How steep is the path to St Petroc?

Steep — a proper climb from the main track, on grass and uneven in places. St Petroc is the last of the three upper tents, past St Enodoc and Sea Campion, so it’s the longest climb of the three and you’ll know you’ve done it. Most guests decide the view pays for it; if anyone in the party has limited mobility, our lower tents are a much easier walk from the car.

The Cornish saint who gave Padstow its name — Padstow being a worn-down form of Petroc’s Stow. The three upper tents all take their names from places and things along this coast.

Is the view better than the lower tents?

Yes, and that’s the whole reason people take the hill on. The upper hillside is the highest ground on the park, and there’s nothing in the way of the long view down the valley.

Where are the showers and toilets?

In the shared block in the glamping car park, open 24 hours, with baby changing in both the male and female toilets. It’s less than five minutes’ walk from the tent, and a torch is worth packing for after dark.

Can we cook at the tent?

Yes, outside. There’s no cooking inside the canvas, but the deck has its own gas cooker right outside the tent. The communal glamping cook deck is about five minutes’ walk for the washing-up and the fridge and freezer. Fistral and Polzeath down in the camping field have a gas cooker on each deck too; Hartland and Kernow on the lower hillside share a gas point sited opposite them.

Do I need to bring camping kit?

No. The beds are made up with bedding and towels, and there’s a chiminea on the deck. Bring food and you’re set — though pack light, given the walk up.

Can we bring the dog?

Yes. Dogs are welcome in every stay at Willow Valley. Keep them on a lead no longer than two metres around the park, use the dog exercise area, and please don’t leave them unattended. Think about the climb if your dog is elderly.

Bell tent on the upper hillside

St Petroc

The last of the three tents on the upper hillside, on the highest deck we have — the longest climb of the three, and the view down the valley that pays for it.

Sleeps up to 4A double bed and two single bedsDogs welcome

Book direct — no booking fees
Live availability & prices
Family-run park
Open year-round

4.9/5 from 40+ TripAdvisor reviewsRead them

A closer look

St Petroc in pictures

Bell tent · Upper hillside

About St Petroc

St Petroc takes its name from the Cornish saint who gave Padstow its name, and it is the last of the three tents you come to as the path climbs the upper hillside, on the highest deck at Willow Valley. Its own private deck with a chiminea, matting underfoot, and a double bed and two singles made up with bedding and towels before you arrive.

The path up is steep. We would rather write that plainly here than let you discover it with a bag in each hand. It is a proper climb on grass, uneven in places, and it is the reason these three tents feel as separate from the rest of the park as they do. Of the three, St Petroc asks the most of you. It’s the last deck you reach, so you climb past the other two to get to it. And it is not the right pick if anyone in the party has limited mobility or you’re arriving with a lot of luggage.

For most people it’s a trade worth making. You are above the valley here, with nothing between the deck and the long view down it, and the noise of the camping fields is a distant thing. The shower block and toilets are in the glamping car park, open 24 hours and less than five minutes’ walk away, and the communal glamping cook deck is about the same again — that’s where the washing-up and the fridge and freezer are. Pack a torch for after dark. The bell tents run from April to September.

Where it sits: The last of the three upper-hillside tents you reach as the path climbs from the main track, and the highest deck on the park — with St Enodoc and Sea Campion below it.

See St Petroc on the park map

Showers, toilets & cooking

Showers and toilets are in the shared block in the glamping car park, open 24 hours and less than five minutes’ walk away. There’s no cooking inside the tent, but the deck outside has a gas cooker of its own, and the communal glamping cook deck has the washing-up and a fridge and freezer.

