Golitha Falls

Golitha Falls

Last week we stayed with our son in Cornwall and visited the Eden Project. That, of course, has become famous and we enjoyed going there again. However, Golitha Falls is not as well known and we have enjoyed seeing it for more than 20 years. It is on the edge of Bodmin Moor where the river Fowey flows down from beyond Jamaica Inn. The narrow road from the A30 at Bolventor follows the river for much of the six miles to the Falls. Then, a right turn leads to a substantial car park with public toilets on the other side of an old bridge. Alternatively, one can come from the A38 at Doublebois or Dobwalls and after about three miles a left turn and another left after ¼ mile leads to the bridge and car park mentioned above.

The river was flowing gently when we went there last week. It has been very dry for several weeks but last November there were floods and the car park was under water. The bridge was not washed away, though, and all was calm and pleasant as we made our way along the path lined with beech trees beside the river. This area is heavily wooded but cows were grazing in a field on the other side of the river. The field is fenced off except for a short section where the cows are allowed to come into the river to drink. The river makes a big pool as it turns sharply to the right and soon heads into the wooded gorge cut out of the granite hills as the river rushes down a long series of waterfalls and splashes over and round granite boulders.

We had to scramble over rocks and tree roots to get down the river bank again. Some keen photographers were there with their tripods and experimenting with a variety of filters. Other people were clambering over the rocks or paddling in the pools that formed here and there.

We walked back from the river along higher paths through the woods. There were many birds around. We heard chiffchaffs and I heard and then saw a buzzard gliding over the treetops. It was warm – about 25C; exceptional for this time of the year and we were glad of a cup of tea when we got back to our son’s house.