Bobbin’ about Bodmin

From our Bodmin flat, we had days out to various local attractions.

Bodmin Jail was a fascinating, immersive insight into life in the notorious prison. We heard the stories of some of the inmates, ‘attended’ court hearings, and saw the spot where many were executed. We also negotiated a wheelchair access ramp which was more like a slalom!

‘The story of Emily’ is a new attraction in St Ive, near Liskeard (not to be confused with St Ives on the coast!). Emily Hobson was the daughter of the rector and consequently grew up in the rectory. In her adult life, she travelled to South Africa, during the Boer War, and fought the cause of the people living in squalid conditions in concentration camps, having had their homes burnt to the ground by British soldiers.

The rectory has been painstakingly restored to how it would have been when Emily was a child. I would have been so impressed, but the owners refuse access to wheelchair users on the grounds that something might get damaged, despite the ground floor being level and spacious, and the doors wide enough for a manual wheelchair. Fortunately, this kind of discrimination is much less common in the UK nowadays. An email will be winging its way to the company to point out their responsibility to provide reasonable adjustment for people with disabilities. Access in the rest of the grounds, the café and the museum was fine.

We had a tasty lunch from the South African menu in the café, while Racheal had fun trying on the rector’s hat (header photo). The museum was a very interactive space telling the life of Emily and the history of the Boer War. Apart from the house, it was a great day out with plenty for all of us to learn and experience.

Finally, on the day we left Bodmin, we stopped at Lanhydrock House on a scorching hot day. In the care of the National Trust, the stately home is set in rolling parkland. The car park is some way from the entrance, but there was a convenient café where we got sustenance, ready for the walk. Arriving at the house, we first explored the fascinating kitchens. Next we intended to look around the gardens, but it was too hot and there was little shade. Instead we went into the main house with the help of a volunteer who showed us through various back corridors to avoid steps. A welcome shuttle bus, with ramp access, avoided the walk back to the car which would have been uphill. Before leaving the area, we moved the car to a shady, wooded spot, near the edge of the estate, where we could enjoy our picnic.