I first experienced Cornwall when I was four-years-old. My parents packed my brother and I into their maroon VW camper van in what felt like the middle of the night and we trundled six hours down the motorway to tiny village called Pentewan on the southern coast.

For several summers we stayed at this wonderful little campsite and I absolutely fell in love with it. In fact, when our parents wanted to take us abroad for a treat one year, I cried in protest because I wanted to spend my two weeks in jelly shoes, crab fishing on the Cornish coast.

That little bit of nostalgia led me, 15 years later, to go back to Pentewan. And I was pleasantly surprised to find nothing had changed. It was like time had stood still.

A rickety wooden bridge leads from the campsite to Pentewan village, where I was glad to see a great little pub called the Ship Inn still stood. We sat in the beer garden drinking (strong!) Cornish cider and watched the stunning sun set.

The next day we embarked on an interesting coastal walk, which involved trying to navigate through a field of angry cows, to Mevagissey, a traditional Cornish fishing village about seven miles from the town of St Austell and the Eden Project, and it too had remained completely unspoilt.

It has a history of smuggling and boat building dating back to 1745, and once upon a time pilchard fishing was the livelihood of the whole village. It still has a working harbour, where battered boats bob in the water and noisy sea gulls swoop overhead. Fishing trips run from the harbour and a ferry takes you to the nearby port of Fowey – another quaint little town well worth a visit.

There are lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Wandering through the narrow cobbled streets, we found some great jewellery and antiques shops, galleries and craft stores. We got drawn into a tiny teashop for an absolute must-have – a Cornish cream tea. We sat at a wobbly wooden table covered with a red and white checked tablecloth and a smiley old lady served us warm scones, topped with a huge dollops of clotted cream and strawberry jam, washed down with a strong cup of tea. Delicious.

Mevagissey has a bustling and friendly atmosphere of locals and a few lucky tourists who have stumbled upon it by accident. Fisherman set up stalls to sell their catch straight from the sea and I’d strongly recommend picking up some fresh seafood to take back and cook on a BBQ back at camp, or for less hassle, sample it at one of the restaurants.

One thing you have to try is the fish and chips – the best I’ve ever tasted. The sea air and newspaper wrapping makes them taste as good as I remembered, although we did have to fight off the cheeky seagulls that tried to steal the food right out of our laps.

I’d been worried that going back to this fascinating place, I would find it had become commercial and modernised, but my fears were unfounded and I’d advise anyone to visit for a taste of traditional Cornwall.