The Cheesewring, also known as Stowe’s Hill is situated on Bodmin Moor in the middle of Cornwall. It’s just under 4 miles from Golitha Falls. We really enjoy exploring Bodmin Moor and jumped at the opportunity to join my friends Olivia and Tara for a walk there. I love the dramatic landscape of the moors, coupled with the breathtaking panoramic views. If you’re in the area, we highly recommend a visit!
We parked in the Hurlers Stone Circles car park, which is free. The car park is quite small and I imagine it fills up fast at weekends and during school holidays. There are toilet facilities are a short walk away in Minions. However you’ll need to pay 20p to use them. There’s also a café and small hotel in the village.
By law all dogs have to be on a lead no longer than 2m between 1st March and 31st July, to help protect the local ground nesting bird population. I kept Woody and Hen on lead for the whole walk regardless, as there was plenty of livestock along the way. We passed ponies, cattle and sheep during our adventure, all of which seemed unfazed by the dogs. I wasn’t taking any chances though but was pleasantly surprised by how well behaved both Woody and Hen were during our hike.
We followed the Minions Circular Walk route, which is 3.5 miles long. The route was created by iWalk Cornwall, a local guided walking app with over 250 circular hikes in the county. The app is available to download on iPhone and Android and takes you step by step through each walk, using your phone’s GPS to ensure you stay on route. If you’re lead astray the app helps you find your way back to the right path.
We first explored this route during November 2019 but have been back year-round ever since. The weather is temperamental on the moors at the best of times, even more so in autumn and winter. I highly recommend wearing sensible walking shoes or wellies and bringing waterproof jackets with you just in case. The circular walk took us about an hour to complete with only the occasional photo break.
The paths were easy underfoot, however they’re mostly grass. It’s a very family friendly route, with few hills to climb. The views from Stowe’s Hill are incredible, on a good day you can see right across the whole of Bodmin Moor. There are plenty of ponds to explore here too, Hen loved sneaking a quick drink to taste the local water – rather him than me!
There’s plenty to see and learn about on this walk. Firstly the Hurlers Stone Circles, which you pass just outside the car park. They’re one of the best examples late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age stone circles in the south west. The site is managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust and it’s free to visit these ceremonial stone circles.
Cheesewring itself is the granite tor on Stowe’s Hill, the centre point of this walk. It stands at 32 feet and is made out of 7 pieces of granite. It was formed naturally due to weathering and is named after its likeness to the traditional cheese press. Though folklore tells that the Cheesewring was created by a competition between Uther the giant and Saint Tue. There are also plenty of old engine houses to spot as you walk, as the local area was quarried and mined in the 19th Century. Cheesewring Quarry is now a popular spot for climbing in Cornwall.
Have you visited Cheesewring and The Hurlers Stone Circles before? Where’s your favourite place to walk on Bodmin Moor?
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