Dobwalls Tourist Information

Dobwalls is a small village three miles west of the market town of Liskeard in south east Cornwall. The village consists of a small rural community of houses and outlying farms on either side of the A38.

The name of the village is thought to have evolved from a corruption of Doublebois, pronounced "Doubleboys", the name of the neighbouring village. The name means "two woods" in French and the area is still heavily wooded in places.

The village, with its busy junction with the A390 to St Austell, was a traditional bottleneck at peak times in the summer months. A new bypass has now removed 90% of the traffic from the village centre with a new roundabout to keep traffic flowing.

The new bypass includes two bat bridges which are currently being studied by the Highways Agencies to monitor their success. Bat bridges are mesh-like tunnels or elaborate cables suspended across the road in places where an old hedgerow has been removed.

It is thought that bats navigate using the lines of hedgerows and woods and replacing them with bat bridges ensures that the bats remain sufficiently high above the traffic.

Present Day Dobwalls

Dobwalls village has a couple of small shops and a Post office. The village centre is a small estate of local housing and old cottages around the local pub, the Highwayman. The village has a few gift shops and a car dealership.

The local church was dedicated to St Peter and was once a Chapel of Ease. It stands in an extensive local churchyard and has recently been converted into a private home.

The village has a primary school and a children's playground in a small park.

Things to Do Around Dobwalls

The Southern Centre Gallery and coffee shop are open for visitors to browse the work of artists including Stephen Townsend and Archibald Thorburn. It is all that remains of the once popular Dobwalls Adventure Park.

There is an Ancient Egyptian Centre in the village, next to the pub. It has an amazing collection of Egyptian artefacts including mummified remains and copies of articles in the Tutankhamen Collection including the death mask and shabti figures.

Siblyback Reservoir is nearby and is a pleasant spot for walking and watersports. The Two Valleys walk offers the chance to explore the heather and gorse-covered moorland of Bodmin Moor.

Visit the stone circle at Duloe and the holy well at St Keyne.

Lanhydrock House is a National Trust property which is known for its showy azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias in spring. Tours of the 50-room stately home show how the wealthy Robartes family lived in the 17th century along with glimpses of servants' quarters and a "Long Gallery" of rare books.

There are a variety of gorgeous sandy beaches nearby at Millendreath, Seaton and Looe. The charming fishing harbour at Polperro is well worth strolling around. Traffic has to park at the top of the village as the lanes are too narrow for through-traffic.

Take a walk along the South West Coast Path from Seaton to Looe and make a detour to the labyrinth, a meandering 60 foot circular pathway on the sheep-nibbled turf with spectacular views from the clifftop.