Helvear to Carn Morval

Saturday 29th September 2012

Glorious! A one word description of today's weather! Who'd have thought we are beating off October?! No jumper required today on my walk.

I headed up towards Watermill before heading anticlockwise around the coast back to town.

The skies were vivid blue and the calm sea on a high tide was giving off a fresh sea scent.

Rustic Scilly

Saturday 29th September 2012

A walk about got me taking a couple of farm building pictures this afternoon and hopefully the black & white ones give them a certain rustic charm.

Shards of Sunlight

Saturday 29th September 2012

Walking to work this morning, the rising sun was above Buzza hill and shining through the clouds giving the effect of light shards. The land silhouetted by the bright sun.

Buzza - Peninnis - Old Town

Friday 28th September 2012

A cooler autumnal day, but after walking for only a short distance I was soon more than warm enough. I had shorts on, but now I've got a thin jumper over my usual t-shirt.
I headed up Buzza hill to take in the views over the harbour before heading out along King Edwards Road to Peninnis. At the end of the road, before the gate, the Sheep are grazing in the field, which overlooks Old Town Bay.
From here, I headed down the hill and into Old Town, where the tide was in and the beach almost empty. Just a few turnstones along the shoreline in some washed up seaweed. Probably too small to be picked up on my camera.

Around the Garrison

Tuesday 25th September 2012

A quick walk around the Garrison and a couple of shots straight into the sun for silhouette effect. The Firethorn in shot on one.
Further round, a shot overlooking Town Beach

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“What a treat!”

Reviewed 23 September 2012

as we were staying in other accomodation on the island we only visited the restaurant. After a warm welcome we were shown to our table. It took some while to order as all the dishes sounded fabulous but we finally made our choices. Wewerent disappointed...the food was beautifully cooked,well presented and delicious!!! the staff were friendly, helpful but never intrusive and the whole evning ended with coffee and mints in the bar, and a chance to catch up with fellow travellers. i would cetrainly recommend the Bell Rock for a meal to remember, esp to fellow coeliacs....a knowledgeable chef meant that there were no worries about the food.
a lovely night out.

Stayed September 2012, travelled with family

***Thank you for taking the time during your holiday to Scilly to choose to come in and eat at the Bell Rock. I'm pleased that you have enjoyed your dinner, and that our staff helped to make your evening a relaxing & enjoyable time. Maybe we will see you again another time; or perhaps you may wish to stay here? Regards, Daniel***

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“Deserves it rating as No.1 hotel”

Reviewed 22 September 2012 NEW

We chose the Bell Rock Hotel at the last minute but were not disappointed. The staff, food and location are excellent for a stay on the Isles. Our only disappointment was the room which was a bit on the small side and up two steep flights. We knew this before booking so do not comment as a negative but just so as other guests are aware.
Lovely stay in a welcoming friendly hotel.

Room Tip: Staff are helpful when choosing rooms. You need to be fit for the second floor rooms.




***Thank you for your review, and I'm pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us on the whole. We have varying shapes and sizes of rooms depending on the location of them within the building. The hotel is an old building in the main front part, and this makes some of the rooms less uniform in shape and size. These more compact rooms come with a cheaper tariff. Some also have the benefit of sea views as on the 2nd floor, which will hopefully compensates for their size. We don't have a lift in the hotel, but we can always help with luggage if required. If we could get a lift in, we would, but the age of the building and the fact that we are a grade 2 listed building makes this option an impossibility unfortunately. Hopefully this won't deter you from returning in the future. We always recommend booking early to give more room options. We always describe rooms as you point out, which hopefully helps in the booking process. My blog website also offers photo galleries of all the rooms and their positions within the hotel to help guests to see what is on option. Regards, Daniel***

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“A great base for your Isles of Scilly holiday .”

Reviewed 14 September 2012

If you want a hotel in St. Mary's offering great value , good location , wonderful food and a warm reception, then look no further than the Bell Rock Hotel, Church Street. A level 10 minute walk from the Quay where all the boats depart for the other Islands and within a hundred yards of two sandy beaches , each with amazing views, the hotel location is excellent and an ideal base for your exploration of the Isles of Scilly. Shops, banks and the Post Office are close at hand. The manager and staff of the hotel extend a warm and friendly welcome whilst the quality and choice of food in the restaurant would do credit to a 4 star hotel. We had a ground floor bedroom which was both comfortable and spacious and although we didn't use the indoor swimming pool, we were told by guests who did it was a welcome facility .If we ever return to St Mary's we would certainly stay at the Bell Rock Hotel and we strongly recommend it.

