Cornwall's Hidden History Blog
It may be a little off the beaten track but with breath-taking views across the Cornish countryside and a mysterious atmosphere Bury Castle near Cardinham is well worth seeking out. This castle has long been a forgotten treasure hidden in our landscape and the theory that it may be connected to the legends of King […]
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In the shadow of Rough Tor is an area of Bodmin Moor known as Crowdy Marsh. Today it is the site of a large reservoir but in the 19th century this was considered a dangerous place, an evil morass that trapped ponies, cattle and men on horseback. The writer J. W Malin called it ” […]
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“Once upon a time, as all good stories begin, St Nonna, the reputed mother of St David happened upon this pleasant place . . .” The Cornwall Village Book, Cornwall W.I., 1991 The moorland village of Altarnun nestles in a river valley. Idyllic, secluded and peaceful. The ancient church, often called ‘the cathedral of the […]
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Bodmin is one of the oldest settlements in Cornwall and the only Cornish town of any size to be mentioned in the Domesday Book. This ancient settlement is said to have been founded by two saints. The first, St Guron built a hermit’s cell in the valley sometime in the early 6th century and then […]
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The landscape of Bodmin Moor is full of reminders of our ancient ancestors. This now wild, rocky upland was once their home, their hunting ground and a source of grazing for their animals but it also held a profound spiritual importance for them. Bodmin Moor, it could be argued, was a place of worship. Alongside […]
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“The parish of Warleggan . . . is surrounded on the west, south and east by deep, wild woods whilst on the north it is closed in by the sentinel-like Carburrow tor.” J. W. Malim, 1936 The Warleggan river rises high on Bodmin Moor not far from Hawks Tor. As it tumbles towards the sea […]
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Let joys uncurb’d swell every soul, And let us own our extacy; For free from sorrow and controul, We’ll celebrate the Jubilee! JOhn Rogers, 1810 Just a short walk north of the moorland village of Blisland are the Pendrift Downs and here, part way up the gorse-covered slope, the walker will find an enormous boulder, […]
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“The sour and uninviting upland pastures” J.R.A. Hockin, 1939 It seems that some places by their very nature create their own mythology. The austere wildness of the vast tracts of Davidstow Moor have conceivably led to it being regarded by many as a dark and haunted landscape. However, a number of strange and unfortunate occurrences […]
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It was early on a bright May day and I had risen at dawn to climb Carburrow Tor in the quiet, cool of the morning. Later, driving back towards the A30, I had a sudden urge to see Dozmary Pool. I took a detour, where the scenic drive hugs the edge of Colliford Reservoir, and […]
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These days the tiny village of Temple boasts a handful of cottages and farms, a red telephone box and one of Cornwall’s most picturesque churches. But in the 12th century, when the Order of the Knight’s Templar were given a small pocket of land in the heart of Bodmin Moor, there was nothing there but […]
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