Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOP OF CHAPTER
Central & Eastern Moor
Standing in a desolate spot in the middle of the moor, beside the old coaching road
Daphne du Maurier's classic adventure story, published in 1936. The author apparently
conceived the idea for the topic when she got lost while riding on Bodmin Moor and took
shelter at the inn, where she was entertained with spooky stories and smuggling yarns by
the local parson from Altarnun Church - some of which provided the basis for the topics
plot. The inn now houses a small museum of smuggling, although sadly much of its peri-
od character has been swept away since du Maurier's day.
Sights
Dozmary Pool
About a mile south from Jamaica Inn is the glassy expanse of Dozmary Pool, said by
some to be the lake where Arthur was given his famous sword, Excalibur, by the Lady of
the Lake.
It's also supposedly bottomless: another local legend concerns young Jan Tregeagle,
who made a pact with the devil and in return was damned to spend his days emptying the
neverending pool with a leaking limpet shell.
Just to the west is
Colliford Lake
, Cornwall's largest and highest reservoir.
LAKE
Tamar Otter Wildlife Centre
( 01566-785646;
www.tamarotters.co.uk
; North Petherwin, near Launceston; adult/child £7.50/4; 10.30am-6pm
Apr-Oct)
Generally, you'll need the skills of Ray Mears to spot otters in the wild, but this
wildlife centre 5 miles outside Launceston guarantees a sighting. There's a population of
British and Asian Short-Clawed otters, split between three families, which live in their
own naturally constructed holts. Feeding time is at noon and 3pm daily. Elsewhere round
the reserve you'll have the chance to see fallow deer, muntjac, pheasants and Scottish
wildcats.
WILDLIFE CENTRE
Launceston Castle
CASTLE
