Blisland

Blisland is one of the few villages in Cornwall built around a traditional green, with granite cottages, the Norman church of St Protus and St Hyacinth, and the Blisland Inn arranged around an open grass area. The village sits on the western edge of Bodmin Moor. The Blisland Inn has won CAMRA awards, including national Pub of the Year in 2000, and keeps a regularly changing selection of Cornish ales - it’s a genuine draw for beer enthusiasts making the trip along the narrow lanes from the A30.

The open moorland starts immediately east of the village. The Jubilee Rock, carved with coats of arms and symbols to celebrate the 1809 jubilee of George III, stands on Pendrift Downs about a mile from the village. The De Lank River runs through a wooded valley below, with swimming holes used by locals in summer. Walking routes from Blisland lead onto the moor toward Rough Tor (about 5 miles north-east) and Brown Willy, Cornwall’s highest point at 1,378 feet.

Holiday properties in Blisland are mostly stone cottages and converted barns, reflecting the village’s farming heritage. The location works for walkers and anyone who prefers moor and woodland to beaches - though the north coast at Padstow and Polzeath is about 12 miles away. Bodmin is roughly 5 miles south-west, and the Camel Trail can be joined near Wenford Bridge, a few miles away, where the old railway line has been converted to a cycling and walking path.