iKnow Cornwall
Bodmin Accommodation
Bodmin Moor Family Walking at Golitha Falls
Celtic Crosses and Markers on Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor Landscape near Minions
The Hurlers, Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor Granite Outcrops - Cheesewring near Minions
Woodland Walking in Golitha Falls, Bodmin MoorBodmin Moor Tourist Information Jail Cornwall UK
Bodmin on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor, just off the A30 makes the perfect base for exploring not just Bodmin, but also cycling on the Camel Trail, visits to Wadebridge and the John Betjemin Centre, and it's only a 20 minute drive from the Eden Project and the South Cornwall Coast. Bodmin itself is a Cornish town with an interesting history, and there are plenty of attractions within the town to keep you busy, including the fascinating Bodmin Jail built in 1779, Shire Hall (Assizes) and it's reinactment of a court case and St Petroc's Church containing a 12th century casket which is thought to hold the remains of the saint.
The Camel Trail, a superb off road cycling and walking track, is constantly being developed. It now runs right into Bodmin, and cycle hire is available at Bodmin General Station. The recently opened St Guron's Trail is another multi use trail connecting the two southern sides of Bodmin. If you're looking for a Cornwall holiday base offering easy access to Bodmin Moor and with plenty going on, Bodmin fits the bill!
Bodmin Tourist Information & the Camel Trail
Bodmin's selection of attractions cover various themes, from history to easy access to the superb outdoor family cycling and walking trail - the Camel Trail. Originally a disused railway track, the Camel Trail journeys from Padstow to Poleys Bridge taking in Wadebridge and Bodmin along the way. Attractions within easy reach from Bodmin along the trail include the Camel Valley Vineyard. Hire bikes from Bodmin Cycle Hire based at Bodmin General Station. Pre-booking is recommended. Check the weblink right for prices and booking.
The Camel Valley Vineyard, Nanstallon, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL30 5LG. Tel: 01208 77959. (website right) Guided tours of the Vineyard take placed at 2.30pm from Monday to Friday. The tour includes a look round the vineyards, an insight into how wine is made and of course wine tasting. You can buy these delicious Cornwall wines and sample glasses from the terrace.Wines produced in this vineyard have won numerous awards. Plus, if you're visiting, there's a real down to earth and friendly welcome - if you're a beginner to wines and want to learn more it's the perfect experience - no snobbishness here at all.
Bodmin Cycle Hire, based at Bodmin General Station. Tel: 01208 73555. Pre-booking recommended.
Bodmin Tourist Information Centre, Shire Hall, Mount Folly, Bodmin, Cornwall.PL31 2DQ. Tel: 01208 76616.
The History of Bodmin Jail & When was the Last Hanging in Bodmin Jail?
Bodmin Jail on Berrycombe Road in Bodmin is one of the areas top attractions. The site is large, set across 3 acres of grounds, with various original buildings still remaining to view. Built in 1779, this jail was renowned for it's appalling conditions, and gruesome public executions. The last hanging took place here in 1909 - not that long ago!
Built with granite from local Bodmin Quarry - Cuckoo Quarry, a visit to Bodmin Jail is a sobering experience, despite the tourism attempts to lighten it with ghost stories galore. On display are numerous original tools of execution including gallows, stocks and viewings of the underground cells where prisoners were held. Public executions held here on Berrycombe Road drew in large crowds from all over Cornwall - a gruesome reminder of the British Justice system of old. People were hung from the gallows for petty crimes - Elizabeth Osborne aged 20 was hung here in 1813 for setting fire to a corn stack!
Bodmin Jail remained an important site right up until the First World War - during this war the Doomsday Book, various state papers and the Crown Jewels were held here!
Bodmin Jail, Berrycombe Road, Bodmin, Cornwall. PL31 2NR. Tel: 01208 76292. The jail sits at the end of the Camel Trail if you're cycling from outside of Bodmin. Free parking is available on-site and there's a popular restaurant and bar, serving food daily from 10am with an outdoor covered courtyard. Real Cornish Ales and fine wines are also available, plus a Craft/Gift shop is also on-site. Open all year round from 10am to dusk. The Licensed restaurant on-site is open from 10am until late.
Shire Hall & Bodmin Museum
Many prefer the interactive courtroom experience of Shire Hall adjacent to Bodmin's central Museum, but this little museum has some fascinating photographs of local life and people, and takes a good look at the social history of Bodmin and Bodmin Moor with particular reference to agriculture. Well worth a look, the museum also includes a fire engine dating from 1770, a model forge and a Victorian Cornish kitchen.
Bodmin Town Museum, Mount Folly, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2HQ. Tel: 01208 77067. Opening Times from the Monday before Easter to end September: Monday - Friday 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Throughout October Bodmin Museum is open from Monday - Saturday 10.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Shire Hall, adjacent to the Bodmin Museum, is a Grade II listed building once the centre of the Assizes (law courts). Indeed it was used for this purpose as late as 1988! Today it's a tourist attraction, and particularly popular for it's reinactment of a court case which did indeed take place here. The exhibit is called the Charlotte Dymond Courtroom Trial, with talking models relying the events of the trial of farm hand Matthew Weeks, whose trial took place in 1844 for the murder of his lover Charlotte Dymond. You, the audience, get to decide whether he's guilty or not. See the weblink right for more details.
Shire Hall, Mount Folly, Bodmin. Tel: 01208 76616. Times of the reinactment are on the hour from 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m, running from Monday to Saturday [Easter to October 31] and Monday to Friday [November to Easter].
Bodmin & Wenford Steam Railway
Bodmin and East Cornwall is prime territory for steam railways and the Bodmin & Wenford Steam Railway is one of the best. This railway is a standard gauge and the track runs for 13 miles. Catch the steam trains at Bodmin General Station.
This little Cornish steam railway is just part of the old Bodmin and Wenford Railway built as far back as the early 1830s to transport sand from the Camel Estuary to inland farms. To understand how this branch line fit with the network of railway lines in the area see the comprehensive history guide on the superb Bodmin & Wendford Steam Railway website to the right.
They do Murder Mystery Steam railway journeys on this line too - check the website for details.
Bodmin & Wenford Railway, General Station, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1AQ. Tel: 01208 73666 .
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