Cornwall's ancient woodland that 'looks like fairytale' is free to visit

An ancient woodland that was recorded in the Domesday Book has been praised for its "fairytale" scenery. Golitha Falls, Cornwall, spans 18 hectares, and it is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Free to visit, Natural England explains the nature reserve is "a long gorge, lined with ancient oak woodland that gives way to the River Fowey at the bottom." Golitha Falls looks beautiful in spring, when "the woodland floor is carpeted with bluebells and wood anemones, while the meadow areas see bugle, self-heal, white clover, common tormentil and valerian species flourish."

It's equally attractive in the colder months, when "winter storms cause the River Fowey to swell, making the waterfalls even more torrential." The breathtaking woodland was praised in a recent TikTok post shared by @rachelsanderling, who filmed her visit and recommended Golitha Falls to viewers.

Rachel said: "Today I visited a temperate rainforest called Golitha Falls. It's such a lovely ancient woodland near Bodmin Moor. It's home to 120 species of moss, and it has such a lovely, mystical feel, which hopefully translates in the video."

Social media users loved her video. The post racked up thousands of views and likes. Someone commented: "This is stunning! Looks like a fairytale." A second response said: "I've been here it's so beautiful." Another fan wrote: "This is so wholesome."

Golitha Falls has hundreds of 'excellent' reviews on TripAdvisor. One visitor wrote: "A must visit. My son and I visited and found the paths easy to follow and were soon at the beautiful waterfall. We could have spent the day listening to the calming flow of the water, especially with the gorgeous surroundings."

Someone else wrote: "Spent a lovely hour or so walking along the river to the falls. With a number of waymarked routes you can make this as easy or as difficult as you want. I would recommend arriving early tho as the car park was full by 11:30 on a dull Sunday morning."

Another reviewer praised: "Brilliant even in the rain! A very wet and rainy day for our visit but the river and falls were beautiful and full! There were different routes depending on ability which meant everyone got to enjoy! We took to dog who loved it too. A definite win for us."

However, someone else commented: "It is a nice place to go for a walk (essentially a river surrounded by woodland, but don't expect a 'waterfall' from the title as it's not quite a waterfall in the traditional sense)."

Golitha Falls is free to visit. The postcode for the car park is PL14 6RY. The nearest train stations are in St Columb Road and Roche. Buses run from St Austell to Newquay and from St Columb Major to Bodmin.