Doyden Castle

Many people dream of living in a castle, high up on the cliffs, regally surveying the ocean or stepping out through Gothic archways onto the springy turf and looking down from their citadel onto the valley below. Happily, the National Trust has made this dream a possibility and Doyden Castle is about as close to a fantasy destination as you could imagine. In fact, despite its crenellated tower and

arched windows, this building is neither a true castle nor a folly. It was built in about 1830 as a kind of pleasure house by an infamous and wealthy bon-viveur from Wadebridge called Samuel Symons. Here he would entertain his friends to nights of feasting, drinking and gambling (the ample wine-bins in the cellar survive to this day). It's chequered history only adds to the dramatic experience of staying in this little fortress on the edge of the cliffs.