From Duloe Manor in Cornwall you are just over half an hour away from the famous Bodmin Moor; a wonderful area full of history and legend. ‘The Moor’ is a fascinating landscape that has been forever immortalised as a wild and mysterious place by the likes of Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles and du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn. Bodmin, though similarly shrouded in folklore, is a pleasure to explore if you are down in Cornwall and fancy getting out and about in the great outdoors.
One of five extensive granite areas in Cornwall, Bodmin is home to some spectacular geological formations including the two highest peaks in the county: Brown Willy and Rough Tor. The area has a vast and varied history with its first inhabitants dating back to the Neolithic period. You can see a range of prehistoric remains including stone circles and megaliths.
King Arthur and Bodmin Moor
Dozmary Pool
Bodmin Moor is often associated with the Legends of King Arthur and it is said that Dozmary Pool (close to the town of Bolventor and the real Jamaica Inn) was the location of the legendary Lady of the Lake. It is apparently here that King Arthur rowed out to claim Excalibur, and here also that Sir Bedivere returned the same sword upon Arthur’s death.
Bolventor and Dozmary Pool can be found just off the A30 which bisects Bodmin Moor from south-west to north-east.
King Arthur’s Hall
Not far from St Breward, on the western fringe of Bodmin, you’ll find King Arthur’s Hall. This curious stone circle is actually rectangular in shape and almost 50m in length. It consists of a series of standing stones protruding from the encompassing steep bank. The 50 or so stones that are remaining from a possible 140 are still arranged in a rough rectangle. Very little is known about the area’s origins or even its purpose. The centre of the enclosure is still hollow and has a tendency to flood but part of it displays evidence of once having been paved… It’s a mystery!
Though the enclosure clearly pre-dates Arthurian legend, it was named for the ‘once and future king’ following a written claim that King Arthur used to visit the site frequently.
Whatever you believe about the location and its story, the walk to find it is a nice one. You can park at St Breward and footpaths head east out of the village and across the countryside. You’ll find a public footpath right by the church. There are actually a number of Neolithic sites in this area so do keep your eyes peeled while you’re walking to see what else you come across!
Stay in Cornwall and explore Bodmin Moor for yourself. Discover why the area has inspired so many stories and literary classics. Enter your details at the bottom of the page for a free brochure.