Room Tip: The hotel does not have a lift so if you don't like stairs ask for a ground or first floor room.
See more room tips
Stayed September 2012, travelled as a couple

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“spot on”

Reviewed 11 September 2012 1person found this review helpful

Great staff and manager, great food, great location. What more could I ask for? We were given a great welcome on arrival and the staff made sure we were happy throughout our stay. Hotel located half way between the 2 main beaches in St. Mary's.

Room Tip: Book early
See more room tips
Stayed September 2012, travelled with friends


Daniel Lawson, Manager at Bell Rock Hotel, responded to this review
13 September 2012
Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad that you have been well looked after during your stay, and that you have enjoyed the hotel and islands. We look forward to hopefully seeing you return in the future.

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“Deserves its No: 1 rating”

Reviewed 4 September 2012 1person found this review helpful

On our first trip to the Isles of Scilly we booked the Bellrock because of its No: 1 rating on Trip Advisor and the deal they were advertising because high quality and low price means excellent value. From our first telephone call with Daniel we were unable to fault their service which is unusual for me because I can be quite picky. The hotel is not new but it is spotlessly clean and comfortable and has won awards for cleanliness. The staff are friendly and helpful and give flawless service.
The restaurant is first class. Every request was met with a smile and an excellent response.
It does what it says on the tin.

Room Tip: We had a top floor room (18) which has a sea view but would not be suitable if you are infirm. There...
See more room tips
Stayed August 2012, travelled as a couple


Daniel Lawson, Manager at Bell Rock Hotel, responded to this review
13 September 2012
Judging by your username of being a Quality Manager, I am really pleased to hear your compliments of the hotel and staff. This is very encouraging, and motivating to the team. It is always good to hear that we are providing the high standard of service that we strive to acheive.
Hopefully we will see you again in the future.

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“Ding Dong!”

Reviewed 4 September 2012

Great food,comfortable beds, very helpful and fiendly staff.Well maitained rooms,whilst a little old fashioned very fresh and welcoming.
Great position for quay and beaches.
5 fabulous days this was our first trip and would highly recommend the Scillys and Bell Rock.

Bob and Mags Jackson

Room Tip: Sea view unecessary as the Islands offer plenty
See more room tips
Stayed May 2012, travelled as a couple


Daniel Lawson, Manager at Bell Rock Hotel, responded to this review
13 September 2012
I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed your first visit to the islands and that the Bell Rock provided a comfortable stay for you. First of many we hope.

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“scilly isles adventure”

Reviewed 31 August 2012 3people found this review helpful

It was our first trip to the Scillies. We have always wanted to go but didn't know much about the islands or what they had to offer. I booked at the last minute and relied on Trip Advisor to guide us to the right hotel. We were delighted with the whole holiday - only three nights and four glorious days of peace, tranquility, stunning views and wonderful people.
The Bell Rock is all that Trip Advisor promises it to be. The food is very good with plenty of variety.Local fish was available on two of our three nights.The staff really are very friendly and helpful providing a service that belies the 2 star rating. Our room was very clean with a lovely new bathroom.The location is ideal - very close to the two beaches, shops and pubs.
Every morning Paul, local boatman with a small boat, came to visit at breakfast time moving from table to table with info about his boat trips to the other islands. We went on two trips with him to other islands where he dropped us off for a few hours giving opportunities to walk, discover, swim, eat cream teas etc. I can highly recommend those boat trips with Paul as he is very knowledgable about the islands and their history.
Athough we were only there for three nights it felt much longer because we did so much exploring. We went to St Martin's, Bryher and Tresco islands. Our favourite was St Martin's and least favourite was Tresco because we felt it had a resort feel to it - after the remoteness of the other two.
We came home feeling very satisfied and will definitely return to the Scilly Islands. thank you to Daniel (manager) and Martina who offered to dry my husband's wetsuit and swimmers in the laundry. Those personal touches make all the difference!

Stayed August 2012, travelled as a couple


Daniel Lawson, Manager at Bell Rock Hotel, responded to this review
13 September 2012
I'm delighted to hear that your first trip to the Isles of Scilly has been an enjoyable one, and that staying at the Bell Rock has made your holiday all the more better. Hopefully you will have caught the Scilly lure, and want to return many times more in the future!

