Monday 4 September 2017

What to Do in Bodmin, Cornwall

Last week, I went to Cornwall with my family. There, we stayed in a lovely cottage on the Camel Valley Vineyard, not far from the historic town of Bodmin.

1. Have lunch on the Bodmin Steam Railway


Having seen the Steam Railway at Boscarne Junction the day before, we bought a large picnic in the morning, along with a bottle of wine, and headed off to the station.


There were tables going up and down the carriage on either side, with windows looking out (though do close the one in the middle as the gubbins from the engine can get it). We spread out the food and ate and played cards whilst watching the world go by. The train doesn’t go far, only a few miles each way, but it was ample time for a hearty lunch.

2. Have a drink at Camel Valley Vineyard


Camel Valley is an award winning vineyard, being served at the Ritz and by the Queen. My family has been fans of this vineyard for about 15 years and for a good reason. It’s an easy distance off the Camel Trail, so is easy to pop in to for a drink. They run tours of the grounds, more so in the summer. The Grand Tour (which includes wine tasting and runs on one evening a week – 2 in the summer) costs 15, whilst the normal Guided Tour costs 8.50. We got our tour free as we stayed there, although I’m not sure I’d want to pay that much for it, although it was definitely very interesting.


3. Bodmin Prison


When we looked through some of the potential places to visit, Bodmin Jail was one of the only ones that really caught my attention. I’m one of those sick History nerds, who loves finding out about historic crime and looking around old prisons. We went along after our lunch on the train and it was quite interesting. The Jail was the site of one of the last executions in Britain and many more before that. The stories of many of these executions are told in the museum, along with a video describing the sentencing of William Hampton (the last person to be executed here) which has some hilarious acting and interviews, despite their original intention.


4. Cycle the Camel Trail


With our accommodation right on the Camel Trail, it would be difficult not to have gone on it at some point. The Trail is an old railway line, so is very flat and easy to cycle along, and it goes around the towns of Bodmin, Wadebridge, and Padstow so can be used as a means of getting to each town without driving (admittedly, it will take a while longer so it depends on how much exercise you’re planning on doing).


What’s your favourite thing to do in Cornwall?


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