TODAY we are enjoying the wild beauty of Bodmin Moor as the Voice continues its serialisation of the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County.

Voice journalist Andrew Townsend, the author of the book, says: “Having been all around the coast of Cornwall taking in majestic headlands and tranquil creeks and having followed the inland boundary with Devon along the beautiful Tamar Valley, we are now on the biggest of the granite uplands that form the spine of the county.

“You can really get away from it all in the enormous open spaces of Bodmin Moor.”

The moor covers a wide area in the east and north of Cornwall. The highest point on the moor, and, indeed, in Cornwall, is Brown Willy which rises to around 1,378ft (420m). The second highest tor on the moor is Rough Tor (1,313ft) which is only around one mile from Brown Willy.

A tree shaped by the prevailing wind on Bodmin Moor. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
A tree shaped by the prevailing wind on Bodmin Moor. (Picture: Andrew Townsend) (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

The River Fowey has its source in the granite upland and on its course is the beauty spot of the Golitha Falls National Nature Reserve.

The moor has prehistoric sites and, in modern times, has been designated an International Dark Sky Landscape, good for stargazing.

There are three reservoirs on the moor: Colliford, south of Jamaica Inn; Crowdy, close to Camelford; and Siblyback, north of Liskeard. Dozmary Pool, linked with Arthurian legend, is near Colliford Lake.

Next time we will be visiting Bodmin, in the heart of Cornwall, once the county town, and Lostwithiel, a fine old town, having also once been the capital of the county.

Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as an ebook on Amazon.
Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Our lovely tour around Cornwall, taking in well-known spots but also lesser-known locations, offers something for everyone, from brilliant beaches, rugged moorland, storm-beaten cliffs and scenic rivers to welcoming towns, pretty villages, mining heritage sites and visitor attractions.

• Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. More details of Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is also available as an ebook, can be found via this link to Andrew’s author page on Amazon - bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor