Bodmin Moor — Excalibur's Last Breath

Your journey begins at Dozmary Pool, this natural lake on Bodmin Moor, a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1951. Its often murky waters, due to the surrounding peat, create a mysterious veil conducive to the legend of King Arthur, who allegedly hid Excalibur here after his last battle. Does the maximum depth of 3 meters of this 0.06 km² body of water conceal the king's secret? It is here, on the shores of this emblematic place, that you will receive your first instructions to decipher the riddles that will lead you to the lost treasure.

Continuing your route through Bodmin Moor, you will reach Rough Tor, a tors rock formation culminating at 400 meters of altitude, just 3 km northeast of Dozmary Pool. This site is more than just a landmark for hikers; it houses the remains of a cairn dated from the Bronze Age (around 2000 BC), including a stone circle 15 meters in diameter. Roman legions even established a temporary camp there during the conquests of the 1st century AD. The panoramic view from Rough Tor will offer you a glimpse of the immensity of Bodmin Moor, a territory steeped in millennia of history.

Your quest will then lead you to places where the atmosphere becomes darker, particularly towards Bodmin Jail, a historic prison built between 1778 and 1781 in Bodmin, and closed in 1927. This gray stone building, located 10 km south of Dozmary Pool, was the scene of 14 documented public executions between 1801 and 1909, including that of Matthew Weeks in 1817 for murder. Restored and open to the public since 2005, the prison offers a striking contrast to the natural landscapes, and the 2.4m x 3m cells bear witness to another facet of the history of southwest England.

Not far from there, on the A30 road in Bolventor, you will discover Jamaica Inn, an inn built in 1750, 6 km east of Dozmary Pool. This place is inseparable from Daphne du Maurier's eponymous novel, published in 1936, which evokes smuggling and local legends. The granite building, with its massive 1.8m wide fireplace, is reputed to be haunted according to testimonies dating back to the 19th century. The whispers of the past and the stories of smugglers might well provide you with crucial clues for your Arthurian mission in Bodmin.

At the end of this journey through Bodmin Moor, from Dozmary Pool to Jamaica Inn via Rough Tor and Bodmin Jail, you will have not only traced the legend of Excalibur, but also explored the multiple historical layers of this region of southwest England. You will have discovered Bronze Age Cornwall prehistoric sites, Roman remains, 18th-century buildings, and places immortalized by literature. Each solved riddle, each visited site in the Bodmin area, will have brought you closer to understanding myths and history, transforming a simple walk into a memorable interactive adventure.