Bodmin

Bodmin (Cornish: Bosvena) a small town of around 15,000 people in the middle of North Cornwall to the south west of Bodmin Moor. It was the major religious and administrative centre for Cornwall throughout the Middle Ages from the late Saxon period onwards (Bodmin = abode of the monks). Originally the county town in Cornwall and the site of a Cornish Stannary then the home of the County Assize until 1980s. With the rise of the railway in the 19th century, Truro became the county town and in 1870 was given city status with the opening of its cathedral. Some may say this a more apt location for county town.

This page also covers the nearby town of Lostwithiel (Cornish: Lostwydhyel), which is home to Restormel Castle, notable for being almost completely cylindrical.

Understand
In the 1970s, the Greater London Council used Bodmin, and many other towns, to relocate its council tenants, creating several estates around the town.

It would be very easy to write Bodmin off but there are good points.

By road
Bodmin can be accessed by road using the A30. This road which links Exeter (to the east of Bodmin) and Penzance (to the west of Bodmin) is part of the main London-Lands End road - it passes over Bodmin Moor and before the Bodmin by-pass was built, ran trough Bodmin. An alternative road route into Bodmin is to follow the M5 southwards. The M5 terminates a little to the south of Exeter, becoming the A38 which terminates in Bodmin, having passed through Plymouth and to the south of Bodmin Moor.

Bodmin

 * The public buildings in the centre of town have been nicely restored and on a sunny day passes muster.

Buy
The shops in Bodmin are average, and there are lots of Polish shops.