For a completely different side of Cornwall, head inland to Bodmin Moor. Rough Tor and Brown Willy are the two highest hills in the county, crowned with granite tors and surrounded by open moorland, Bronze Age settlements and wandering ponies. Walking up them on a clear day gives you views across the whole of Cornwall, sometimes to both coasts at once.
Getting there and parking
The usual starting point is the Rough Tor car park, at the end of a narrow road that runs south-east from Camelford. It is free, has no facilities, and makes a perfect base for both summits. Bring everything you need with you, as there are no shops or cafés on the moor itself. The nearest are back in Camelford.
Rough Tor
Rough Tor, pronounced "row tor" to rhyme with "now", is the second highest point in Cornwall at about 400 metres. From the car park, a clear track crosses a stream and climbs steadily to the summit, which is a jumble of stacked granite slabs. The walk up takes 30 to 45 minutes. The land around the tor is cared for by the National Trust, and the summit area includes the remains of a Neolithic tor enclosure and a medieval chapel.
On the slopes below you can see the outlines of Bronze Age hut circles and field systems, some of the best preserved in the country. It is a reminder that people have lived and farmed on this moor for thousands of years.
Brown Willy
Brown Willy is Cornwall's highest point at around 420 metres. Its name comes from the Cornish Bronn Wennili, often translated as "hill of swallows". From Rough Tor, the route drops to cross the De Lank River by a footbridge, then climbs the long ridge to the summit cairn. There and back from the car park via both summits is about five to six miles and takes most people three to four hours.
The ground between the two tors can be boggy, especially after rain, and the paths are not always obvious. Take a map and compass or a reliable mapping app, and know how to use them.
Moorland safety
Bodmin Moor can feel remote, and the weather changes fast. Low cloud can roll in with little warning and make navigation difficult. Check the forecast before you go, wear waterproof boots and pack warm and waterproof layers, food and water. In poor visibility, turn back rather than push on.
The moor is common grazing land, so you will meet cattle, sheep and ponies. Give them plenty of space, especially cows with calves, and keep dogs on a short lead around livestock.
Things to look for
Skylarks sing over the moor in spring and summer, and the open ground is good for spotting birds of prey. Near the car park, a memorial remembers Charlotte Dymond, a young woman murdered on the moor in 1844, whose story became one of Cornwall's best-known local legends. To the south, Bodmin Moor also holds Jamaica Inn, made famous by Daphne du Maurier's novel, and the legend-rich Dozmary Pool.
When to go
The moor is beautiful at any time of year, but late summer is special, when the heather turns purple. Spring brings lambs and ponies with foals. Clear winter days can give the best views of all, but the ground is wetter and daylight is short, so start early.
Good to know
- Mobile signal can be patchy on the moor. Tell someone your route before you set off.
- Don't feed the ponies. They are semi-wild and can bite or kick.
- There are no toilets at the car park.
- Take all your litter home and leave stones, walls and monuments as you find them.
Photos: Rough Tor from Brown Willy by Tim Hardy, CC BY-SA 2.0; Rough Tor by Andy F, CC BY 3.0; via Wikimedia Commons.
