Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BODMIN
POP 14,500
On the western side of the moor is the stout market town of Bodmin, which grew up around
a large 7th-century monastery founded by St Petroc, and later became one of the county's
most important stannary towns. Although much of Bodmin's administrative power shifted
to Truro in the late 19th century, Bodmin remained the seat of the county court until the
mid-1990s. You can visit the old courtroom inside the town hall and the ruins of Bodmin
Jail, Cornwall's most infamous lock-up, where lawbreakers were incarcerated or - in more
serious cases - introduced to the hangman's noose.
The modern town has little to detain you, but it makes a useful launch-pad for venturing
out onto nearby Bodmin Moor.
Sights & Activities
Cardinham Woods
( 01208-72577;
www.forestry.gov.uk/cardinham
)
Just outside Bodmin, this large public forest is a
great spot for a woody wander, and also has a network of mountain-bike trails if you're
feeling more energetic. The Bodmin & Wenford Railway stops at nearby Coleslogget Halt,
from where a 1.5-mile trail leads to Cardinham.
FOREST
Bodmin Jail
( 01208-76292;
www.bodminjail.org
; Berrycoombe Rd; adult/child £7.50/5.50; 10am-dusk)
Once the
county's main prison, this forbidding place is now notorious for the numerous ghosts said
to haunt it. Though much of the original jail has fallen into ruin, the ivy-grown walls are a
spooky sight, and you can still wander round several cells, including one used for con-
demned prisoners. The jail also has the UK's only working 'execution pit', discovered dur-
ing renovations in 2005. Late-night ghost walks are held several times a year.
PRISON
Bodmin & Wenford Railway
( 01208-73555;
www.bodminrailway.co.uk
; adult/child/family £12/6/33; Mar-Oct)
The old stretch of rail-
way that once ran from Bodmin to the north coast was closed in the 1960s, but a stretch of
track between Bodmin and Boscarne Junction is still open to the vintage steam engines of
the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. The carriages are still decked out in their 1950s livery,
STEAM RAILWAY
