Tuesday, 2. June 2026
Bodmin, Cornwall
Bodmin Moor has always carried a certain mystery. With its windswept landscape, old coaching inns, tales of smugglers and stories of strange creatures said to roam the moor, it is one of those parts of Cornwall where history and folklore seem to sit side by side. So for today, a visit to Bodmin Jail and Jamaica Inn felt like a good way to explore that darker, more atmospheric side of Kernow.
Bodmin Jail – dating back to 1779 – and now a tourist attraction (and a hotel!) – is full of immersive interactive storytelling, setting the scene before you arrive at the cells. In the cells themselves, there is lots of interesting information about how the prison used to operate, prison reform, the people (inmates) who were imprisoned here. There’s an exhibition too.
After our visit to Bodmin Jail we went to find some lunch. Located in the middle of Bodmin Moor, Jamaica Inn is an old coaching inn, built in 1750. As the Inn’s website states: “Back then, it served weary travellers and hardworking horses on the coach road between Launceston and Bodmin. But it also became rather a naughty little place, an infamous hub for Cornwall’s smuggling trade.“
Inside it really does have that traditional pub feel, with wooden beams, large fireplace in the bar area, it did feel like stepping back in time. We stopped for lunch so I had a Cornish Pasty (got to, when in Cornwall). It was good but ver big, I couldn’t finish it!
Back in our barn conversion, we had a BBQ this evening – it was a bit cold in the wind but I enjoyed the food (sausages and burgers). We followed that with some time in the hot tub before we came indoors.
Good night,
FH.
