St Moritz Hotel Cornwall: Walking from Rock to Daymer Bay and St Enedoc
- Martin Hesp
- 20 hours ago
- 9 min read
Like many people who have certain types of job, you don’t half belt about a lot as a roving feature writer.
Which can be tiring.
But occasionally you get lucky and can stay in a very nice hotel.
And for the second time in a couple of years I was fortunate enough to be staying at the St Moritz, near Rock in Cornwall, where the only real hardship is trying to decide which way to walk along the wondrous coast path.
I didn’t even have that problem this time because the previous year I had turned right and written about a hike out towards Pentire Point.
This time I turned left.
And that meant heading up the Camel Estuary towards Rock, St Enedoc and the St Minver Lowlands.
The St Moritz is in Trebetherick, between Polzeath and Daymer Bay, and its location is one of the great attractions of the place. The South West Coast Path runs along the shore just down the hill from the hotel, with paths leading towards some of the finest walking country on this stretch of the north Cornish coast.
And these days the hotel has considerably more to offer than it did when I first stayed.
There is the Cowshed Spa and its extensive wellness facilities, indoor and heated outdoor swimming pools, a gym, studio and tennis courts, as well as hotel rooms, suites and self-catering accommodation. So you could quite easily come here with the intention of exploring Cornwall and end up barely leaving the place.
That, of course, is another form of hardship.
A walk from the St Moritz to Rock
There’s a connecting path down from the hotel to the coast path and I can never walk it without recalling a story that a receptionist at the St Moritz once told me about David Cameron, who was Prime Minister at the time.
She said that a couple of years earlier he had been holidaying in one of the houses just underneath the hotel and that one day he turned up in reception in his shorts, asking if he could borrow a couple of tennis balls.
I don’t really know why this story should be in the least bit memorable, unless it’s the idea of a Prime Minister in shorts or the idea that he had to go on the scrounge rather than leave it to some minion.
Anyway, by turning left along the coast path you weave about a bit above the low cliffs and tiny beaches before eventually reaching Daymer Bay.
The tide was out the evening I was there, so I simply set off along the great wide open sands towards distant Rock, thereby skirting the heights of strange and wonderful Brea Hill.
Why is it called Rock?
What an odd name for a village built upon sand.
I looked up the place in J.R.A. Hockin's Walking in Cornwall and could find nothing to explain the name. Instead, he preferred to write about the strange fact that Cornwall’s estuary harbours tend to be on the west banks of their rivers.
Fowey, Falmouth and Padstow were his examples.
Then he went on about the Romans, long-lost roads and the early tin trade.
He suggested — at least he did in 1936 — that you consider all this while sitting inside the inn at Rock, describing it thus:
“Though its company is mostly of the cocktail class it is not in the least proud, and it puts up, at midday, a remarkably good pasty which you can eat on the veranda with a picture-postcard view of Padstow.”
Things have changed since Hockin wrote that.
The Mariners at Rock is now a much more sophisticated affair, but the cocktail crowd is still there because, of course, Rock still exudes an air of wealth all these years later.
And you know you are somewhere posh when you pass the grand gates of a golf club.
Across Rock and towards St Enedoc
For that is what we must do to begin this walk.
Stroll along the road from the ferry landing-place and turn left up the lane that leads towards the links.
A small path slinks through a hedge just to the left of the golf club gates.
I say the path “slinks” because you get the impression that this public right of way is there by historic merit and by sufferance.
Golfers and walkers do not always mix well — and at Rock the two are thrown together with the potential for alarming and painful outcomes. For the walkers, that is.
The fear of the firing range goes on all the way across towards noble Brea Hill, where the path swings inland of this grassy dome.
I was determined to climb the eminence, but not before I had made a quick detour to see old John Betjeman in his grave at nearby St Enedoc Church.
John Betjeman and St Enedoc
No wonder the poet loved this place.
