Launceston is one of many towns to lay claim to being the ancient capital of Cornwall. Dominated by an 11th-century Norman castle, it was the Duchy’s administrative centre and prison for centuries. Its motto, ‘Royale et Loyale’, points to its allegiance to the Cavalier cause during the Civil War.
Today, Launceston is a traditional market town with plenty of independent shops.
It’s commonly known as the gateway to Cornwall, close to the Tamar and the much-loved ‘Nearly There’ trees. Like so many inland locations, it’s easily bypassed by travellers barrelling down the A30 in search of a good beach.
You can easily spend a day exploring, and it’s worth extending your visit to this month’s walk, which began at Launceston steam railway with a 15-minute journey through the unspoilt countryside of the Kensey Valley, hauled by lovingly restored Victorian steam locomotive Lilian, who once worked in Welsh quarries but now has a much easier life. The railway is a labour of love for Nigel Bowman, who bought Lilian from the Penrhyn Slate Quarry in 1964, restored her to working order then looked for somewhere to lay some track, plumping for the site of the old gasworks in Launceston (which was once on the railway line from London to Padstow, until Dr Beeching put paid to that). If you’re lucky, which we were, you might bump into Nigel who will be able to answer all your questions.
The line follows the meandering River Kensey, a 10-mile tributary of the River Tamar which divides Launceston from its suburb of Newport and continues into lush green countryside. This is a walk of rolling hills and fields, the sweet sound of birdsong mingling with the rumble of the distant A30.
Look out en route for the Kestle Rings, a fine Iron Age ‘annexe’ type hillfort; and make a brief detour to wet your whistle at The Eliot Arms, a delightful ivy-clad pub in Tregadillet that was once a Freemasons’ Lodge for French officer prisoners-of-war on parole in Launceston. This makes an alternative starting point for the walk if you’d rather skip the train journey.
There’s just enough time to fit this walk in between trains, and do leave time to explore the station, with its museum, bookshop, buffet and a view over the old Launceston Priory (which is a short walk away, as is the Prior’s packbridge over the River Kensey). Pay once and ride all day – but now the farm park at Newmills has permanently closed, the walk and the pub are probably the main attraction from this terminus.
Don’t forget, Launceston Show is on Thursday, July 30 at nearby Kennards House.
1. Take the train from Launceston to the terminus at New Mills. Upon disembarking from the train, turn right and walk to the end of the platform and through a wooden gate towards a bridge. Turn left before the bridge to walk along a grassy track. Turn left when it meets a lane, then right at the road junction. Continue along this road, passing a sign to Tregadillet on your left (this is the bottom of Cracky Hill) and crossing a stream.
2. At Tankers Lane, turn left (the public footpath sign was buried in the hedge to the right when we did this walk). Pass through the yard and through a big gate, then take the gate on your left and walk uphill (beware of the cows). Skirt round a copse of trees, and pause to admire the Kestle Rings fort.
3. Turn right through a gate along a grassy path, through another gate and wood yard, then left. Follow the lane as it bends right. At a junction, turn left and immediately left again.
4. When the road bends right, go through the gate in front of you and cross the field, aiming for a stile in the middle. Cross another field to another stile, then follow the path down through the woodland and cross a bridge.
5. Turn left onto a track, then right to walk through the village (this is the top of Cracky Hill) to reach the pub if desired, crossing the cul-de-sac Dennis Gardens. Once fed and watered, retrace your steps to the village green and turn right past a set of white garages and behind houses.
6. Go through a kissing gate, bear right and cross the field. Cross over the field boundary and turn immediately left towards a stile, enjoying views of Kit Hill and Dartmoor over the border into Devon. Climb over another stile and follow the path straight on between the hedge and a fence, then through a gate onto a wide track between hedges.
7. Upon reaching a tarmacked lane and some houses, you’ll find two gates on your left: go through the right-hand gate and follow this path as it weaves in and out of Trebursye Wood, following a wire fence to your right denoting where the woodland is private (this has fallen down in places).
8. Continue through gates and over stiles until you finally reach a metal gate and cross a field to a stile. Turn right on the lane, then immediately left to return to the railway station. .
COMPASS POINTS
Start: Launceston steam railway (alternative: The Eliot Arms, Tregadillet)
Length: 3.5 miles/2 hours
Parking and facilities: Launceston steam railway and The Eliot Arms
OS Map: Landranger 201 Plymouth & Launceston
Terrain: Several stiles. Can be muddy after rain.
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