The Crumplehorn Inn & Mill

Hotel Description

You know what caught me off guard about The Crumplehorn Inn & Mill? The name sounds almost comically English, but when you’re actually standing there in Polperro’s narrow streets, it just fits perfectly. This place has been around forever – I mean, it’s literally built around an old mill, and you can still hear the stream running underneath parts of the building if you listen carefully. The location is honestly brilliant if you want to be right in the thick of things. You’re maybe a two-minute walk from the harbor, which means you’ll hear the gulls in the morning (fair warning if you’re a light sleeper), but it also means you can stumble back from The Blue Peter pub without navigating Polperro’s famously twisty streets in the dark.

The rooms themselves are… well, they’re proper Cornish inn rooms, which means character over perfection. I stayed in one of the mill rooms, and there’s this lovely uneven floor that tells you immediately this isn’t some chain hotel. The beams are low enough that tall folks need to watch their heads, but the views over the village rooftops toward the sea are actually stunning. What I really appreciated was how quiet it gets at night – once the day-trippers head back to their cars (good luck with that parking situation, by the way), Polperro settles into this peaceful village rhythm. The staff genuinely know the area too, which makes a difference. They’ll tell you the best time to walk down to the harbor when it’s not absolutely packed with tourists, or which footpath to take if you want to avoid the main crush heading toward the Smugglers Museum.

Honestly, this isn’t a luxury resort – it’s more like staying with locals who happen to run a really good inn. The restaurant does solid pub food, nothing fancy but done well, and they actually stock some decent local ales. Parking is a bit of a nightmare (welcome to Polperro), but they’ve got arrangements with spaces up the hill – just factor in a five-minute walk with your luggage. I’d say it’s perfect for people who want to experience a proper Cornish fishing village without the sanitized tourist resort feeling. The 4-star rating feels about right; everything works, it’s clean and comfortable, but it’s the location and authentic atmosphere that really make it special. If you’re looking for a spa and room service, look elsewhere. But if you want to fall asleep to the sound of water flowing under your room and wake up in one of Cornwall’s most photogenic villages, this is exactly what you want.

Facilities