His ornately carved headstone can be seen just inside the lych gate, but the best view is from the wall at the top of the graveyard where you are treated to a vista of church, hill, dune, wood and sea.
Betjeman wrote affectionately about this strange and beautiful corner of Cornwall.
In his poem Trebetherick he wrote:
“Blessed be St Enodoc, blessed be the wave…”
And it is difficult to stand here and disagree with him.
The church itself is one of those wonderfully Cornish buildings that seems to have fought a long battle with the landscape. Sand gradually engulfed it over the centuries and at one stage only the tower remained visible above the dunes.
Today it sits in the middle of the golf course, surrounded by the extraordinary landscape that so fascinated Betjeman.
From St Enedoc I headed towards Trebetherick, the village on the slight hill to the north of the old church.
There are any number of public footpaths in this area and you can wander around without necessarily following a single obvious route.
Go up any of the paths leading north and, on the road just past the Post Office, a footpath branches right down into the leafy valley near Shilla Mill.
The strange valley at Shilla Mill
“The lichened branches of a woodIn summer silver-cool and still;And there the Shade of Evil couldStretch out at us from Shilla Mill.”
There is something creepy about the valley.
But I’d just been reading Trebetherick, so perhaps the poem had influenced my mood.
Anyway, this footpath eventually brings you to the sea at Polzeath — which didn’t used to be anywhere near as posh as Rock but has been rapidly catching up.
And from Polzeath you can turn left on the coast path and stroll above Broadagogue Cove along what is known as The Greenway.
Soon enough, you are heading back towards the St Moritz.
Back to the St Moritz
As I walked I swear I could hear the ringing of the bell in St Enedoc's small, bent tower.
It came from the Italian vessel Immacolata, wrecked here in 1875 but, strangely perhaps, inscribed “Sahel”.
Somehow it cut through the opulence and classiness of this corner of Cornwall and reminded me that once, not that long ago, the place could be a savage and perilous one.
That contrast is one of the things I like most about this part of Cornwall.
There are expensive houses, smart hotels, golf courses, fashionable restaurants and the rather splendid world of Rock.
But just beyond them are the beaches, cliffs, dunes, estuary and coast path — a landscape which can still feel wild.
And that is what makes the St Moritz such an appealing place to stay.
You can have the comfort and facilities of a modern coastal hotel, including the Cowshed Spa and its new wellness facilities, but within minutes you can be walking beside the Camel Estuary or across the sands of Daymer Bay.
The hotel itself has evolved considerably since my earlier visits, with its emphasis now very much on combining accommodation, food, wellbeing and the outdoors. The Cowshed Spa has been expanded into a substantial wellness space with sauna, steam room, experience showers, ice fountain and a heated indoor pool, while there is also an outdoor pool, gym, studio and sea-view tennis court.
There is also a range of self-catering accommodation for families and groups, alongside the hotel rooms and suites.
In other words, the St Moritz has become rather more than simply somewhere to put your head down after a day walking.
But I think the walking remains the real attraction.
Because when you wake up at the St Moritz, you have to make a decision.
Do you turn right towards Pentire Point?
Or do you turn left towards Daymer Bay, Rock and St Enedoc?
Having tried both, I’m still not sure which is best.
Perhaps the only sensible solution is to stay for another night.
Where is the St Moritz Hotel?
The St Moritz Hotel is at Trebetherick, near Polzeath and Rock on the north coast of Cornwall. It is particularly well placed for exploring Daymer Bay, the Camel Estuary, Rock, Polzeath and the South West Coast Path.
The hotel describes itself as being between Polzeath and Daymer Bay, with three of Cornwall’s best-known beaches — Polzeath, Daymer Bay and Rock — close by.
For walkers, that location is the real selling point.
For anyone who wants to combine walking with a little pampering, the Cowshed Spa makes the proposition even stronger.
My verdict
I have stayed at the St Moritz more than once, which probably tells you something.
It is not simply the sort of place where you go for a bed and breakfast before heading off somewhere else.