Showers: Shared shower block
Toilets: Shared shower block
Cooking: Gas cooker on your deck

What you get

Double bed plus two single beds — sleeps up to 4
Chiminea on the deck, with logs for your first night
Beds made up with bedding and towels before you arrive
Matting underfoot
Its own private raised deck
A long view down the valley from high on the hillside
The highest deck on the park, at the top of the three-tent climb
A gas cooker on your own deck
Shared shower and toilet block in the glamping car park, open 24 hours
Communal glamping cook deck for the washing-up, with a fridge and freezer
Dogs welcome

Good to know before you book

The path up to St Petroc is steep. It’s a climb on grass, uneven in places, and you’ll do it carrying your bags on the way in. St Petroc is the last of the three upper tents, so it’s the longest of those climbs.
For that reason this isn’t the right choice for anyone with limited mobility, or for a party travelling with a lot of luggage. Hartland and Kernow on the lower hillside are a gentle rise; Fistral and Polzeath in the camping field are flat.
Showers and toilets are in the shared block in the glamping car park, less than five minutes’ walk from the tent. The block is open 24 hours; it may be worth bringing a torch for after dark.
There’s no cooking inside the tent, but you do have a gas cooker on the decking right outside it. The communal glamping cook deck is about five minutes’ walk for the washing-up and the fridge and freezer, and Bude is about two miles away for everything else.
Bedding and towels are provided and the beds are made up. Bring your own food.
Four in a bell tent is still plenty spacious: one round canvas room with a double and two singles in it.
The bell tents run from April to September. Outside those months the lodges, the school bus and the Airstream stay open, and camping pitches run in their own seasons.
Dogs are welcome, but bear the climb in mind for an older dog. Please keep them on a lead no longer than two metres, exercise them in the area provided, and don’t leave them unattended. We can’t accept Rottweilers, Dobermans, Bull Mastiffs, Pit Bull Terriers or their crosses.
Arrive from 3pm, leave by 10am.

St Petroc: questions & answers

: Steep — a proper climb from the main track, on grass and uneven in places. St Petroc is the last of the three upper tents, past St Enodoc and Sea Campion, so it’s the longest climb of the three and you’ll know you’ve done it. Most guests decide the view pays for it; if anyone in the party has limited mobility, our lower tents are a much easier walk from the car.
: The Cornish saint who gave Padstow its name — Padstow being a worn-down form of Petroc’s Stow. The three upper tents all take their names from places and things along this coast.
: Yes, and that’s the whole reason people take the hill on. The upper hillside is the highest ground on the park, and there’s nothing in the way of the long view down the valley.
: In the shared block in the glamping car park, open 24 hours, with baby changing in both the male and female toilets. It’s less than five minutes’ walk from the tent, and a torch is worth packing for after dark.
: Yes, outside. There’s no cooking inside the canvas, but the deck has its own gas cooker right outside the tent. The communal glamping cook deck is about five minutes’ walk for the washing-up and the fridge and freezer. Fistral and Polzeath down in the camping field have a gas cooker on each deck too; Hartland and Kernow on the lower hillside share a gas point sited opposite them.
: No. The beds are made up with bedding and towels, and there’s a chiminea on the deck. Bring food and you’re set — though pack light, given the walk up.
: Yes. Dogs are welcome in every stay at Willow Valley. Keep them on a lead no longer than two metres around the park, use the dog exercise area, and please don’t leave them unattended. Think about the climb if your dog is elderly.

Other ways to stay

Bell tent · Upper hillside
St Enodoc
The first tent of the three on the upper hillside, named after the church in the dunes at Rock — high, quiet, and up a steep path.
Sleeps up to 4Live prices
Bell tent · Upper hillside
Sea Campion
The middle tent of the three on the upper hillside, just above St Enodoc. High and quiet, named for the flower on the cliffs.
Sleeps up to 4Live prices
Bell tent · Upper hillside
Bell tents — upper hillside
St Petroc, St Enodoc and Sea Campion — the three highest tents on the park, at the top of a steep path, with the best views we have.
Sleeps up to 4Live prices

See every way to stay

Recognition

AA 5-Star Gold Caravan & Camping

The AA’s mark of top-class quality and facilities, awarded for 2026/27.

Come and stay in St Petroc

Live availability and prices, booked direct — no booking fees, no middleman.

Check availability Call 07973 513974