North Cornwall

I've been living in this country for over 20years and Cornwall is a place that I booked so many times and always had to cancel it due to circumstances. So when I was actually on the train to Cornwall, I couldn't believe that it was actually happening!

I couldn't fit in the whole of Cornwall due to money so I thought I'll split my trip  over north and south Cornwall. This year, we did North Cornwall which could we easily fit during the May half -term but also had one of the most beautiful waterfalls I wanted to visit (if you read my blog enough, you'll know how we love waterfalls). So off we stayed in Bodmin for 3 days to allow us easy travel across the different towns that was on my list. A warning, you must have excellent driving skills to rive around Cornwall! The roads are so narrow for 2 way-traffic so don't tell me I didn't warn you!

We explored the little town that is Bodmin. It's nice with quite a lot to do. You can easily spend 2 days in Bodmin. We went to Bodmin Jail which was a great attraction and went beyond my expectations! There's also the Army Museum, Bodmin Steam railway, exploring Bodmin Moors and a nice walk to Lanhydrock estate. We didn't do any of that as the kids didn't want to do any of them.

Another obsession of ours are caves. So off we went to Liskeard to visit the Carnglaze Caverns which is on the border of the Bodmin Moors but more importantly, the lovely Golitha Falls (it is not a waterfalls but the river flowing through woodland). Cornwall was big in slate mining and so these caverns were one the slate mines. There is an entrance fee and they are very strict on timing so be there on time. The caves don't take that long but it is not pushchair or wheelchair friendly. The highlights are the pools! I wish were were allowed to swim because the water was so clear! The caves had lots of information as to what exactly happened so great for everyone. We then took a walk around the woodland and gardens surrounding the caves which was lush with greenery! It only took 30mins to walk around. The caves also hold events and has a small gift shop with ample parking.

We spent a whole day in Tintagel. Now, Tintagel is a cute village with stunning views of the beautiful coasts. When we first entered Tintagel, a sweet caramel smell took us to a candy shop where you can see candy being made! A small shop but so many sweets and fudges! There are some old historic buildings such as the Old Post Office and King Arthur Halls. We didn't visit them as we weren't interested so we headed straight to Tintagel Castle! What remains are the walls but it is still so beautiful especially with the coast views! We spent the whole morning walking around and saying "Wow".  Unfortunately, the beach and Merlin's cave was closed due to storm damage so couldn't visit it. We then headed off to St Nectan's Glen Waterfall in Rocky Valley and decided it to hike it there. The map shows 45mins but it was more than 1 hour. I would highly recommend the hike if you can. When I asked the kids what their favourite part of the holiday was once we came back, they both said the hike. Yes, there was a bit of complaining but it was well worth it. Do invest in some good walking boots as some paths are tricky. We walked along the coasts and the views, oh the views, I can't describe them. We were blessed with great weather and so no filters were not needed on any of our photos! When we finally reached St Nectan's Glen, in the middle of what I would call a jungle, it was stunning. You have to pay a little entrance fee but it is well worth it. The water is freezing so beware. The place is used for spiritual retreats so you will see related stuff around the waterfall. Once you get in, you can spend as much time as possible. We were lucky that it wasn't busy. Once you are done, they are woodland walks you can do too. It was a great day! Around the area, there's 

On another day, we went to visit Padstow, a cute little  fishing village. We visited the National Lobster Hatchery where we learned about the lobster life cycle and how the hatchery cared for lobsters from their maternity unit to release of in the wildlife. It is small but very interactive for kids! We then walked around the beach and looking for shells, minerals and exploring caves.

This was our family's expedition to North Cornwall and it didn't disappoint us. It was as people describe Cornwall to be! I can't wait to explore the rest of Cornwall!