Tywardreath offers several ways to explore history and landscape: the Tywardreath History Walk passes along named village streets, while the Saints’ Way places the village on a longer route through mid-Cornwall. A ridge near Castle Dore and Tywardreath Marsh add different types of landscape to this perspective on the area.

A ridge and a tidal landscape

Castle Dore is near Tywardreath. This small multivallate hillfort is on a prominent ridge and offers views of at least two tributaries of the River Fowey. Its elevated position also provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. The site may not be fully accessible or interpreted for visitors; access conditions may vary.

Tywardreath Marsh comprises a silted-up former tidal riverbed and now provides habitats for marshland and woodland. Alongside the views from the ridge, it offers a different landscape focus: marsh and woodland habitats. Historically, Tywardreath was once surrounded by tidal waters on all sides except the east. This former landscape of the village adds a historical perspective to its present-day description.

Monastic history and the village walk

The long-vanished St Andrew’s Priory stood below Tywardreath Church, on the site of New House Farm. It was founded no later than 1149; this date places the priory in medieval Tywardreath.

The Tywardreath History Walk starts at St Andrew’s Church and heads towards The New Inn. It then runs along Fore Street, via Mount Bennett Road and Castledore Road, and out of the village. The sequence of starting point, direction and named streets gives the walk a specific route. If you plan to walk it, check current path conditions; they may change.

The Saints’ Way: local connection and route length

The Saints’ Way runs through mid-Cornwall from Padstow to Fowey and is approximately 30 miles (48 km) long. A shorter route of approximately 11 miles runs through the area of Tywardreath, where there was a medieval monastic settlement. The two distances refer to different route lengths: the shorter route and the Padstow-to-Fowey route are not the same. Check for possible temporary closures before walking; path conditions may change.

Literary and regional connections

Tywardreath also has a literary connection: the novel The House On The Strand is set in Tywardreath and Treesmill. If you want to explore the village’s literary context alongside its historical and landscape themes, this setting offers another perspective.

For regional rail connections: Par railway station is a junction for the branch line to Newquay.

Discover more destinations

St Hilary, St Columb Major, Withiel, Duloe, Penryn, Downderry, Jacobstow, Pentewan

For the regional travel overview: Cornwall.