I'VE BEEN around the world four times but I'll always love Cornwall; it's heaven for me. I was so excited when I saw the county on my tour schedule for Tell Me On A Sunday and couldn't wait to go back. Spending a week in a cottage there was guaranteed to send me onwards feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Holidays at home have certainly improved since I was a child. One of the best things about being in a touring production is that you get to explore the UK. I'm taking advantage of this to visit friends and places up and down the country that I don't normally get to see. Next week it's Sunderland, then Inverness before I'm back in my native Liverpool for the week of my birthday.

Click here now for amazing offers to Newquay!

Last time I was in Cornwall it was a really hot fortnight in the summer. This time, in early spring, the weather was fine but nothing special. That's holidaying in the UK for you, I guess. Instead of staying in a hotel in the centre of Truro, where the musical as being staged, I opted to take the cottage by myself a few miles out of the town.

Touring sounds glamorous but living out of a suitcase isn't ideal and I'm a real homebird and miss my own bed. Barton Mill, though, proved to be exactly what I needed;
a real home away from home with a large family kitchen. It is lovely and peaceful since it is set down a long country lane and has its own waterwheel in the garden.

With loads of character, it is the sort of country hideaway I adore. I felt really privileged to be staying there especially as it sleeps eight in four double bedrooms. I had it all to myself apart from the odd visitor, such as a pal of mine down from London.

I could switch off, eat when I fancied it and had nobody turning the bed down for me.

Barton Mill is so accessible. It is just seven miles from Newquay so it's superbly placed for exploring some of Cornwall's many highlights. I had driven down from my home in Pimlico, central London, so I had my car with me and was eager to get out and about.

Want incredible offers to Newquay? Click here now...

On my last visit to Cornwall, I spent a bit of time learning to surf in Newquay and went to St Ives, Polperro and Looe. This time I made it to Padstow, the famous fishing town on the north Cornish coast. I had a delicious monkfish and prawn starter followed by lobster thermidor at The Seafood Restaurant, one of celebrity chef Rick Stein's four dining options in the town.

When you're in Cornwall you've got to make the most of the fresh fish and Rick definitely does it best.

I would have had a cream tea but too much dairy is bad for my voice so I had to give it a miss this time. It's hard to be disciplined on the road but it's got to be done. Singing 26 songs a night in a one-woman show certainly takes it out of you, and I'm on the road until August.

I found a small gym in Truro so I could keep in shape. Maybe if it had been warmer I might have done some more surfing. Other highlights included Mevagissey, a lovely fishing village on the county's south coast, with narrow alleyways and steep hills. I also made it to nearby Fowey, which enjoys a fantastic setting on an estuary with lots of boats bobbing about and a lovely sheltered beach.

Lots of celebrities have second homes here, including Dawn French and Express columnists Richard and Judy. It's a really sweet place, with hanging baskets of flowers up and down the cobbled streets.

I ate a lovely lunch at the renowned Old Quay House Hotel and Restaurant, a pretty, whitewashed building overlooking the waterfront. With potted shrimp and mussel and crab linguine, it boasts a superb menu. I always looked forward to returning to Barton Mill, though, which was huge but somehow also felt cosy. Despite being by myself, I certainly didn't feel lonely.

My character in Tell Me On A Sunda is a bit of a traveller. She moves from the UK to the US and meets people, finds love and works along the way.

IT IS A bit like me. I have never travelled in search of love (I'm a bit of a fatalist and believe if it's meant to be it'll happen) but I travelled a lot in my younger days as a cruise ship singer.

I'll always return to Cornwall as there are places I haven't been, such as the Eden Project. I've even looked at property prices. That's a bit indulgent at the moment but hey, we'll see.

GETTING THERE:
Farm & Cottage Holidays (01237 459889/holidaycottages.co.uk) offers seven nights at Barton Mill, Newquay (sleeps eight), self-catering from £640.
Visit Cornwall: 01872 322900/ visitcornwall.com Claire is starring in a national tour of Tell Me On A Sunday (tellmeontour.com) and is also appearing in the new BBC1 series Candy Cabs, Tuesday, 9pm.