Back then it was known as dropping out. In the 1940s it was a slow boat to Tangier. In the 1960s it was the hippy trail to Kathmandu in a clapped-out combi van. Nowadays it's called going off-grid, and you can do it pretty much anywhere.Just shed the trappings of modern life and live as simply as possible. Some people even manage to do without money altogether; foraging for berries, trapping the odd rabbit, and sleeping wherever they lay the worn-out hat they can't afford to repair or replace.

Now that may be going a bit far when all you want is a weekend away, but Carnebo Barn, in rolling fields just north of Falmouth, gives you a taster of the off-grid life because it doesn't have any electricity.

The place is owned and run by Rufus, a carpenter, and his partner Rebecca, a jazz cellist, and has only recently opened as an official campsite, though friends and family have been enjoying the place for years.

The five-acre smallholding, up a very rough-and-ready track, has a spacious - though slightly sloping - camping field in front of the barn, compost loos and solar showers, and a communal fire pit with wooden seating and some awning to provide shelter from the rain. What power there is comes from a small wind turbine whirring above a gorse bush. (Okay there's a diesel generator as well for calm days, but why spoil a good story?)

A short walk down the hill from the site through thigh-high bracken and you'll find a glorious little swimming hole in a tiny quarry.



Cold, deep, and both discreet and discrete, it's the perfect place for a wake-me-up plunge in the morning or for cooling off after a long hot day ot Cornwalling.
The idea at Carnebo Barn is to attract walkers, cyclists, and anyone else with the ingenuity to arrive without the aid of an internal combustion engine; and it's just the spot to give it a go, as there are public footpaths criss-crossing the countryside here, so it is possible to get around just as well on Shanks's pony. Penryn is just a couple of miles away, and Falmouth a bit more ot a hike (six miles), though there are plenty of local bus services to take advantage of, as well.

It's worth the trip down to Falmouth as it's really quite a funky little town with an agreeably run-down feel and mix of surfers, students, posh yachters, and tourists. It's a great base for seaborne activities, and there are some cracking beaches nearby if you prefer salt water to fresh. And in the evening there are plenty of hip eateries, bars, and cafes to work your way through.



Elsewhere are all the coastal walks and glorious gardens for which Cornwall is famous. One unmissable spot not far from Carnebo Barn is the National Trust's Glendurgan Garden, where you can lose yourself in the cherry-laurel maze and marvel at the exotic-looking flora that surely shouldn't flourish so far from the Equator.

But the site itself is the main attraction. Rufus and Rebecca are charming and interesting hosts, eager to share stories round the fire of an evening or maybe break out into an improv jazz session. There are even plans to erect a screen in the field and have film evenings of French New Wave classics and the like. It's all very cool and just sufficiently on-grid not to be too scary to soft city dwellers. After all, you can still get Radio 4 on your wind-up radio, and that's always a sign of civilisation, isn't it?

COOL FACTOR Basic off-grid camping in a field with a log fire and charming hosts.

WHO'S IN? Tents, walkers, cyclists - yes. Well-behaved dogs are fine (there are chickens around). Caravans, campervans, motorbikes - anything with an internal combustion engine - no. That includes cars, preferably. If you do come by car you're encouraged to park in the village and walk to the site.



ON SITE Campfires are allowed if they are off the grass. Tucked away in the bushes in what looks like a small Methodist chapel are the compost loos, and there are solar showers in a corner of the field. There's a cold water tap and some rudimentary tin tubs for doing a bit of washing-up. There's also a communal fire pit with wooden seating and a small canopied area just in case it rains.

OFF SITE Start with the swimming hole a short walk from the campsite or try the nearby sea and boat trips from Falmouth. There are gardens galore, the nearest of which are Glendurgan (01326 252020; see www.nationaltrust.org.uk) and Trebah (01326 252200; www.trebahgarden.co.uk). Down by Falmouth's wharf, the National Maritime Museum (01326 313388; www.nmmc.co.uk) has lots of salty goings-on.

FOOD AND DRINK There are a few basic commodities for sale in the barn - eggs, milk, and bread - otherwise it's bring your own (there's a large Asda a couple of miles back down the road) or go to the Argal Farm's shop (11/2 miles away). For a treat, head into Falmouth for award-winning burgers at 5 Degrees West (01326 311288; www.5degreesfalmouth.co.uk) or try Miss Peapod's kitchen cafe (01326 374424; www.misspeapod.co.uk). In Penryn there's the charming Little Yellow House (01326 377622; www.thelittleyellowhouse.co.uk). Accessible by public footpath in Constantine is the glasshouse cafe of Potager (01326 341258), though it's only open on weekends in the summer. Otherwise there are plenty of pubs and restaurants along the Falmouth wharfs, including a Latin place called Aguaviva (01326 377943).



GETTING THERE Pen and paper at the ready. On the A30 south from Truro or north from Falmouth, there's a roundabout opposite Asda and B&Q called the Kernick Roundabout (there's a sign bearing its name). Take the Mabe Bumthouse turning and go up the hill to what's known locally as the 'funny junction' with red markings in the road. Turn left past the New Inn and follow the road through Mabe Burnthouse. At the end of the village (by Harmony Cottage, on the left) the road turns sharp left. Almost hidden on the right is the entrance to a small lane. Follow this lane until you reach some houses and the road veers to the right.There's a small postbox just on the left.Take the road that leads straight on and follow it until it becomes a track. Continue along it all the way past some houses and over the brow of the hill. There are telegraph poles on the left, and just where the phone line crosses over the road to the last pole on your right is the entrance to the campsite. Phew.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT The closest bus stop (bus no. 2 runs between Penzance and Falmouth) is at the New Inn in Mabe Burnthouse (about 2 miles from the site) and the closest train station is Penryn (also about 2 miles).

OPEN All year.

THE DAMAGE A simple tariff of £10 per adult, per night. Kids up to age 16 are £5, and the under-5s are free. A pre-erected bell tent is available for £50 per night and sleeps 4.