HomeSelf-Catering HotelAbout Cornwall Offers Join UsBook Now It's cheaper when you book direct Daphne du Maurier’s Cornwall “And perhaps one day, in after years, someone would wander there and listen to the silence, as she had done, and catch the whisper of the dreams that she had dreamt there, in midsummer, under the hot sun and the white sky.” Frenchman’s Creek STAY OFFERS QUOTE & BOOK BREAKFAST DISCOUNT ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again’ Manderley, home to Rebecca, the elusive first wife who haunts the nameless second wife in Daphne du Maurier’s best known novel. The passage goes on to describe what is unmistakably Menabilly, the much sought after home of Daphne du Maurier. It was also the setting and integral to the plot in My Cousin Rachel and provided the historical backdrop to The King’s General. The dilapidated house, seat of the Rashleigh family, was a favourite trespass of the author when walking. Craved for its solitude for 17 years, she finally signed the lease in 1943 and lived there for the next 25 years. Today Menabilly sits on National Trust land at Gribben Head. Still remote, it conjures up an elusive foreboding quality, often found in du Maurier’s novels. Early life and influences Daphne du Maurier was born into a privileged life. The du Maurier family dynasty had a rich and long history, connected to aristocracy and the arts. Family friends included J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan. Her father and mother were both actors. The arts were encouraged and the young Daphne spent her childhood in a world of imagination. She was also an avid reader. She particularly enjoyed novels by the Brontë’s and the du Maurier family had their own secret language, rather like the Brontë’s did. Romantic novelist? Often labelled as a romantic novelist, Daphne du Maurier’s work includes dark tales, history, intrigue and often Gothic elements. The only novel to which she agreed truly was romantic was Frenchman’s Creek. She was inspired by the landscape and loved the sense of freedom and remoteness Cornwall gave her. She also enjoyed researching history, particularly of her own family and places that meant a lot to her. It’s no wonder that Cornwall with it’s rich history, wonderful landscape and myths and legends appealed to her and can be seen woven throughout her works. Locations in Cornwall Ferryside on the banks of the river at Boddinick, is where the du Maurier family holidayed. ‘The Nook’ – across from Ferryside was home to Miss Roberts whom Daphne du Maurier would lodge with when the family returned to London. Lanteglos Church – Daphne du Maurier and Sir Frederick (or Tommy ‘Boy’) Browning married at the church and then honeymooned at Frenchman’s Creek. Frenchman’s Creek – one of the seven creeks found on the Helford River. Menabilly – otherwise known as Manderley, was home to the Browning family for 25 years. Kilmarth – setting for ‘The House on the Strand’ and du Maurier’s final home is in Tywardreath. Jamaica Inn – accessed from the A30 at Bolventor, Daphne visited it with a friend and was inspired to write her novel of the same name. The Bocconoc Estate and Lanhydrock feature in ‘The King’s General’. Stay nearby at Green Acres Cottages at Penpillick. Novels The Loving Spirit, 1931 I’ll Never Be Young Again, 1933 The Progress of Julius, 1933 Jamaica Inn, 1936 Rebecca, 1938 Frenchman’s Creek, 1941 Hungry Hill 1943 The King’s General, 1946 The Parasites, 1949 My Cousin Rachel 1951 Mary Anne, 1954 The Scapegoat, 1957 The Glass-Blowers, 1963 The Flight of the Falcon, 1965 The House on the Strand, 1969 Rule Britannia, 1972 Short Stories Happy Christmas, 1940 Come Wind, Come Weather, 1940 The Apple Tree, 1952 Early Stories, 1959 The Breaking Point, 1959 Castle Dor (with Sir Anthony Quiller-Couch), 1961 The Birds and Other Stories, 1963 Not After Midnight, 1971 The Rendezvous and Other Stories, 1980 Classics of the Macabre, 1987 Plays Rebecca The Years Between September Tide Non-Fiction Gerald: A Portrait, 1934 The du Mauriers, 1937 The Young George du Maurier: a selection of his letters 1860-67, 1951 The Infernal World of Branwell Brontë, 1960 Vanishing Cornwall, 1967 Golden Lads, Sir Francis Bacon, Anthony Bacon and their Friends, 1975 The Winding Stair: Francis Bacon, His Rise and Fall, 1976 Growing Pains – the Shaping of a Writer, 1977 Enchanted Cornwall, 1989 All Self-Catering Themed breaks Offers Dog Friendly Themed Breaks Christmas & New Year Useful Info FAQ Accessibility Online Booking Price Guarantee Enquiry Form About Us Cornwall Holiday Property for Sale Sitemap Nuts & Bolts Booking Conditions Insurance Cancellation Policy COVID-19 Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Website Terms & Conditions Stay in Touch Contact Us Find Us Brochure Sign up to our Newsletter Blog Breaks in Cornwall c/o Travelsmith Holidays Ltd., Porth Veor Manor Hotel, Porth Way, Porth, Cornwall, TR7 3LW. 01637 873274