High up on Cornwall's bleak Bodmin Moor, just over a mile away from the famous Jamaica Inn at Bolventor, lies Dozmary Pool.
In the legend it was here that King Arthur was supposed to have rowed out to the Lady of the Lake and received the sword Excalibur. The pool is also the place where Sir Bedivere returned Excalibur as Arthur lay dying after the Battle of Camlann.
Another tale associated with Dozmary Pool is that of Jan Tregeagle. In search of deviant exploits, Tregeagle makes a Faustian bargain with the Devil and is given money and power. At the conclusion of his life, he is damned to the "bottomless" Dozmary Pool, where he is tormented to this day. It is said that Tregeagle's ghost can still be heard howling across the moor.
Tags: Cornwall Dozmary Pool lakes King Arthur Excalibur Bodmin Moor
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Altarnun is simply one of the most beautiful Cornish villages that I have come across. There has been a church here since the sixth century, though the present church dates mainly from the 15th century. The rectory is featured in Daphne du Maurier's novel, "Jamaica Inn". The inn itself is about five miles up the road from here at Bolventor. This beautiful village lies in the valley of Penpont Water, which is crossed by a 15th century packhorse bridge. The stream eventually joins the River Tamar and thence to the sea at Plymouth.
The grade I-listed Church of St Nonna was built from stones from an earlier church plus unquarried stones from the moor. It is regarded by Simon Jenkins as one of England's Thousand Best Churches.
Tags: Cornwall Altarnun Bodmin Moor !5th century packhorse bridges Church of St Nonna, Altarnun England's Thousand Best Churches Penpont Water streams Explored
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Altarnun is a beautiful little village in the centre of Bodmin Moor. Amazingly, the village has several dozen listed buildings, including along this main road, where buildings tend to date from the Georgian era.
Altarnun is named in the Domesday Book as Penpont (Penpont Water is a stream that runs past the church) but takes its present name from the 6th century church of St Nonna , where St Nonna’s altar was originally preserved. Several legends of early Celtic saints describes how they used to carry a portable stone altar with them. The modern spelling of Altarnun is a corruption of the earlier Altarnon.
Tags: Cornwall Altarnun villages streets villages cottages
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The southern part of Bodmin Moor near Minions features several stone circles known as the Hurlers. The area also has a number of ponies who seem to be used to the frequent visitors, and allow you to get quite close to their new-born foals without seeming alarmed.
Tags: Cornwall Bodmin Moor Minions The Hurlers ponies foals
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Known as the Cathedral of the Moors, the Grade I-listed medieval church at Altarnun on Bodmin Moor has Norman origins but was largely rebuilt in the 15th century from stones from an earlier church plus unquarried stones from the moor. The font dates from Norman times and features a fierce bearded head, still with some colours remaining. The benches date from the early 16th century, and the 79 bench ends are among the finest in Cornwall. This is considered by Simon Jenkins to be one of England's Thousand Best Churches.
Tags: Cornwall Bodmin Moor Altarnun Church of St Nonna Grade I-listed buildings England's Thousand Best Churches Norman fonts church interiors Explored
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