The beauty and beasts of Bodmin
ADRIAN CAFFERY ends up behind bars on a family break in Cornwall
LOOK, Daddy,” said my three-year-old son during our visit to Bodmin Jail, “that man is ironing that lady’s hair.”
He was starring at life-size models recreating the moment a certain James Holman killed his wife by striking her a blow with a smoothing iron. Holman was hanged for the crime at the jail in 1854.
“He’s straightening her hair,’’ I replied, one of my many ‘alternative’ explanations to the more gruesome exhibits at the Cornish attraction.
Built in 1779, Bodmin Jail was operational for 150 years and was the scene of over 50 public executions, the last being in 1909.
Today it’s an interesting rainy day attraction where visitors can wander through six levels of the building, learning all about penal life in Victorian Cornwall.
A highlight is the original execution pit, discovered during renovation works in 2005 and now restored “to full working order’’ (so unruly visitors beware!)
We were holidaying close by at Hengar Manor, a familyfriendly resort of about 150 cottages, lodges, bungalows and caravans on the edge of Bodmin Moor.
Built around a manor house once owned by a prominent family whose land stretched across the moor, it has been welcoming guests for 40 years.
Being a relatively small holiday village, it was nice to find the amenities, including convenience store, coffee shop and restaurant, were all just a short walk away.
A real bonus (for mums and dads at least) is that a great many of the properties come with hot tubs where you can wind down once the kids are tucked up in bed.
Another place for grownups to relax is the treatment room which offers a wide range of facials, manicures, pedicures and massages.
Guests are also free to cast their rods in to the many fishing lakes (as long as you have a licence) with equipment available to hire.
As for children, activities on offer include body zorbing, disc golf, archery, snorkelling, sea scooters, fencing, den building and more (charged extra).
The highlight of our seven-year-old daughter’s holiday was the water zorbing, where the instructor was exceptionally encouraging and enthusiastic.
She also joined her younger brother for some sand art and a pirate treasure hunt around the adventure playground, tennis court, football pitch and duck ponds.
In the evenings, they enjoyed dancing and games with Sporty the fox and, unlike at other, larger holiday parks, we were able to grab seats close to the action.
Their nights always concluded with kids’ bingo and, for once, the odds of us crying ‘house’ weren’t as steep as us winning the National Lottery.
Two more strings to Hengar Manor’s bow are the nine-hole pitch and putt course and the swimming complex, with children’s pool, sauna and steam room.
The nearest beaches are a 20-minute drive away on the north coast, and they happen to include a couple of Cornwall’s finest.
The Blue Flag beach at the laid-back village of Polzeath is huge at low tide and, if you get there early enough, you can park on the sands.
Gently shelving, and with seasonal lifeguard cover, it’s perfect for learning how to ride waves and was teeming with little surfer dudes when we visited.
In complete contrast, but only a few minutes away, is the beautiful beach at Rock, on the eastern shore of the Camel Estuary, opposite Padstow.
Stretching a mile into the bay, the waters here are unusually calm, and the beach is fringed with high dunes – the perfect spot for a picnic with a view.
All in all, it’s such a fantastic part of the country it would be a crime to holiday anywhere else!