St Cleer Cornwall – Bodmin Moor Village, Holy Well & Ancient Heritage Landscapes
St Cleer in Cornwall
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ST CLEER
St Cleer is a village and parish on the south-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor, a few miles north of Liskeard, in a landscape of granite tors, ancient field systems and open moorland. Its parish church is dedicated to St Clarus, from whom the village takes its name.
Like nearby Minions, the parish was overwhelmed and transformed by a copper-mining boom in the mid-19th century, often compared in its intensity to the North American gold rush. The historian A. K. Hamilton Jenkin wrote that on Saturday nights after pay-day, the villages of Caradon Town, Pensilva, Minions and Crows Nest “were crowded with men, and resembled in character the mining camps of Colorado and the Far West.”
St Cleer Holy Well
In the village itself, the holy well stands in a beautiful 15th-century granite building. There was once a total-immersion (“bowssening”) pool here, used in attempts to cure the insane.
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TRETHEVY QUOIT & KING DONIERT’S STONE
Trethevy Quoit is one of the finest Neolithic chambered tombs in Britain, dating from around 3500–2500 BC. Five standing stones support a huge capstone weighing about 20 tonnes, with a hole near its highest corner that appears to be man-made. It was originally covered by an earth mound, long since eroded away. The site is in the care of English Heritage and free to visit.
King Doniert’s Stone is made up of two decorated granite fragments of a 9th-century cross. Its Latin inscription asks for prayers for Doniert – probably Dungarth, a king of Cornwall recorded as drowning in 875, the last Cornish king of the so-called Dark Ages to appear in the records.
The parish also has many Bronze Age remains, and the Hurlers stone circles and the Cheesewring are just to the north at Minions.
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GOLITHA FALLS
Golitha Falls is a series of cascades on the upper River Fowey, tumbling over granite boulders through ancient oak woodland on the edge of Bodmin Moor. The woodland is a National Nature Reserve, carpeted with bluebells in spring and rich in mosses, ferns, lichens and liverworts. Look for dippers, grey wagtails and kingfishers along the river. Paths and bridges let you follow the river closely, and the falls are at their most impressive after rain.
↑ Back to topWALKING FROM ST CLEER
St Cleer is an excellent base for exploring Bodmin Moor. Footpaths, bridleways and open access land lead from sheltered valleys to exposed granite tors, passing stone circles, hut circles and old boundary stones. Weather on the moor can change quickly – take a map, warm layers and waterproofs.
↑ Back to topVISITOR INFORMATION
Parking & EV Charging
Limited parking in the village. There are small car parks for Trethevy Quoit (roadside, limited), Golitha Falls (at Draynes Bridge) and the Hurlers at Minions.
Electric vehicle charging: no public charge point in St Cleer – the nearest are in Liskeard, about 2 miles south:
- Westbourne car park, West Street, Liskeard – 6 × 7kW Type 2 (Evolt), PL14 6BW
- Rapsons car park, Heathlands Road, Liskeard – 4 × 7kW Type 2 (Evolt), PL14 4DJ
- The Bubble Retail Park, Plymouth Road, Liskeard – rapid chargers – CCS up to 160kW and CHAdeMO (InstaVolt), PL14 3WQ
Bus & Train
The nearest railway station is Liskeard, on the main line and the Looe Valley Line. Local buses connect St Cleer with Liskeard.
Facilities & Supermarkets
Village pub and community facilities. Liskeard, a few miles south, has a full range of shops and services, including the supermarkets:
- Morrisons – Maudlin Farm, Liskeard PL14 3PR
- Aldi – 1 Charter Way, Liskeard PL14 3XB
Cafés & Restaurants
The village pub serves food, and Liskeard has a wide choice of cafés, bakeries and pubs. Minions, a few miles north, has a tea room and the highest pub in Cornwall.
Health
The nearest Minor Injury Unit is at Liskeard Community Hospital, Clemo Road. Call NHS 111 for urgent advice and 999 in an emergency – on the moor, give your location as precisely as you can. The nearest major A&E is Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
Disabled Access
Moorland paths are rough and uneven. Golitha Falls has a path from the car park, but it becomes rocky and uneven near the falls.
Vets
There is no vet in the village; the nearest practices are in Liskeard, with more in Bodmin. Use the RCVS directory to find the nearest practice and out-of-hours care.
National Trust & English Heritage
English Heritage cares for The Hurlers, Trethevy Quoit and King Doniert’s Stone – all free and open at any reasonable time. The National Trust’s Lanhydrock is near Bodmin.
Attractions
Sterts Theatre at Upton Cross, Golitha Falls, Siblyback Lake and the moorland sites around Minions, with Adrenalin Quarry near Menheniot.
STAY & EXPLORE NEAR ST CLEER
Accommodation
Bodmin Moor Villages
Nearby Attractions
- Siblyback Lake – approx. 3 miles
- The Hurlers & Cheesewring – approx. 3 miles
- Looe – approx. 10 miles
Walks
Moorland walks to Minions, the Hurlers and the Cheesewring, and the woodland trail at Golitha Falls.
Back to the South East Cornwall area guide – all Caradon towns & villages
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