The location encourages you to stay put for a while.
Walk the coast path. Go down to Daymer Bay. Wander around Rock and St Enedoc. Swim. Have a treatment. Sit down for something to eat. Then perhaps do it all again the next day.
And if you are looking for a particularly good base for exploring this extraordinary corner of North Cornwall, it is difficult to think of many better placed hotels.
St Moritz Hotel, Trebetherick, near Rock and Polzeath, Cornwall.
St Moritz Hotel Cornwall: Fact File
Where is the St Moritz Hotel?
The St Moritz Hotel is at Trebetherick, between Rock and Polzeath on the north Cornwall coast. Its address is St Moritz Court, Trebetherick, Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 6SD.
What is the hotel like?
The St Moritz describes itself as a family and spa hotel offering a combination of hotel rooms, suites and self-catering accommodation. It has developed considerably over the years and is now as much a wellness and leisure destination as a place to stay.
What accommodation is available?
As well as hotel rooms and suites, there is a large collection of self-catering apartments, houses and villas. Some of the larger apartments have balconies or terraces with views across the Camel Estuary and towards the sea.
Does the St Moritz have a spa?
Yes. The Cowshed Spa is one of the hotel's major attractions and is unusual in being the only Cowshed Spa outside the Soho House group. The recently developed wellness area includes a steam room, high-heat and Nordic saunas, experience showers, an ice fountain and a heated indoor pool with a swim-out hydro pool.
What swimming pools does the hotel have?
There is a heated indoor pool and a heated outdoor pool, with the latter including a smaller children's pool. The outdoor pool is situated beside the Seaside Café and leisure lawn.
What other leisure facilities are there?
The hotel has a modern gym, studio space for fitness and wellbeing classes, a sea-view tennis court and various outdoor activities. Tennis courts are available to guests, while rackets and balls can be hired from reception.
Is the St Moritz good for families?
Yes. The hotel specifically promotes itself as a family-friendly destination, and the combination of swimming pools, outdoor activities, self-catering accommodation and proximity to the beaches makes it particularly suitable for family holidays.
Is the St Moritz good for walkers?
Very much so. This is one of its greatest advantages. The South West Coast Path is within easy walking distance, with Daymer Bay, Rock, Polzeath and St Enedoc all accessible on foot. The hotel therefore makes an excellent base for exploring this part of the north Cornish coast.
Which beaches are near the St Moritz?
Polzeath and Daymer Bay are particularly close, while Rock is also within easy reach. The Camel Estuary, with the ferry across to Padstow, is another major attraction.
Can you walk from the St Moritz to Rock?
Yes. There are coastal and inland walking routes linking the hotel with Rock. The walk takes you through some of the finest scenery around Daymer Bay and the Camel Estuary.
Does the hotel have restaurants?
Yes. The St Moritz currently has on-site dining including its main restaurant/brasserie operation and café facilities. The hotel also promotes its Cowshed Café for lighter food and refreshments.
Is there a shuttle service?
Yes. The hotel operates a bookable e-shuttle to local areas, including Rock, making it possible to explore the area without always having to take the car.
Is the St Moritz suitable for a spa break?
Absolutely. The expanded Cowshed Spa and wellness facilities make it possible to combine coastal walking and beach time with swimming, sauna, steam room, treatments and other wellbeing activities.
Can you stay at the St Moritz without booking a hotel room?
Yes. The self-catering operation includes houses and apartments of different sizes, making it an option for families and groups as well as couples looking for a more traditional hotel stay.
Why do I recommend the St Moritz?
I've stayed there more than once, and for me the location is the great attraction. You have the comfort and facilities of a substantial hotel, including the Cowshed Spa, but you are also within easy reach of the South West Coast Path, Daymer Bay, Rock, Polzeath and St Enedoc. It is a particularly good choice if you want a North Cornwall stay that combines walking, beaches, food and a little luxury.
