The Mid-Cornwall Moor That Hides a Massive Tin-Mining Past

Look across Goss Moor today and you’ll see horses grazing, orchids in flower, water lilies sitting on still pools, and walkways threading across the marsh. What you won’t see, at least not at first glance, is that this whole landscape grew up around Cornwall’s largest alluvial tin deposits. iWalk Cornwall has just added a brand new walking route that takes you straight through the lot.

A new 5.9-mile circular through a National Nature Reserve

The newly released walk is graded easy and runs to 5.9 miles (9.5 km), making a full circuit of the Goss Moor nature reserve. It sits on OS Explorer map 106 and was last updated on 27th May 2026.

The reserve itself is the largest remaining fragment of the mid-Cornwall moors, and the route is pitched as a wildlife walk with wildflower-spotting at its best in May and June. Recent images from the route show red admirals, foxgloves, orchids, broom flowers, common cottongrass and bogbean flowers, alongside conservation grazing animals and the marsh walkways that carry the path across the wetter ground.

An industrial landscape, reclaimed

The headline draw is how the moor has reclaimed an industrial past. The area grew up around what iWalk Cornwall describes as Cornwall’s largest alluvial tin deposits, and traces of that history are still visible along the route, including an old gravel processing plant.

What to know before you go

A few practical points for anyone planning to head out.

Paths in the reserve are occasionally closed for vegetation clearance work, so walkers should follow any signposted diversions, with the app’s map screen useful for picking up an alternative route if needed.

Dogs are welcome but should be kept under close control on short leads. The reserve has ground-nesting birds, grazing animals, bogs, and embers from controlled burning to think about. There are no bins on the route, so anything your dog leaves behind needs to come home with you. There are no stiles on the walk.

For footwear, iWalk Cornwall recommends waterproof boots after heavy rain, and wellies in winter.

How to get the new walk

The new route is available through the iWalk Cornwall app for Apple and Android at £3.49, with GPS guidance, written directions, route map and ongoing updates. A printable PDF version is also available for £2.99. Full details are on the Goss Moor walk page.