Woodside

Hotel Description

You know what caught me off guard about the Woodside? I pulled up expecting another cookie-cutter country hotel, but this place actually has character. It’s tucked away in Liskeard in a way that feels intentional – not hidden exactly, but definitely not screaming for attention from the main road. The building itself has this solid, dependable look that somehow manages to be elegant without being stuffy.

The thing about Liskeard is that most people just pass through on their way to the Eden Project or the coast, which honestly works in your favor if you’re staying here. You get that proper Cornwall feel without the tourist chaos that hits places like St. Ives in summer. The staff clearly know this – they’re not rushing around dealing with coach loads of day-trippers, so there’s actually time for them to give you decent recommendations. I mean, they pointed me toward this brilliant little pub about ten minutes’ walk away that I never would’ve found otherwise. The rooms are what I’d call thoughtfully done – nothing flashy, but everything works properly. The bed was actually comfortable (you’d be surprised how often that’s not a given), and the bathroom had proper water pressure. Small things, maybe, but they matter when you’re trying to wash off a day of walking the moors.

What really sold me on the place was breakfast the next morning. They do this thing where they source ingredients locally – not in that showy way some places do where they name-drop every farm, but you can just taste that the eggs and bacon are the real deal. Plus, the dining room has these windows that look out over the countryside, and honestly, watching the morning mist lift while you’re working through a proper Cornish breakfast is exactly why you come to this part of the world. The location works brilliantly if you’re planning to explore – you’re close enough to Bodmin Moor for hiking, but also well-positioned for day trips to the coast. Looe’s only about twenty minutes by car, and the train connections from Liskeard station are actually pretty decent if you want to venture further without driving. Parking at the hotel is straightforward too, which is more of a relief than it should be after dealing with some of the narrow streets in Cornish villages. I stayed on a weeknight in late September, so it was properly quiet – the kind of quiet where you remember what silence actually sounds like. I imagine it gets busier during peak season, but the place has enough space that it probably doesn’t feel cramped even then. The whole experience just felt… balanced, I suppose. Not trying too hard to impress, but not cutting corners either. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

Facilities