BOSCASTLE in North Cornwall sits in the steep-sided River Valency valley and also in the valley of the smaller River Jordan. Torrential rainfall on August 16, 2004, led to extensive flooding which caused extensive damage with vehicles and debris being swept out to sea in apocalyptic scenes.

Dramatic rescues were carried out by helicopter and, thankfully, there was no loss of life. Since then, Boscastle has recovered and anti-flooding measures have been put in place.

You can follow the River Valency out of the centre of Boscastle and explore meadows and woods that are home to kingfishers and dippers as well as bats. Minster Church, dating back to Norman times, sits in the valley.

Boscastle is located on the north coast of Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
Boscastle is located on the north coast of Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Meanwhile, the Bottreaux Castle site in Boscastle is a scheduled ancient monument of national archaeological significance. The site, which survives in part as a circular mound, was once the location of a motte and bailey castle that was home to the Bottreaux family, who played an important role in the life of medieval Cornwall.

The castle, after which Boscastle was named, looked over the River Jordan and had wide views to the coast. Novelist and poet Thomas Hardy wrote about Boscastle as Castle Boterel, painting it as a place of dream and mystery.

You can walk from the centre of Boscastle out to the sea. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
You can walk from the centre of Boscastle out to the sea. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Going west out of Boscastle there is a white watchtower on the Willapark headland above the harbour. In the past, the tower served as a landmark for sailors approaching the inlet. There is also the site of an Iron Age cliff fort on the headland.

Nearby, on Forrabury Common, are the Forrabury Stitches, long strips of individually-farmed land dating from the Middle Ages. The National Trust says that a method of crop rotation that dates back to Celtic times still exists at the location.

Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as an ebook on Amazon.
Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

*Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - https://bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor