Sustonica, the first global sustainability standard for holiday lets.
Our aim is to create lasting holiday memories and we intend to do so both responsibly and sustainably.
To deliver on this we've set out a number of environmental and social pledges which help to focus our efforts;
you can read more about them in our Impact Report.
This is why we've partnered with Sustonica, the first global certification for holiday lets,
to support our owners to be more sustainable.
The Sustonica certification focuses on four key areas: energy conservation, water conservation,
waste reduction and promoting inclusiveness. They are on a mission to become the most widely
recognised sustainability standard for holiday rentals and a catalyst to reduce emissions of holiday
lets and influence guests to reduce their own household consumption too.
Properties that display the Sustonica badge have successfully passed the criteria,
which align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards,
and their owner has made a commitment to look after our planet as well as you.
"The property itself is excellent it had everything we needed, it was clean well maintained and all on ground floor."
But was disappointed with the garden as it wasn't private and the furniture had seen better days.
The approach to the property was a nightmare, one track road [(if you could call it a road) was awful, no passing places and was overgrown with brambles and bushes, scratches on both sides of our car to prove it.
So to sum up, great property awful approach so unfortunately would not recommend.
Reviewed by Gerard4.7★Sep 2024
"The barn was situated in very remote part, the postcode wasnt exactly for the location, so had to ask residents who were unwilling to signpost the barn."
The barn was comfortable for 6 members of the family with extra single bed & bunkbed, had some issues with w/c not flushing properly which was sorted on reporting. The host was responsive with issues reported. Could use better signage for the barn, and no entry sign to the right of the barn as the road can get easily confused when new to the area and drive through. Apart from that barn location easily accessible to all other routes of A30/A38 etc, so did not spend hours on road to get to places such as Falmouth, Penzance or Newquay. Overall family enjoyed Cornwall, and thanks to Howard/Kate for complimentary eggs for breakfast on the day and some to take away.
Reviewed by Hanif4.1★Jul 2024
"The property, drive up to the property and stay overall was wonderful."
The owners kindly had some essentials waiting for us upon nour arrival (milk, juice etc). The house was spacious, clean and fully stocked. We definitely will stay here again when we visit.
Extra points: my kids loved visiting the goats and cows. It became a morning/nighttime routine to go see them before we slept/left for the day.
Reviewed by Justin5.0★Jun 2024
"The property itself was fantastic."
We had a great time at the house. All amenities were as advertised. It was a lovely quiet house.
The only thing I would change in the advertisement is to mention how remote the location actually is. The road that leads to the property can only take one car at a time. There are not many passing places in case you encounter another vehicle. So getting in and out is a bit difficult. The road itself isn't in great shape, we got a flat coming up to the property. Perfect if you are coming in a small car.
Reviewed by Sreelakshmi4.4★Oct 2023
"Lovely accommodation and a welcome pack including milk and chocolates."
I cannot fault the property, its a very quiet location and we made friends with the cat and the cockeral
Reviewed by Susan5.0★Jun 2023
"It's really good experience."
Love it will recommended and visit again.
Reviewed by Dumith Priyadarshana4.7★Dec 2022
"Lovely barn situated on a working farm, very quiet location clean and comfortable well set out."
Well equipped and very clean, left provisions pack and greeted with milk , biscuits, beer an chocolate which was a lovely surprise. Definitely would book again
Reviewed by Jacqueline5.0★Nov 2022
"Lovely property, great set up."
Once you get used to the lanes and roads to get to the site it's OK. Being a working farm, took a week to get used to the farm noises and animal smell....once you get used to the Cockrell sounding off at 10pm and 4.30-5am all is good. Main issue was the flies...nothing you can do really to minimize them so fly spray and swat was our plan. Asked for a umbrella for the BBQ table and came home to a fully erected gazebo...brilliant....saved on Sun stroke and Sun burn that night..thank you. All in all, a good 2 weeks..thank you.
Reviewed by Gary3.8★Jul 2022
"Cottage was simple and clean."
A good base for the places we wanted to visit. The kitchen is a little tired but still perfectly usable. The garden is at the front, across the drive so not as used by the children as we'd originally planned but still a good space and great washing line :)
A bathroom per bedroom was great altho the shower door in bedroom 2 is quite low and husband kept misjudging this and hitting his head.
All bedrooms go off the main living area.
Toilet roll, hand wash provided and some dishwasher tablets, washing tablets, wash liquid etc. You will need to take teatowels, altho towels for bathrooms provided :)
Overall a lovely stay.
Reviewed by Claire4.7★May 2022
"Absolutely perfect for large family getaways."
Beautiful home and location.
Will most definitely recommend to family and friends
Reviewed by Barbara5.0★Oct 2021
"The cottage was fine but it was a little too remote for us and the approach to the cottage was far too long from the main road and too steep walk it."
Reviewed by Paul3.4★Aug 2021
"Another enjoyable stay at Garras Barn which nicely satisfied our requirements."
Reviewed by Peter5.0★Jul 2021
"Had a lovely stay at Garras Farm, it was a perfect base camp for us to explore some of the amazing beaches Cornwall has to offer."
Found the barn no problem with the help of the instructions given to us in an email. Whilst at the barn we felt everything we needed and more was there. Having three bathrooms really helps when it’s time to get ready in the morning. Would 100 percent stay again. We even got to meet Archie the cheeky little Goat. A brilliant holiday all round for our family.
Reviewed by Adele5.0★Jul 2021
"We enjoyed our stay at Garras Barn and the welcome pack was appreciated."
It was great for our party of three couples but I would imagine it might feel a bit cramped if all the beds were used. (with 3 children). We enjoyed the outside space and the BBQ. A good central base for exploring Cornwall. Walking distance to Idless Woods and the local farm shop.
Access to the farm is along some very narrow country lanes with access to the property itself up a very steep but concreted farm drive.
We would consider using Garras Barn again.
Reviewed by Margaret4.7★Jun 2021
"Very well done."
Keep it up.
Reviewed by Ashraf Mahmood5.0★Oct 2020
"Garras Barn was a lovely place to stay."
Very warm & equipped with everything you needed. Very friendly people. It's the most conveniently situated property we have been in so far, very near most places. We will definitely go back again.
Reviewed by Victor5.0★Oct 2020
"Pleasantly comfortable cottage, well equipped and very clean."
Although set on a working farm, we experienced no inconvenience and for summer visitors (we stayed in October) most windows are protected with fly screens which offer easy access for opening them. The cakes, biscuits and milk in the fridge were a nice touch on arrival.
Reviewed by Peter5.0★Oct 2020
"It’s a nice cosy cottage, but will feel a bit cramped if you have two families."
When we were there, we still had issues with showers in two bathroom. One shower is supplied with water for a heated tank, and that was not working for the initial two days. The electric shower in the second on-suite is very temperamental and is fiddly to work out the setting. I just feel for what we paid (and other people’s feedback) they should really sort out the showers before we came, I would suggest replacing them with new shower unit. The location is remote with single track for almost half a mile to reach there and it has very few passing place so you are on a prayer hoping that you don’t come across another car, as reversing would be a pain!
Reviewed by Anand4.4★Aug 2020
"A good car is essential as this cottage is truly off the beaten track."
It’s a perfect base to explore Cornwall and so many things are only a short drive away. There isn’t anything close to walk to though.
The cottage had everything we could have needed and the owners left us to it.
Hannah and Katie who work on the farm were amazing and let our daughters feed the baby goats which they loved.
We loved the garden area and how much free reign we had.
The house slept all 9 of us comfortably and we had a wonderful time.
Reviewed by Amy4.4★Aug 2020
"We were very happy with our stay."
The cottage was clean and tidy. Changes had obviously been made based on previous criticism. Netting has been placed on windows to stop flies from entering. A new fridge freezer is in place.
The roads are narrow to drive through but this is not unusual for Cornwall.
The location is brilliant as most local attractions are with an hour's drive.
Reviewed by Mohammed5.0★Aug 2020
"Very well planned out accommodation
Took us a little while to find it as the ..."
Very well planned out accommodation
Took us a little while to find it as the Satnav puts you about half a mile away but we got there in the end
Friendly owners and farm hands
If you like a quite location then this one is very well recommended
Reviewed by Lee5.0★Jul 2020
"Cottage is delightful, very nicely converted, very cosy."
Could do with more wardrobes and cupboard space. Dishwasher did not work and report was not actioned, but we managed. WiFi was just about useable but very slow. Telephone number given for contact was not answered on 3 occasions we phoned. Shower temperature was very variable and difficult to set. Because period was very wet, lanes around cottage were very difficult driving. Very few passing places and all deep in mud. The location of the cottage makes it very awkward for a family with smaller children. You would need somewhere to go every day, as there is nothing for children because it is a working farm and children may not wander! Not really suitable for small vehicles because of very long and steep lane to cottage, which in places is difficult to negotiate. Ideal for adult groups of 4 to 6 people to use as a base for exploring Cornwall.
Reviewed by Ralph4.1★Feb 2020
"Great property and the owners and family were brilliant, nothing was to much trouble."
As it was Christmas time the property was very festive.
Reviewed by Robert5.0★Dec 2019
"Garras Barn was an ideal place for us(1 couple & 2 single adults) as the 3 bedrooms had an end suite."
All was very clean & quite spacious. A couple of things that we felt would improve this place is a lamp or standard lamp in the lounge as the dimmer switch ceiling lights were still quite bright on the lowest setting. The double bed in the middle bedroom was a little hard & lumpy & the bathroom handle got stuck a few times. The barn seems quite a way out but is in fact only 15 mins from Truro, but as half the journey is up narrow country lanes it can become very muddy. We had a comfortable 4 nightshade & would recommend this place.
Reviewed by Lynn3.8★Nov 2019
"Cottage rooms definitely need a fan,because can't open the windows if you open ..."
Cottage rooms definitely need a fan,because can't open the windows if you open it all the flys comes in because it is next to the cows
Reviewed by Kanagalingam4.1★Aug 2019
"The description and rating of this place is very misleading and I wouldn't recommend staying there."
- cold showers, only enough hot water for one shower a day in a property for 8
- flies everywhere, constantly being bitten day and night.
- can't cook or eat meals there due to flies.
- can't open windows in August due to flies. Not blaming owners as due to dairy farm but no fly papers or nets on windows.
- filthy kitchen, sticky doors and rusty fridge fit for the dump
- very basic kitchen equipment, not suitable for cooking for 8 as boasted
- no freezer, not even a box freezer in fridge
- no welcome/info pack about the area
- no drawers other than bedside and one small wardrobe for 8 people. Ended up living out of our bags which isn't fun for a week.
- unusable Wi-Fi - cost £20 each for extra 3G
- lack of privacy, all bedrooms off the lounge, not suitable for multi-generation holidays as stated
- filthy, rusty, broken fridge, all food spoiled, no help at all. Last PAT test in 2006....
- terrible drive, with potholes two foot deep, will damage your car.
- nothing here to clean up with, no brushes so if you make a mess you have to live with it for the whole week.
Three bedrooms: 2 x family with en-suite shower rooms with shower, WC, and basin (1 x double and single, 1 x double and bunk beds), 1 x double with en-suite bathroom with bath, shower over, WC, and basin
Kitchen
Sitting room with dining area.
Electric central heating
Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine
4 x TV, WiFi
Fuel and power inc. in rent
Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
Off-road parking for two to three cars
Lawned garden area with furniture
Sorry, no pets and no smoking
Shop 3.3 miles, pub 1.4 miles
Note: Property accessed via steep road.
The property
Truro 4 miles.
Garras Barn is a fantastic stone front barn conversion, in a brilliant base and central location for exploring the sights of Cornwall.
On the land of a working livestock farm, this beautiful bungalow is perfect for a rural retreat in idyllic settings, but that’s not to say it’s not close to the action of Truro.
Walk past the wondrous woodlands that surround the property and head into the kitchen to grab a much needed coffee after your travels, fit with wooden furnishings to compliment the traditional wooden beams and exposed granite of the property, this is the perfect room to whip up all the family-favourite foods.
Relax in the cosy seating room where you can snuggle up on the corner sofa with your favourite book or film in the evenings.
There are three bedrooms within the bungalow, all perfect fit a family, with a double and two family rooms all with en-suites, it’s a fabulous layout to allow privacy and ensure you’re always close to your loved ones, you can even bring Grandma and Grandad along to this glorious ground-floor hideaway.
Before heading out for the day, take a break in the lawned area to play a game of football with the kids in between munching on nibbles at the picnic bench.
Take a trip into the local village of Shortlanesend for a morning of relaxing strolls or an evening meal in The Old Plough pub.
Drive into the city centre of Truro to immerse yourself with shops, a beautiful cathedral, and a combination of museums and art galleries, there’s lots to explore in Truro, Cornwall’s only city and centre for administration, leisure, and retail.
Just a short drive North you can get to the coast of Newquay, famous for its sandy Fistral and Watergate Bay beach, Blue Reef Aquarium, and seafront restaurants, there’s no better place to explore the coastal areas of Cornwall.
St Agnes 8.6 miles; Falmouth 11 miles; Redruth 11.5 miles, Newquay 13.6 miles, Eden Project 18 miles, Lizard Peninsula 18 miles, St Ives 25 miles, Land's End 36 miles.
Truro is the retail centre of Cornwall with a good range of independent shops as well as national stores all within a compact city centre. With its eclectic range of art galleries, bars, restaurants, cinema, theatre, museum and outstanding cathedral this small city is a superb year round destination. Steeped in history and intriguing architecture there is always plenty to do and see. Just meandering through the Georgian cobbled streets is a pleasure in itself. With many peaceful parks all within a short stroll from the centre it is a most relaxing city to visit. A wonderful day trip can be had from Truro to Falmouth along the stunning Fal estuary with many options to disembark and pick up the boat later along the scenic river trip.
