The Cheesewring – The Cheesewring, Bodmin Moor loop from Pensilva

01:36

18.3km

290m

Cycling

Hard bike ride. Good fitness required. You may need to push your bike for some segments of this route. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 3, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Cornwall National Landscape

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

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2.04 km

Cornwall's World Heritage Site

In 2006 Cornwall and West Devon was declared a World Heritage Site because of the important role its mining history has played in metal extraction around the world.

There was a saying in the late 19th century: "If there's a hole in the ground, you'll find a Cornish man in it." When Cornwall's mines failed, men travelled the world in search of riches and engine houses very similar to the one pictured above can be found in places as far away as Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand.

The village of Minions exists thanks to mining. Before 1800 there was little here except a few farmhouses in the sheltered valleys. But in the 1830s copper was discovered beneath Caradon Hill and the area was soon flooded with miners from all over Cornwall.

Translated by Google •

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7.33 km

The Cheesewring

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Cheesewring is a granite tor which is named after the process for making cider where bags of apples known as cheeses, were banged together.

Legend had it that the tor was built by druids, another legend says that it was formed during a rock throwing contest between a local giant, Uther, and Saint Tue, to decide whether the new religion Christianity should be allowed to stay. The Cheesewring was actually formed by erosion.

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9.89 km

The Cheesewring

Highlight • Natural

This landmark is located next to the Cheesewring Quarry (which provided the granite cladding for the structure of Tower Bridge in London) and is surrounded by other granite formations. In the late 19th century, this landmark was threatened with destruction due to its proximity to blasting operations, but was saved through local activism.

Translated by Google •

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10.1 km