Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Jordan and Paradise), it's the perfect Cornish port, filled with slate-roofed houses and an
impressive Elizabethan-era harbour (built in 1584 by Sir Richard Grenville).
The village hit the headlines in August 2004 when freak rainfall caused a dramatic flash
flood that swept away cars and devastated many buildings (although thankfully no-one
lost their lives). There's precious little sign of the flood left now, though - and a series of
river management schemes have hopefully ensured the flood was a freak occurrence
rather than a regular event.
The wildflower-spotted cliffs provide the perfect backdrop for a blustery picnic, and the
village's oddball
Museum of Witchcraft
( 01840-250111;
www.museumofwitchcraft.com
; The Harbour;
adult/child £4/3; 10.30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 11.30am-6pm Sun Mar-Nov)
is also well worth a peek. Foun-
ded by the occult expert and ex-MI6 spy Cecil Williamson in 1960, the museum's weird
exhibits include witch's poppets (a kind of voodoo doll), divination pans, enchanted
skulls, pickled beasts and a horrific 'witch's bridle', designed to extract confessions from
suspected hags. Kids will love it.
Sleeping
Boscastle YHA
( 01840-250928, 0845-371 9006;
boscastle@yha.org.uk
;
dm £18; Apr-Nov)
Boscastle's shoebox-sized
hostel was all but washed away by the floods in 2004, but it's been completely renovated.
It's in one of the village's oldest buildings, beside the harbour, but be prepared for small
dorms.
HOSTEL
£
Orchard Lodge
( 01840-250418;
www.orchardlodgeboscastle.co.uk
; Gunpool Lane; d £89; )
A short walk uphill,
this is a thoroughly modern B&B, crisply finished in slinky fabrics and cool colours and
run with efficiency by owners Geoff and Shirley Barratt. Rates get cheaper the longer you
stay. No kids under 12.
B&B
££
Boscastle House
( 01840-250654;
www.boscastlehouse.com
; Tin-tagel Rd; s/d £55/120; )
The fanciest of Boscastle
B&Bs, this Victorian house overlooks the valley, with six rooms named after Cornish le-
gends. Charlotte has bay-window views, Nine Windows has his-and-hers sinks and a
freestanding bath, while Trelawney has space and its own sofa.
B&B
££
