Christmas at Laloma
Helford Village at Christmas
Christmas at Laloma, Helford is magical.
In December the village Christmas lights run in a shimmering strand through the village all the way to the Shipwrights Arms pub. The village also erects a metal Christmas tree on Laloma’s car park which sparkles out over the creek.
This makes walking through the village so pretty and cheering in the darker evenings.
The Pub is open for food and drink, (drinks only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day) with stunning creek views and a cosy inner bar. They decorate the outside with lights and illustrated wooden robins and swans.
Helford Village Stores (open reduced hours) – This brilliant shop has a wide range of delicious local food and drink as well as household supplies. The essentials are well covered as well as luxuries and treats like mince pies. It also couldn’t be more convenient as it is just a 1 minute walk away from Laloma’s gate.
Some favourite little treats of ours from the shop include: clotted cream fudge from Roskillys Farm, Vicky’s flapjacks and the Cornish original spiced biscuits.
There are also three additional lovely local shops which offer local produce, food, drink and essential supplies. Gweek Village Stores; Mawgan Stores and Gear Farm Shop.
Due to the mild micro-climate that the Creek enjoys, the village rarely sees snow at Christmas. So being outside is generally fairly mild and refreshing rather than being icy and crisp.
All the walks that are so lovely in Summer are just as lovely in Winter. There is also the added bonus of being able to see more of the views due to the lack of leaves in the surrounding woodlands.
The once rare Little Egrets now grace the creek all year round and can often be found perching in the trees across the creek from Laloma.
Laloma at Christmas
Laloma’s large inglenook fireplace houses a log burner which is perfect for chilly Winter evenings snuggled up on the sofa. There are board games and books in the cottage as well as the TV, radio and internet so cosy evenings and Christmas entertainment are well catered for.
Laloma’s Christmas tree sits by the desk in the window and with the fire gently crackling away there is no place cosier.
The village lights loop over the path to the entrance and across the front of the cottage, adding an extra prettiness.
The kitchen is well equipped for Christmas cooking and there is a large dining table that seats 8 comfortably.
The stars at Laloma are stunning on a clear night due to the lack of light pollution. You can regularly see the Milky Way, satellites and meteors. So make yourself a hot drink, wrap up warm and stand outside for a few minutes. The best places are to stand on the lawns or on the car park.
The camellia bushes are starting to flower along the path to the front door. They will continue to bloom into January and February, adding some lovely Winter brightness.
The daffodils fields above the village are also starting to come into flower with the earliest stems for the thriving Cornish daffodil season. once in full bloom they turn the hill above the village yellow.
The robins, sparrows and chaffinches at Laloma are very friendly and often love to visit the picnic table for any mince crumbs you can spare.
The creeks around Helford are famous for their beautiful coastal woodlands. Filled with ancient twisting trees, abundant birdlife and secret paths to explore. The much loved book “Frenchman’s Creek” by Daphne Du Maurier is based on the wild beauty of the real Frenchman’s Creek. This is walking distance walk away from Helford Village and Laloma.
So what could be lovelier than to sit by Laloma’s log burner in the evenings to read the book about the creek and then go on a magical stroll to explore it the next day.
Further Afield
There are many Christmas markets in the surrounding towns and villages, including in Falmouth and Gweek.
There are also some lovely events and attractions to visit this time of year. From Truro’s City of Lights Parade to watching the rescue seals at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary open their special Christmas stockings.
If you are willing to travel further afield then the famous Mousehole Harbour Lights are worth a visit as is a trip to the Eden Project for their Christmas events.
