Polyphant

Polyphant is a small village about 4 miles west of Launceston, close to the eastern edge of Bodmin Moor. The village gives its name to Polyphant stone, a grey-green chloritic schist or soapstone that was quarried locally and extensively used for carved decoration in medieval Cornish churches - font bowls, corbels, and decorative elements in churches across north and east Cornwall were made from this distinctive material, which is softer and easier to carve than granite.

The village sits in rolling farmland between Launceston and the moorland. Altarnun, with its “Cathedral of the Moor” church, is about 2 miles south-west. The A30 passes about 2 miles south, providing quick access to Launceston (with its castle and services) and westward toward Bodmin and Truro. The Five Lanes junction on the A30, a common stopping and routing point for travel across the moor, is about 2 miles south.

Bodmin Moor is accessible from the south and west of the village. Holiday accommodation near Polyphant is in farm cottages and converted stone buildings, with the moorland landscape providing a backdrop for walking.