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“Spotless and good customer care”

Reviewed 28 August 2012 T

he standard of cleanliness at Bell Rock is excellent. It is spotlessly clean. I have in the past inspected hositals for cleanliness and this hotel would passes the top rating.

Staff are friendly and helpful in particular Adrian and his catering team contributing to the overall nice atmosphere.

Stayed August 2012, travelled as a couple


Daniel Lawson, Manager at Bell Rock Hotel, responded to this review
13 September 2012
Our team all work very hard to keep the hotel clean and running smoothly, and I'm pleased that their efforts do not go un-noticed. Thank you for your kind words.

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“excellent, relaxing, break.”

Reviewed 26 August 2012

Only booked a few days before, to be told only a small room available, however we were not too bothered as it`s only somewhere to freshen up and sleep, (as we`re both relitively young late thirties). On arrival the room was fine for our needs, better than anticipated, and with a sea view which was a bonus. The room was very clean and adequate for us and our luggage, and the staff very helpful with luggage.
This was a small break without the kids, and certainly ticked all the boxes we needed.
The food in the hotel was of an excellent standard (compliments to the chef ) and the waiting staff very attentive and hard working. Would definately recommend this hotel ( and I`ve stayed in a lot worse 5 star hotels ). I think the 2 star rating is very harsh and should be re-assessed as a matter of urgency, definately 3 / 4 star standard.

Stayed August 2012, travelled as a couple

Guest Review Extracted From TripAdvisor

“Highly recommended”

Reviewed 23 August 2012

An excellent hotel on a lovely island.
Their publicity is very understated. E. g. they do not advertise sea views, but we had a stunning sea view out to the other islands. They do not mention their efficient meal service, but we had real treat three course meals and were able to relax afterwards over coffee and still have ample time to go to the evening entertainments in Hugh Town.
A perfect holiday destination.

Stayed August 2012, travelled as a couple

Guest Letter of Thanks

Isles of Scilly Promo Poster

After seeing on the Isles of Scilly page on Facebook, a request for people to offer promotional posters for Scilly, I thought I would quickly knock one up using one of the photographs I took yesterday afternoon on my walk...

Coastal Path St Mary's

Friday 22nd September 2012

Well, what a perfect autumn afternoon! Clear blue skies, no breeze, warm sunshine. Just too good to miss going out in it.
I went for an hour's walk along the coastal path past Porthmellon and diverted up to Harry's Walls to take in the views. There were a couple of boats being lifted out onto lorries on Porthmellon ready to be put to bed for the winter.
I then headed up around the edge of the golf course before walking back to town on Telegraph Road

The Garrison

Wednesday 19th September 2012

The wind has dropped right off giving a really warm sunny day. Beautiful! There were a couple of cruise ships in which dwarfed the Scillonian.

Peninnis & Old Town

Tuesday 18th September

A sunny but breezy afternoon walk up Peninnis and down into Old Town. Soon warmed up on the move though

Still Harbour & Sun Through The Trees

Sunday 16th September 2012

It was a still day with sunny spells. Lovely and warm when the sun was out.

2013 Early Season Short Break

Valid on new bookings made from Saturday 15th September 2012:

2013

The hotel opens on Monday 11th March in 2013.
Please phone for our special 4 night offer (too good to print!). Arrive on Monday 11th & depart on Friday 15th March. Please call us on 01720 422575 to enquire, or email us.

Guest Photograph of Bryher

One of our guests who has stayed with us several times has emailed in a photograph from their visit last year. It was taken on Bryher and shows the stacks or cairns of rocks carefully placed on top of the wooden posts along the coast by Popplestones. These cairns are quite popular around the islands on pebbly shores. As the summer progresses, more and more appear as visitors add their rock art to the collections.
Credit for the photograph goes to Mr Mike Prior from Trowbridge in Wiltshire ...I don't think he made all of these stacks, unless he had an hour or so to while away!?

Bell Rock Hotel & St Mary's Harbour

Friday 14th September 2012

A glorious sunny afternoon today with a stiff breeze. Still, it doesn't feel to cool, until the sun really starts to dip.

I took a couple of early evening pictures of the hotel front with the evening sun on & St Mary's Harbour