Bodmin Moor

Brown Willy is Bodmin Moor’s highest peak at 1,378’ (420m) above sea level, and is the highest point in Cornwall.

Its twin-peak Roughtor (pronounced Row-Tor as in wow or cow) is a classic romp from Tom’s Cottage, starting from Roughtor Ford car park (8¾ miles away, signposted from the outskirts of Camelford town).

Charlotte Dymond’s Memorial is just across the stream from the car park – the granite stone a remembrance to the young woman that was murdered in this bleak spot in 1844, supposedly by her lame boyfriend. More of the story at the Cornwall Guide or for a more personal interpretation: The Cornish Bird.

At the top of Roughtor a brass plaque is laid (amongst the boulders) in memorial to the 43^rd Wessex’s service during the second World War. Stand by it and face north and the old WW2 Davidstow Aerodrome is beyond Crowdy Resevoir and Davidstow plantation. The Roughtor road/Crowdy/old airfield area is the go-to spot for seeing massed starling murmurations in late autumn and early winter – a true spectacle of nature.

Crowdy Marsh is the name of the area that the reservoir sits in today (it having been completed in 1973). The unpathed fringes of the reservoir (particularly between the water and the aerodrome) remain boggy – best avoided unless one has local knowledge.

Crowdy is jointly managed by South West Lakes Trust and SWW and is a haven for a variety of wetland birds.

Davidstow Airfield was constructed during WW2 and was operational from 1942 – 1945, being a base for Coastal Command for Air Sea Rescue and U-boat hunting. Some dilapidated lookout buildings are still in existence, and petrol-heads may be interested in the lesser-known fact that Formula 1 racing was held here during the 1950s.

A public road runs through the middle of the old runways, and a side-road branches off through the conifers of Davidstow Plantation back to Crowdy Reservoir and Roughtor Ford.

The Old Inn at St Breward is the highest Inn in Cornwall, oozes traditional character (including being frequented by locals) and is a renowned provider of pub-grub. We believe they serve Sunday roasts all afternoon from lunchtime right through to the kitchens closing at 9pm – well worth knowing if a walk has taken an hour or two longer than anticipated. The community village shop is located here in the pub’s car park.

St Breward village is Tom’s Cottage’s local gateway to Bodmin Moor, with many Tors, moorland valleys and Commons beyond. OS Explorer 109, walk books or the Iwalk Cornwall app will be invaluable for exploring the delights of this wilderness.

This area is full of granite, peat and fresh air. Down in a valley below St Breward is Wenford Bridge: home to the Snails Pace Café (which we highly recommend) and local start point of the Camel Trail. Hire bikes from the Snail’s Pace or take a stroll – on a level and even surface.

Delphy Bridge is worth finding (roughly a mile from St Breward, en-route to Blisland) for its charm and beauty as a streamside picnic spot. Take a paddle on a hot summer’s day, but it can get a bit busy during weekends.

Unusual for Cornwall, Blisland boasts a village green at its centre. With mature trees around the green, the pub one side, surrounding cottages and the church and a really good community shop the valley side of the green. Blisland holds a sheltered charm within easy walking distance of open moorland.

The ancient Lavethan Woods, Jubilee Rock and Pendrift Downs are all close-by and well worth exploring.  

Colliford and Siblyback Lakes are in the middle of the moor – great freshwater expanses for fishing, birdwatching, walking and water-sports. More detail at South West Lakes Trust.

Jamaica Inn at Bolventor is famed for its connection to author Daphne Du Maurier with a book and subsequent productions of the same name; and as an onward distribution point of smuggled goods in days of old. The core building has retained its traditional features, but being right alongside the A30 has developed into a main stopping point tourist wise.

The Draynes Valley is pretty, leading from Bolventor away from Tom’s Cottage side of Bodmin Moor – Golitha Falls are along here but we’d suggest a walk here at quieter times of day.

Alturnun on the northern edge of the moor is a delightful spot, the main attraction here being its church which is known as the cathedral of the moor.