Rough Tor Myth & Legend
Bodmin Moor is between Launceston and Bodmin from east to west, and Camelford and Liskeard, north to south, the moor is at the gateway to the Duchy. It lies within a short drive of both the north and south coasts, as well as many of Cornwall’s major attractions.
Sculpted by the winds that blow over the Tors and the waters that flow over the moors and through the wooded valleys to the sea, this ancient and enigmatic land has been shaped by years of human endeavour into the wonderful landscape we see now.
Designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the moor provides a haven for lovers of birds and wildlife and is a delightful place to walk and enjoy the peace and tranquillity away from the hustle and bustle of modern day living. You do not have to go far to find treasures as everywhere you look there are prehistoric remains, moor-land streams tumbling over granite boulders, medieval bridges and gaunt engine houses standing sentinel over the moor’s edge. Heather and gorse paint the moor-land purple and gold. There are stories and sightings of wild beasts and large cats but they are still being sought.
The parishes, towns, villages & hamlets on Bodmin Moor are delightful and steeped in history & legend. The following is a selection of the larger places:
Altarnun this village nestles in the valley of Penpont Water and is probably one of the prettiest in Cornwall, with a 15C packhorse bridge across the river. The village is home to a 15C church is known as the ‘Cathedral of the Moors’, one of its main features are a signed series of 79 bench ends carved by Robert Daye during a twenty year period from 1510.
From Altarnun a short walk up the ‘sunken lane’ reputed to be one thousand years old lies Five Lanes. The largest building in the village is the 18C Kings Head Hotel with a resident ghost who reputedly haunts the upstairs. A quarter of a mile to the west of Five Lanes is the hamlet of Trewint home to Wesley Cottage.
The village of St Breward boasts the highest church in Cornwall at a height of about 700ft. In February special buns are baked, blessed and distributed amongst the local parishioners. Next door to the church is the only remaining pub, the Old Inn, which has been operating for almost two hundred years. This is also the official
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starting point of the Camel Trail. Nearby are Rough Tor and Brown Willy. Rough Tor rises to a height of about 1300 feet and is the second highest point in Cornwall. Brown Willy, about a mile to the west, is the highest at about 1360 feet. From the summit of Rough Tor, there are superb views across Cornwall. On a good day, both coasts can be seen clearly.
St Tudy is home to the original Celtic graveyard (God’s acre) now containing the beautiful Grade 1 listed parish church and the interesting ‘Clink’ building to the north. Bolventor a hamlet in the centre of the Moor is home to the legendary Dozmary Pool. A legend associated with the pool is that of Jan Tregeagle, who to keep his soul from the Devil, was set a series of impossible tasks. The first was to empty the (what was then thought bottomless) Dozmary Pool with a holed limpet shell. It has since been proved that the lake does have a bottom as it dried out during the last century.
Lewannick is a small village with busy social life with many regular events including the annual pantomime, May Day celebrations with maypole dancing, the spring flower show & annual flower and produce show. Nearby are the pretty hamlets of Polyphant, Trevadlock and Plusha.
At over 1000ft Minions is a village with a moor flowing through it. Surrounded on nearly all sides by moorland, sheep and ponies can and do wander through the village which owes its presence in the main to the intense mining activity during the last century. The Liskeard-Cardon railway passed within a few hundred yards of these workers cottages.
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