This is an invitation to 'discover our Cornish heritage'. We'd like you to join us in discovering the history of this wonderful town. Learn about its history as the one-time capital of Cornwall and centre of Cornish culture and explore its natural environment in the beautiful Fowey Valley.
The Lostwithiel Town Team secured funding from Cornwall Council's Town Delivery Fund and Community Chest to create an innovative series of trails through our historic town. With support from Lostwithiel Town Council, we have installed information boards, benches, bird and bat nesting boxes, and cycle racks to enhance your enjoyment of your walks around the town.
We have developed trails that showcase the best of Lostwithiel's rich heritage while enhancing the town centre experience for both residents and visitors. Our goal is to create an engaging journey that connects our past with our future, encouraging exploration and deepening understanding of our unique local history, culture, and natural environment.
Our principal trail is the Heritage Highlights Trail that leads you through 20 of the key points of interest in the town centre and takes you out to Restormel in the north and to Shirehall Moor in the south. We also have our Young Explorers' Nature Trail, especially for young people and those who are young at heart, that introduces the flora and fauna of the Fowey Valley. Alongside these you will find the Brass Plaque Trail and the Pub Trail. Links to the first of our trails can be found below. More trails will be added in future. Watch this space!
Discover Lostwithiel's rich heritage through our curated walking trails
Our principal trail covers the key locations that highlight the history, heritage and environment of the town. We provide you with a suggested route around these points of interest and give further information on each location. You can plan your visit in advance on a laptop or tablet, or you can follow the trail, in whole or in part, from your smart phone.
View Trail →This trail follows the course of the Fowey Valley to discover the wildlife of the river and its banks. The trail leads you past a series of rubbing posts and to see the bird nesting boxes and bat boxes that have been placed on trees around the town. Follow the route on your phone and find further information, but take paper or a notebook for your rubbings and to make notes and sketches.
View Trail →In 2008 the Lostwithiel History Group and Town Forum placed 15 plaques on historic buildings. We have provided the details of this self-directed trail of discovery. Follow the map to locate the plaques and find out more about the building or site. Some of these places can be followed on our Heritage Trail, but many others are additional to that trail.
View Trail →Lostwithiel had, at one time or another at least 17 pubs and inns. A number of these survive today, but others have changed use or become private residences. Follow this trail to enjoy the food and drink available in these pubs while discovering something of their history and visiting the variety of shops that have opened in former pub buildings.
View Trail →