Our local area

We are located midway between LOOE and POLPERRO just over a mile off TALLAND BAY.

Camping Caradon Touring Park is bordering on to one of Cornwall's Costal Area's

of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area covering Par Sands and up to the Fishing port of Looe.

To the back of Camping Caradon we have Bodmin Moor on a clear day we have beautiful views over Caradon Hill located by the Minnions on the outskirts of Bodmin moor. Bodmin Moor is also one of Cornwalls Area's of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Find our Local area on the "Cornwall Map", and read more about

"AONB" Cornwalls Area's of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

OUR LOCAL AREA OF "AONB"

PLACES TO VISIT CLOSE BY

LOOE "AONB" 2.5 miles from Camping Caradon
Looe is the principal seaside town of south-east Cornwall and Looe harbour is the base for an important fishing fleet.

In medieval times there were two towns on opposite banks of the River Looe. East Looe includes the fishing harbour, the main shopping centre and the sandiest beach. West Looe is quieter, but also has shops, restaurants and hotels and leads to Hannafore with its fine views of Looe Island. The two towns are joined together by a bridge across the river. Find out more at www.looe.org         (Bus to & from campsite)

Looe Old Guildhall Museum Located in the middle of East Looe is housed in the 15th century former Guildhall, this museum holds a fascinating display of Looe's history, especially fishing, boat building and smuggling. The building itself still has many original features including prison cell, magistrate bench and original stocks. Looe's Marine Heritage

LOOE ISLAND Back in 1965 sisters Babs and Evelyn Atkins dreamed of owning their own island and had the determination to achieve that dream. The island in question lies about one mile off the south Cornwall coast near Looe - it is of outstanding natural beauty, of 22.5 acres in area and one mile in circumfrence. The highest point is 150 feet above sea level.. The island has magnificent sea and coastal views stretching from Prawle Point in Devon to the Lizard Peninsula.

With frost and snow virtually unknown it has an exceptionally mild climate. Daffodils bloom at Christmas and, unlike most small islands, it is partly wooded. A natural sanctuary for sea and woodland birds and one time haunt to smugglers, its known history includes a Benedictine chapel built in 1139 of which only a few stones remain visible. Legend has it that Joseph of Arimethea landed here with the child Christ. The island is normally only accessible by boat but on just one or two days a year there is usually a tide low enough for the journey to be made by foot across the rocky sea floor - you need expert help to make the journey by the shortest and easiest route and there's no time to linger before the tide rushes in again. Miss Babs Atkins, the last living owner of Looe Island, has in 2000, leased the island to the "Cornwall Wildlife Trust" to be managed as a nature reserve. Both of the sisters are now deseased.   Find out more LOOE ISLAND       The island is part of the Looe Voluntary Marine Conservation Area (Looe VMCA).  The Wildlife Trust Cornwall YOU CAN WALK TO LOOE ISLAND FROM THE MAIN LAND 2 TIMES A YEAR WHEN THE TIDE IS REALLY LOW. NEXT TIME YOU CAN WALK TO LOOE ISLAND IS ON THE 22ND AUGUST 2009 To explore Looe IsLand  find leaflet on boat trips to the Island in our Reception

POLPERRO "AONB" 2.5 miles from Camping Caradon
Polperro is a picture book village with narrow, winding streets, cottages perched on steep slopes overlooking a tiny harbour - beautiful views, wonderful cliff-path walks, interesting shops, superb pubs

and restaurants and lovely places to stay - chances are you'll want to come again - maybe, like many visitors, you'll want to stay - for ever. Find out more www.polperro.org    (Bus to & from campsite)

The Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing houses a remarkable collection of exhibits and 19th century photographs as well as many items of memorabilia dating from the 18th century when both smuggling and fishing thrived in Polperro. It vividly brings to life the story of this Cornish fishing village's extraordinary history and many of the people who featured in it.

