Cemetery Park

The walk through Cemetery Park near St Austell is genuinely peaceful - the kind of place where you forget you're just outside a working town. It's a proper nature reserve tucked into former quarrying land, which sounds grim but works rather well. The paths wind through recovering woodland and grassland, with native trees slowly reclaiming what mining left behind. You'll spot wildflowers in season, birds if you're quiet, and the occasional butterfly. It's not dramatic, but that's the point.

This suits walkers after something gentle more than hikers chasing views. Families with younger kids will manage the terrain fine, though there's nothing flashy to grab their attention for hours. History buffs might find the industrial bones of the landscape interesting - the legacy of Cornwall's extraction is literally under your feet. Allow an hour to ninety minutes depending on how slowly you dawdle and whether you explore all the side paths.

If you're based at Tregarton Park, Cemetery Park makes a solid half-day outing when the weather's half-decent. It's close enough that you won't waste petrol, but far enough to feel like you've properly left the caravan behind. The reserve works best in late spring and summer when there's actually something green to see. Winter visits feel a bit bleak without the colour. Free to access and no time pressure means you can show up when it suits - just wear proper shoes because the paths can turn boggy.