Accommodation Review: Thimble Cottage Mousehole

With policies and procedures regarding foreign travel still uncertain, Mr Fletche and I decided to stay a little closer to home for our November wedding anniversary break. Although at a 5+ hour drive from the Midlands to Cornwall, it would be quicker to fly somewhere exotic. Returning to the town where we spent our 2008 post-wedding mini-moon, we booked Thimble Cottage in Mousehole via Classic Cottages.

Location, location, location

Thimble Cottage is located on the far side of the town if approaching from Newlyn/Penzance on Raginnis Hill. Mousehole itself is small, and only takes 10 minutes to walk from one side to the other so Thimble Cottage is perfectly placed. Just a couple of minutes and you’re at the harbour side; two minutes more and you have the shops, galleries and eateries.

Thimble Cottage: A Tour

We enter the double fronted cottage through a stable door leading into the kitchen. Naturally the first thing I spot is the essential care package of crisps, wine and biscuits on the kitchen counter. I don’t spot the absence of tea or coffee until at least 10 minutes later. There’s a cute little breakfast bar, and a full-sized fan oven for all your cooking needs.

Three stone steps take you down into the lounge, with stone features and wooden beams across the ceiling. There’s a green velvet corner sofa with plenty of fluffy cushions, and a bench-style dining table. Copper utensils line the walls, along with fish ornaments which are a running theme throughout Thimble Cottage. A fluffy rug is topped with a feature glass table with a driftwood base.

A narrow carpeted staircase takes us to the first floor, and to the bedroom. Thimble Cottage is a cottage made for two, and the room is dominated by the king-size bed, topped with cushions, soft marshmallow pillows and a fluffy blanket. An octopus-adorned beanbag provides additional seating to gaze out of the window, with sea views over the rooftops. Sunrises are pretty spectacular from this spot. There are more fish ornaments on the dressing table, and a lobster on the wall.

Two steps up from the bedroom is the bathroom. And what a bathroom. The freestanding bath is the piece de resistance. Deep enough to submerge completely and long enough to fit all 5’3” of me comfortably. As someone that doesn’t have a bath at home, a tub is pretty much No 1 on my wish list when selecting a holiday cottage. I even brought my own bubble bath in anticipation. It even comes with one of the those fancy wooden shelves with a handy hole for your wine glass.

Woefully underused at this time of year, there is a small elevated terrace garden, accessed via the gate at the side of Thimble Cottage. Whatever the season, it’s a perfect place to view the sunrise. There are a couple of chairs and a firepit, and this would be the most dreamy place to spend summer evenings. Although I wouldn’t fancy coming down the narrow and steep steps after a glass of vino or two.

A few oversights. The biggest disappointment was rocking up early evening, desperate for a cuppa after a long drive, only to find no tea or coffee. Usually we pack supplies, at least for the first night, but typically we had failed to pack the teabags this time round. There’s no late night convenience store in Mousehole so we had to pop to the pub instead. What a shame. There are supermarkets on the fringes of Penzance, so we were able to pick up the essentials on Sunday morning.

Our thermostat also went on the blink, leaving our heating options as either on or off. Which would be okay had we been given any wood for the wood burner. Trying to be as efficient as possible, we left the heating on but turned down each radiator to its lowest setting during the day. Apart from the heated towel rail in the bathroom, which was permanently on and therefore positively tropical.

The housekeepers did leave tea, coffee and firewood outside Thimble Cottage on Monday night. Which we only discovered on Tuesday morning as they didn’t knock the door to let us know it was there.

Parking in Mousehole

Parking is at a premium in Mousehole. There are limited spaces outside Thimble Cottage, but you’d need to tuck up close to a stone wall, on a steep hill. Mr Fletche didn’t fancy that. We preferred instead to park in the small Pay & Display car park at North Quay, a couple of minutes walk away. There is also a larger car park across the harbour at South Quay. Parking is £3 for 24 hours, and at present (Dec 2021) payment is by coins only.

Staying in Mousehole

Mousehole (pronounced Mow-zel) is a traditional Cornish village, with narrow cobbled lanes, white fisherman’s cottages and quite an up and coming food scene. If you want nightlife, sandy beaches or plenty to keep kids entertained then there are better places in Cornwall but it’s a wonderful base for a romantic couples getaway. Don’t miss 2 Fore Street or the restaurant upstairs at Hole Foods Deli for a fine meal, Rock Pool Cafe for a light lunch, cocktails and amazing hot chocolate; or a drink and cosy pub grub at The Ship Inn. Hot off the press is new opening No 1 Deli and Stores – pop in for a coffee and come out with all sorts of goodies, gastronomic and beyond.

Mousehole is the perfect base for exploring the coast, and there’s a frequent bus to Penzance (£4 single or £6 return) if you fancy a bit more shopping. And if you’re lucky enough to visit Mousehole in December then you may just get a glimpse of their famous annual harbour lights festival.

If you want a little slice of living like a Cornish local, then I thoroughly recommend a stay at Thimble Cottage Mousehole. Pack emergency tea supplies though. Just in case.