TALLAND BAY "AONB" 1.5 miles from Camping Caradon
Talland Bay is a special place - many who have spent holidays here, especially in childhood, will never forget it. The bay lies between the small harbour town of Looe and the picturesque fishing village of Polperro in south-east Cornwall (Kernow).        Find out more www.talland.org see more pictures westcountryviews

Talland itself is just a tiny hamlet comprising an ancient church and its old vicarage, a farm and a handful of houses and cottages.

The picturesque fishing villages of Polperro & Looe is just a short walk away along the South West Coast Path which passes through the bay. Walk down to Talland Bay from our campsite, have a pit stop at Talland cafe for an Cornish Icecream before you continue on the costal path.

Get maps on near by "Coastel Walks" in our Reception or at The South West Coast Path

KILMINORTH WOODS     0.5 Miles behind Camping Caradon

Kilminorth Woods Local Nature Reserve is located just outside the historic fishing port of Looe in south-east Cornwall. It is a beautiful ancient woodland site, which runs adjacent to the estuary of the West Looe River. Kilminorth Woods

It is a beautiful walk from Camping Caradon down in to Kilminorth woods. Discover a carpet of bluebells in the spring or collect "Hazel nuts" or "Horse Chestnuts" in the Autumn. Follow the stream from Watergate down to the Mill Pool carpark in West Looe through the woods.

FOWEY "AONB" 7 miles from Camping Caradon

Fowey's proud maritime history can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where it acted as an important port for warships and galleons. Many of the vessels that sailed from Fowey's shores became involved in historical confrontations such as the Calais Blockade. Other vessels were used by historical figures such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. Both sailed from Fowey's shores further strengthening its reputation as a significant seafaring town.  Fowey

    
The nearby Polruan, on the opposite side of the estuary, has a contrasting waterfront which consists largely of working buildings such as boat-houses and ship-building yards. Behind these, Fisherman's cottages creep up the hill and look out over the wonderful harbour. Although few shops remain in Polruan there is still a collection of popular pubs and inns such as the Lugger and Russell. Ferries leave from Fowey to Polruan every 15 minutes using both Town Quay and the Whitehouse slip, depending on season. 
From Camping Caradon it is possible to walk the coastel path from Talland Bay to Polruan (ferrie to Fowey from Polruan) and then bus back to the camp site. Information & Timetable available in our reception.

BODMIN MOOR "AONB"  16 miles from Camping Caradon 

Minions Heritage Centre is at the foot of Caradon Hill.  

              THE MINIONS ON BODMIN MOOR  

Behind the moorland village of Minions on the south-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor, Minions Heritage Centre is unusually located in a Cornish engine house. The Centre interprets the history of the landscape from the Stone Age, through the eighteenth and nineteenth century mining, to the present day.

This area was granted World Heritage Site status in 2006

Cornish Mining sites around the Minions and Caradon Hill

The Caradon Hill and Minions area (the major part of the "Liskeard Mining District") is one of ten areas of Cornwall and West Devon that won World Heritage Site status from the United Nations. This mining area, which is very local to us, includes the South Caradon Mine which during 2004 was also the subject of the BBC programme "Restoration", plus many other copper and tin mines, dated between 1700 and 1914.

After having won World Heritage Site status for Cornish mining heritage in the area, the Caradon Hill Area Heritage Project (CHAHP) will be building on this, and will provide for significant conservation of the natural and industrial heritage of this part of Cornwall. The project area covers not only Caradon Hill, but most of the south east corner of Bodmin Moor and south to Liskeard, and includes several significant copper and tin mining in the area.

         Circular walk around Caradon Hill, with start at the Minions WALK

Places to go and things to do at Bodmin Moor  The Best of Bodmin Moor

CYCLING IN CORNWALL

LOOE VALLEY AND OTHER CYCLING RUTES  NEARBY CYCLE ROUTES

CYCLE ROUTES IN CORNWALL

Leaflets on cycle hire are found in our leaflet display area in our Reception

Animals you might encounter whilst you are staying in cornwal

WILDLIFE                                    MARINELIFE

Badger   Seen around Camping caradon	Basking Shark seen at Talland Bay, Polperro and Looe Island