Our Travels in a Nutshell: Bodmin, Cornwall

Sunday, June 1

Full English Breakfasts appear to be as detrimental to our figures as cruise food so we decided to order a light version this morning. After meeting our fellow guests in the beautiful, olde world dining room, we tucked into a gourmet breakfast made with local produce. Our eggs were laid by hens next door and were those with the vibrant yolks and wonderful flavour. Ah, the country life!

The owners of Bedknobs, Gill & Kim, are terrific hosts and have a wealth of knowledge about Cornwall. Kim is an IT specialist and has prepared leaflets on the things to see in Cornwall and how to get there. He has also produced a booklet on "A 101 things to do in Bodmin on a Rainy Day". Thankfully, we didn't have to resort to this today. The sky was overcast and there was a chill in the air but it was dry with rain forecast for around 5 pm. The locals all think it is warm and are getting about in T-shirts and summer dresses while we are rugged up in our fleece tops! To produce the leaflets, Kim divided Cornwall into four quadrants and we chose the South East area covering Bodmin Moor.

One of the narrow Cornish roads with pull-off

We set off and very soon were on narrow little roads (almost lanes) that could only fit one car at a time. There are small pull-off areas all along and you are expected to back back into one of these if faced with a large oncoming vehicle - anything larger than a Mini! They are very deceptive as they are lined with ferns and flowering plants and look very soft and beautiful but underneath they are rock walls so you certainly don't want to pull over too far! We had a couple of "hairy" experiences, the worst being when we found ourselves face to face with a huge, wide farm machine and a driver that just kept coming. Our car is fitted with sensors for parking so all it's alarm bells and red lights were going mad as we squeezed past each other.

Golitha Falls

First stop was Golitha Falls - a bit of a misnomer as they are more of a fast flowing stream with a few rapids spots but so very pretty. The walk was not too difficult or steep but we did have to watch our footing and at one point, cross the stream via a log. The rocks and surrounding birch trees are covered in a bright green moss and with the light breaking through the canopy above, the effect was fabulous (lots of photos for future watercolours). The walk was really enjoyable out in the fresh air amongst such lovely scenery and with birds chirping, darting and swooping all around.

King Doniert's Sone

South East Cornwall has a long mining heritage going back as far as the Bronze Age and there is a UNESCO World Heritage site on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor. The brochure reads "Ancient woodlands still clothe the steep valley sides and remnants of heathland persist on the granite moor. Layers of history and human exploitation of the land and it's minerals have left unique habitats including ancient hedges, old market gardens and orchards and the legacy of mining and agriculture." Kim's map took us to this area via a detour to Siblyback Lake. This area is a holiday spot with lots of boating and water sports. We were amazed to see how many people were actually participating in the water activities, albeit in wetsuits. We stopped and had lunch at a little cafe there, again made with local produce, and a Kelly's Cornish ice cream - yummy!

We haven't encountered one of these Slow Down signs before

Continuing on towards the Moor and the ancient stone circles, we passed King Doniert's Stone - a monument to the Cornish king who drowned while hunting in the area back in 842 AD - things around here really have some age to them! The village of Minions on the edge of the Moor has been continually inhabited for 6000 years. Makes us realise how "new" everything is back home.

One of the Stone Circles (with an extra stone)

We walked out on the Moor, all rugged up in our fleeces and jackets, to have a look at the ancient stone circles that were used for either summer or winter solstice pagan rituals. The whole place had an eerie feel and your imagination could easily run wild. We had to watch our footing as there are pieces of granite all through, many hidden by the grasses, along with all sorts of animal manure. There were horses and sheep grazing on the Moor so we just walked past them, none were paddocked or tethered. It was really cold with a strong wind blowing and was also quite misty. We decided not to climb Stowe's Hill where the stone formation "Cheese Wring" is situated, despite being told the views are wonderful and on a clear day you can see Devon quite well. We were almost glad it wasn't a clear day when we saw the gradient of Stowe's Hill!

Al on Bodmin Moor with Stowe's Hill and the Cheese Wring in the background

Glad to be back in the warm car, we headed off to Looe - a coastal town on Looe Bay. Although the distance was not great, it still took twenty minutes to get there due to the narrow, winding roads. It was spitting with rain when we arrived and seaside towns never look as pretty under a grey sky but we thought it was very quaint with lovely old houses nestled into the steep hillside on either side of the Fowey River (pronounced Foy) and fishing boats of all shapes, sizes and colours moored on the river. We walked along the quay to where the river runs into the sea and again, were surprised to see people on the beach in summer clothing - they are a hardy lot around here. We continued on through the town and indulged with a Cornish Cherry Shortbread and a Cornish Hardcake - when in Rome (or Cornwall)!