor, the setting for Daphne du Maurier’s dramatic conclusion to her novel Jamaica Inn. Down in the valleys and dells there are ruins of prehistoric settlements and medieval hamlets.

The spooky walkways of Bodmin Jail captivate visitors (of the tourist variety) who are free to explore the dimly lit corridors and cells and experience the misery of incarceration. Some of Cornwall’s most notorious smugglers and rogues found themselves locked behind these ominous granite walls, and some would never leave.

Encapsulating the classic “upstairs downstairs” late Victorian style, Lanhydrock is one of the region’s most celebrated country manors. Encompassed by lawn gardens, woodlands, riverside trails and impressive botanical collections, this handsome estate is the ideal day trip for culture vultures and history buffs.

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