7 Best Woodland Walks In Cornwall

Tehidy Woods is the largest woodland area in West Cornwall, with over 9 miles of paths and 250 acres of peaceful woods and lakes to explore. For a wonderful circular walk incorporating Tehidy Woods courtesy of iWalkCornwall, click here to be guided step by step.

There are a number of free car parks dotted around the area of Tehidy Woods where a network of paths take you deep into the woods where you will experience dreamy riverside walks and beautiful flora and fauna (where the squirrels are many and friendly!)

A golf course skirts the edges of the woodland and you will also see cyclists, horse riders, dog walkers and families enjoying the same area. There are sections of the path network that don’t allow dogs so take care to look at the Tehidy Woods map of walks.

There is a cafe in the heart of the woods where you can enjoy a pot of tea and a slab of cake half way round a pootle in the woods.

Trevaylor Woods is a relatively small woodland walk compared to others in the area, but it’s no less charming. Make sure you take wellies that can cope with a shallow river crossing and paddling. Expect to find tree swings and signs of handmade wigwams made out of branches – it’s heaven for children with active minds and legs! There is a footpath that leads alongside one side of the river and small bridges or shallow paddling allows you to cross onto the other side to follow other paths to adventure.

It’s a perfect place to take your dog for a walk on a hot summer’s day as it provides cool shade and the river water is refreshing to drink and play in. The autumn promises a blanket of russet leaves crunching beneath your feet and then a short drive to The Gurnard’s Head for a hot chocolate, roaring fire and relaxation.

A babbling river runs through the heart of Bosahan Woods with two paths leading down the valley. You can take a higher path and look down through the trees to the river below or stick on the lower path and be much closer to the water. Both paths converge at a small stone bridge and so the walk can be a fairly short circular one taking in the glory of the woods.

There are a network of footpaths that lead from Bosahan Woods so a much longer walk can be had incorporating the woodland paths. I highly recommend the iWalkCornwall route called Constantine to Scott’s Quay

A big (BIG) treat when visiting Bosahan Woods is nipping to Slice of Cornwall for a plate full of scrumptious food. The coffee is rather magical too! You can walk there from the woods but they also have their own car park so don’t miss it if you visit this stunning woodland walk.

Godolphin Woods is at the bottom of a valley where Godolphin House resides halfway up Godolphin Hill. You can find Godolphin between Helston and Hayle so is a great stop off between the two coast lines. There is a small stream that meanders through the woods, creating larger pools in areas where children and dogs have a lot of fun with sticks. There is a network of well-trodden paths that lead to open fields where you can walk the parameter to extend your walk or choose between a couple of paths that head out of the woods towards Godolphin House and Godolphin Hill.

The woods are dense with a delightful mix of deciduous trees, so an autumnal walk is pure joy amongst the golden colours. In spring, the woods are blanketed in bluebells, particularly nearer the house where the carefully curated path meanders from the parking area to the National Trust welcome hut.

Dogs and families are welcome at Godolphin and many a time I have heard ear-splitting joyful shrills coming from Godolphin Woods as imaginations run riot behind hundred old oak trees.

Godolphin House has a cafe serving coffee, tea, soft drinks and a selection of easy-peasy lunches like sandwiches or pasties as well as cakes. You don’t have to be a National Trust member to enjoy Godolphin Woods, Godolphin Hill or the cafe!

Steeple Woods is perched above Carbis Bay and is less than a couple of mile’s walk from St Ives. It is part of Steeple Woodland Nature Reserve which sits below Knill’s Monument. The Woodland Nature Reserve recovered the hillside from invasive rhododendron, and planted native trees which now offer a young woodland walk with zig zagging paths. Across the quiet lane is the more established aged woodland with huge oak trees and sycamores, great for climbing and hanging tree swings!

You can do a circular walk from one side of Steeple Woods to the other and also incorporate footpaths that promise extended walks through Carbis Bay’s beautiful rural zone.

Pendarves Wood is very near Camborne, and I have chosen to share this wood as it offers everything you look for when planning a walk in the woods. Mainly that it comes attached with a ghost story!

The ghost of Tryphena Pendarves… If you visit Pendarves Woods, you may see her unsettled spirit near Treslothan Church where the family tomb rests. She died at a grand old age of 94 in 1873 which is remarkable. I am pleased to say I didn’t get the pleasure of meeting Tryphena even when we visited at dusk.

Pendarves Woods has 40 acres of predominantly broad-leaved mixed woodland, and a lake created in the 19th century. Our walk incorporated the woods as part of an iWalk Cornwall Walk called Giant’s Quoit and Pendarves Woods 

The woods are dense and there is a richness of flora and fauna with swans gracefully gliding on the lake at the heart of the woods. These woods are for families who want to don their walking boots and wellies and lose a few hours exploring the woods and letting imaginations run wild.

St Nectan’s Glen is rich in tales of fairies, piskies and spirits, serenaded by the wonderful sound of bird song. Once you have reached the top of the woodland walk (perhaps after a coffee and cake stop in the cafe!), continue your adventure to explore the lushness of this site and the natural pleasures your soul has been craving.

The power of the waterfall

For decades, people have been going to St Nectan’s Glen for a sense of well-being and belonging. You can’t help but feel the goosebumps when reading how affected visitors have been by its charm and magic.

When we visited in the summer, we paddled in the stream bed and connected with nature. If you visit in colder months, make sure to take waterproof boots so you can fully immerse yourself in the experience. You can get as close as you want to the waterfall.

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