DEEP IN a dripping tunnel, hard hats perched on our heads, we made our way gingerly along a slippery mineshaft lit only by the light of a torch. We had travelled hundreds of years back in time to the confines of a 17th-century Cornwall tin mine.

Under the guidance of tour leader and former miner Derek, we journeyed back to the days when men chipped away at seams of rock with candles strapped to their heads. Later, as we emerged blinking into the bright daylight, it was easy to imagine the sense of relief felt by miners who had come to the end of a back-breaking shift.

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Geevor Tin Mine, a World Heritage Site on dramatic clifftops, was a fascinating history lesson for myself, partner John and our children Patrick, eight, and Bridy, six. It was just one of a wealth of attractions on offer during an action-packed family week in the wilds of west Cornwall.

Our base for the w eek was Chy Ryn, a detached house in Sennen Cove with enormous windows framing stunning sea views over the ever-changing ocean. We found ourselves transfixed by the white horses breaking just yards from our front door and the dramatic clouds approaching from the Isles of Scilly.
Patrick pronounced the view "better than a cinema".

Sennen Cove is a pretty fishing village nestling on the cliffs a mile from Land's End. It boasts a sandy, curving bay that is popular with surfers and with families. The house is well equipped with every modern convenience and even a few luxuries, including a piano and crisp Egyptian cotton sheets. It sleeps 10, so we w ere able to invite my parents too.

What really makes it stand out is the unrivalled location. Heart-stopping views stretched from Sennen Cove to Cape Cornwall and out into the glittering Atlantic.

The boundary of the two-acre garden adjoins the popular and well-signed South West Coast Path which made it easy to roam the spectacular clifftops when the mood took us. The area is bathed in an extraordinary translucent quality of light and it is easy to see why generations of artists and writers, such as Coleridge, Tennyson and Kipling, have been drawn there.

We spent happy hours on the beach at Sennen, the off-season weather still mild enough for picnics on the sand and paddling. The children loved exploring the caves and rockpools, looking for starfish and sea anenomes, while John and I enjoyed a glass of chilled wine.
The shoreline teems with life.

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Dolphins, porpoises, basking sharks and leatherback turtles can all be spotted. The area is also a paradise for birdlife. We amateur twitchers spotted cormorants and peregrine falcons.

It was just a short drive to St Ives where, on a rainy day, we explored the winding narrow streets packed with galleries, quirky shops and must-sees including Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

We then headed to Scarlet Wines in nearby Lelant for the most delicious meal we had eaten in a long while. This independent wine merchant and deli is set in an old forge with a log fire and timbered ceiling. It offers a lunchtime menu packed with seasonal produce and flavours including the crispiest fish and chips the children had ever tasted.

A trip to the Minack Theatre was also a highlight. Set under the stars, its granite seats are hewn into the steeply sloping cliffside.

It is just a short walk to idyllic Porthcurno beach which boasts sands as golden and waters as turquoise as those in the Caribbean.

We were joined on the near-deserted expanse by a flock of oystercatchers and a beautiful grey seal, which the children named Emily.

As the sun set over the sea on our last night, we were assailed by a sky of magically bright stars that seemed so close we could almost touch them.

We headed home the next morning with heavy hearts but we knew Sennen, and a seal or two, would be there on our return.

GETTING THERE:
West Cornwall Cottage Holidays (01736 368575/westcornwallcottageholidays.com) offers seven nights at Chy Ryn from £845 (four sharing), self-catering. Price includes a welcome pack. For September stays.
Visit Cornwall: 01872 322900/visitcornwall.com