A HIDDEN gem of the Liskeard to Looe Valley will be opened up to more people with the launch of a new walking route. 

The Moorswater Trail will be officially launched tomorrow (Wednesday, April 12) at 1pm at Liskeard Railway Station. A Family Fun Walk will then leave the Platform 3 Heritage Centre at 1.30pm, heading down to Moorswater and Coombe Junction. 

The event will be hosted by local poet and writer Caleb Barron and anyone joining the walk will have the choice to either walk back to town, or board the train at Coombe Junction at 3.14pm (buy a ticket at Liskeard Station or book online). 

Project Manager Stephen Horscroft said: “The launch of the Moorswater trail is about one of the hidden gems of the Liskeard to Looe Valley and a chance to explore and understand the industrial heritage of the area. 

“This is supported by extensive material researched by Iain Rowe and Brian Oldham. We are grateful to Liskeard Old Cornwall Society for their support.” 

The trail takes people from the old Moorswater village – now an industrial estate – into Liskeard and can be combined with a train ride to Looe. 

Meanwhile earlier in the day tomorrow (April 12) a Family Friendly Heritage Walk will be hosted under the expert guidance of local historian Iain Rowe.  This walk will leave at 10.30am from Three Lanes (foot of Old Road Hill) SX 23730 64402. Iain asks people to note that there is no parking at this location, but plenty of free parking on the industrial estate. 

The Moorswater Trail is just one element of a wider ‘Moor to Sea’ project celebrating the rich heritage and varied environment of the area stretching from Bodmin Moor down to the coast at Looe. 

The project has already involved a range of events for all ages around nature, culture and the arts and history – and Iain has devised several walks to help people discover the Moorswater area and its importance for Cornwall.

It’s being funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund, Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership, the Community Rail Partnership, Cornwall Heritage Trust, Devon and Cornwall World Heritage Site, Liskeard Town Council, Looe Town Council and Cornwall Council. 

“To many zipping down the A38 ‘Moorswater’ is a busy industrial estate supporting the economy of Liskeard and Cornwall,” said Stephen. 

“But just behind the sheds and the offices there are some fascinating walks which take you throuh the valley and the history of the rail line to Looe and the canal. Both of these were essential arteries that put Cornwall at the heart of the nineteenth century industrial revolution; connecting Bodmin Moor, mining and excavation with the sea.” 

Upcoming events in the Moor to Sea project include family-friendly woodland walks at Kilminorth Woods, Looe this Saturday (April 15, 2pm and 3pm) and a “Stroll and Snap” Spring Photography walk leaving Liskeard Station at 11.45am on April 29. 

There’s also the chance to take up volunteering opportunities, including as a walk guide, and full training and support will be given. 

For more information about Moor to Sea, including walking routes, visit https://moortosea.org.uk/