Bodmin Moor Area
Bodmin Moor is a truly stunning place, unspoilt and wild. A place of legend, legacy and inspiration.
The perfect retreat for those who are after a little seclusion and yearn to get away from it all. Stay in one of the many villages, hamlets and farms that surround the moor and experience the wealth of treasures on offer.
Walker’s paradise
The imposing granite tors and vast expanses of spectacular moorland make this a breath-taking place for walking and hiking. Challenge yourself to conquer the highest points in Cornwall; Brown Willy at 1,368 ft and Rough Tor at 1,300 ft.
The wild and windswept moor is a designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty due to its rugged beauty and the nature that thrives in this environment. The moor is home to plenty of livestock, including ponies left to roam freely, and also a host of wildlife including birds and butterflies.
Heritage
The moor’s history is also a real draw for visitors – farmed by Bronze Age settlers, numerous fascinating archaelogical remains have been uncovered, including the remains of more than fifty Neolithic hut circles on Leskernick Hill. You can still see these, and the low dividing walls made by the ancient residents for field boundaries, scattered around the moor.
Like much of Cornwall, Bodmin Moor was mined in the nineteenth century. Ruins of disused tin and copper mines dot the landscape, including the Phoenix United mine, where there is a visitor's centre. Such is the importance of the mining industry that the moor has World Heritage Site status.
Inspiration
This striking landscape with its eerie beauty have inspired writers, poets and sculptors. Daphne du Maurier’s famous novel Jamaica Inn is based on the real life Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor. The atmosphere and windswept wilds mean legends and ghost stories abound on Bodmin Moor.
Countless reports of a black panther-like big cat have given rise to a phenomenon called 'The Beast of Bodmin Moor', given to savaging livestock in the dead of night. The evidence of this beast was robust enough that in 1995 the government ordered an official investigation into the existence of such a beast. You have been warned!
More than the moor
Bodmin Moor encompasses many small parishes and villages including St Breward, Camelford, St Tudy, St Neot and many, many more. One of the most popular trails in the country, the Camel Trail, starts in St Breward and will take you all the way to Wadebridge and then on to Padstow. Cycle, walk or horse ride – the choice is yours.
With a host of attractions close by including the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway, historic houses and gardens to visit, a Donkey Sanctuary and a Leisure Park there’s no need to leave the area but, should you choose to, with the main road through Cornwall (the A30) so close at hand it means the moor is the perfect central place for getting around the county. Being situated between the north and south coast you can also take your pick of beaches.
The Town of Bodmin
Bodmin, one of the oldest towns in Cornwall, is centrally located and situated on the western fringes of the beautiful landscape that is Bodmin Moor. There's so much to see and do in Bodmin; making it an ideal base for your holiday. There are six attractions within walking distance of Bodmin town centre including a Steam Railway, the Town Museum, an old and imposing county jail and the 15th Century church of St Petroc (the largest parish church in the county).
In addition to this, the grand country houses of Pencarrow and Lanhydrock are on the town's doorstep. If you enjoy cycling and walking then Bodmin will be your heaven with the renowned Camel Trail starting in the town. Dunmere, a hamlet situated about a mile northwest of Bodmin, is where you will find, our three beautiful barn conversions, known collectively as The Dairy Barns, tucked away alongside the Camel Trail.
Bodmin is also only 20 minutes away by car from the famous Eden Project and you could be in the historic fishing port of Padstow in less than half an hour. If you don't have a car, there are good bus and train links to the rest of Cornwall.
