Strange, tragic, and gory, there’s a darker side to Bodmin’s story. Where the walls hold memories and mist creeps over the moor, there’s a thrill to be found by digging deeper.
From ghostly footfalls to legendary beasts, Bodmin has some wild tales to tell. These dark histories cast an intriguing shadow on local landmarks. Beneath the stones and behind the doors of our imposing buildings, you’ll find secrets lurking. The eerie and uncanny are just another dimension of Bodmin’s character.
This place has stood through centuries of change and conflict, from the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Civil War, to famous trials and public executions. So, it’s no surprise that Bodmin is reportedly home to some of Cornwall’s most haunted locations.
In one day (and maybe even a night), you can take in a cluster of notorious spots. Whether you believe in ghosts or prefer to stay sceptical, these places conjure atmospheric and evocative stories of Bodmin’s past. A walk to the Shire Hall on Mount Folly Square will take you to the site of the town’s most infamous courtroom dramas. Here, in 1844, local farm worker Matthew Weekes was accused of killing 18-year-old Charlotte Dymond on Bodmin Moor. The crime, and the trial held in this building, prompted a surge of public interest, which reached its peak when Weekes was found guilty and sentenced to death. You can follow his fatal route by walking from the former court to nearby Bodmin Jail, where Weekes was taken to be imprisoned and hanged. A memorial to Charlotte Dymond now stands on the edge of Roughtor, on Bodmin Moor.
Today, the ghost of Matthew Weekes is rumoured to reside in Bodmin Jail, protesting his innocence. But he’s certainly not the only one. The site’s troubled past saw many people arrive, destined never to leave. They include Sarah Polgrean, who murdered her husband with arsenic, and the highway robbers-turned-killers James and William
Lightfoot. In fact, the jail is considered so haunted that you can join dedicated ghost experiences – including lantern-lit storytelling tours and overnight paranormal investigations.
Further afield, at Lanhydrock, resident ghosts are said to include a lady dressed in grey, who has been seen in the long gallery – one of the only parts of the original 17th century house to survive a disastrous fire. And, if you smell cigars in the smoking room, there’s a chance this has a spectral source. Others have reported the same scent over the years, too.
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For centuries, the vast and lonely expanse of Bodmin Moor has captivated storytellers. It was here, during her twenties, that the author Daphne du Maurier became hopelessly lost while exploring with a friend. She’d later write that ‘In a moment all was desolation.’ They sheltered from the rain in an abandoned cottage, crossed a ghostly railway line (which she’d never be able to find again), and let their horses eventually lead them towards the ‘gaunt chimneys’ of Jamaica Inn. The eerie memory sparked the creation of her future novel, also named Jamaica Inn, years later.
But du Maurier wasn’t the only figure to wander through this place. People have lived and worked on the moor since prehistoric times, leaving their traces in stone circles and long-sealed tombs. Trethevy Quoit, for instance, was constructed to house remains during the Neolithic period. The naming of King Arthur’s Hall, an ancient ceremonial site, hints at the figure of this legendary king stalking the moors. According to stories, nearby Dozmary Pool is where his sword, Excalibur, was returned to the Lady of the Lake.
Dozmary Pool is also associated with another Cornish ghost story – the tale of Jan Tregeagle. Versions vary, but it’s popularly told that in the 17th century, Tregeagle pursued a dark path, bargaining away his soul in a pact with the Devil. After his death, he was condemned to empty the waters of Dozmary Pool with a limpet shell – a task that causes such misery, he haunts the moor for eternity. Other shadowy figures include a White Lady, said to wander through the moorland village of Altarnun, and the ghostly spirit of a druid who offers drinks from a golden cup near Rillaton Barrow.
However, it’s not just ghosts that are linked to the landscape here. During the 1990s, the British Government officially investigated sightings of “the Beast of Bodmin Moor”. This large, black, panther-like animal may be the stuff of legend, but some believe it really is a species of wild cat, or an escaped or released creature that lived on the moor. Others point to a paranormal explanation, like a phantom cat. The nineties investigation didn’t find any concrete proof of the so-called beast’s existence – but neither could it rule it out.
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