Hidden Gems Near Truro
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The hidden gems near Truro are Newham Trail, Carnon Viaduct, Loe Beach, Kennall Vale, Carn Marth Little Quarry, Gwennap Pit, Carn Marth and Lamorran House Garden.
Truro, Cornwall's cathedral city, sits at the head of a tidal river with creeks, old mining country and the Roseland peninsula all within easy reach. Right on the doorstep, a former railway branch has become a flat riverside trail out to Newham quay.
Head southwest towards Perranwell and Falmouth and you find a graceful railway viaduct with the stumps of Brunel's original beside it, and a wooded valley reserve scattered with the ruins of a gunpowder works. Down on the Carrick Roads, a sheltered shingle beach at Feock is a fine base for kayaking and paddleboarding.
West of the city, above Redruth, the old mining hill of Carn Marth rises over flooded quarry pools and a grassed preaching amphitheatre where John Wesley once drew huge crowds. South on the Roseland, a steep subtropical garden looks out over the harbour at St Mawes.
Some are a stroll from the centre, others a short drive into the countryside, but all repay a little wandering. Here are eight hidden gems to seek out near Truro.
Newham Trail
Photo: Graham Loveland via Geograph.org.uk
Newham Trail Long before the main station opened, this was Truro's first passenger terminus; once the trains moved on, the line carried only goods down to Newham quay. Today the old railway branch has become a flat, made-up walking and cycling path tracing the east bank of the Truro River between the Newham area, south of the city, and central Truro in Cornwall.
It runs level all the way, with wide water views over river and estuary and plenty of wildlife along the banks. Cornwall Council resurfaced and improved it as part of a set of local Truro walking and cycling routes.
Carnon Viaduct
Photo: Gordon Spicer via Geograph.org.uk
Carnon Viaduct Locals call them Brunel's stumps: a row of tall masonry piers left standing after the wooden deck of his original 1863 timber viaduct was taken down. They rise beside the present nine-arch stone viaduct of 1933, which still carries the single-track railway between Truro and Falmouth across the Carnon valley near Perranwell in Cornwall.
Trains run above, but the valley floor below is open to walkers, with the Coast to Coast mineral-tramways trail passing right underneath. From there you get close views of both the working arches and the weathered old piers, side by side across the years.
Loe Beach
Photo: Martin Southwood via Geograph.org.uk
Relax at Loe Beach On the sheltered western shore of the Carrick Roads, below the village of Feock a few miles south of Truro, this small, mainly shingle beach sits on the wide estuary of the Fal. The calm water makes it a base for watersports, with a sailing and paddle centre hiring kayaks and paddleboards and running lessons, along with a cafe, toilets and a car park.
Rock pools appear at the beach edges at low tide. It is a different place from Loe Bar and Loe Pool near Helston.
Kennall Vale
Photo: Tony Atkin via Geograph.org.uk
Kennall Vale There is something quietly haunting about a gunpowder works reclaimed by the trees. In this steep, wooded river valley at Ponsanooth near Falmouth, moss now blankets the ruined mills, once driven by water led off the Kennall River along a network of leats.
Broken buildings and a flooded quarry lie half-hidden through the damp, deep-green wood, which the local wildlife trust looks after. Paths thread among them, the place busy with birds and bats and the river slipping past with dippers along its banks.
It rewards a slow, curious wander, part woodland walk and part industrial ghost story.
Carn Marth Little Quarry
Photo: Jonathan Wilkins via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Little Quarry Near the top of Carn Marth above Redruth, Little Quarry is one of the water-filled workings, a flooded former granite pit rather than the theatre pit nearby. The pool sits ringed by rock and rough ground, and people use it informally for fishing and swimming.
Several old quarries pock this part of the hill, some now open water and others grown over. This is the flooded one, close to the summit.
Gwennap Pit
Photo: Row17 via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Gwennap Pit Near Redruth, this circular grassed amphitheatre has sides cut into tiers of turf seats stepping down into a hollow. The preacher John Wesley drew great crowds here to hear him, returning many times, and after his death the pit was dug out and terraced into the neat bowl seen today.
A Methodist service is still held here each year, as it has been for over two centuries. A small visitor centre and chapel stand beside it.
Carn Marth
Photo: Pete Cruse via Geograph.org.uk
Climb Carn Marth This rounded granite hill above Redruth has a top given over to old quarries and open ground of rock and gorse. From the summit, around 235 metres up, the view reaches both the north and south coasts of Cornwall, taking in Carn Brea, St Agnes Beacon and Stithians Lake.
One former quarry near the top has filled with water to make a deep pool, and another has been turned into an open-air theatre. It is a breezy, walkable hilltop threaded with the remains of past mining.
Lamorran House Garden
Photo: Chris J Dixon via Geograph.org.uk
Lamorran House Garden Four acres of terraces and stairways climb a steep, south-facing hillside above St Mawes here, dense with palms, tree ferns and species gathered from the Mediterranean and the southern hemisphere. Japanese-style water gardens, koi ponds and a temple folly are woven through the planting, and the views run out over the harbour to St Anthony Head.
Robert and Maria-Antonietta Dudley-Cooke have shaped this private subtropical garden on the Roseland peninsula in Cornwall since 1982. It opens on set days through the season for an entry fee, a lush surprise on a Cornish hillside.
FAQs
What is Brunel's connection to the Carnon Viaduct?
Beside the present 1933 viaduct that carries the Truro to Falmouth line across the Carnon valley stand the tall masonry piers of Brunel's original timber viaduct of 1863, left in place after the deck was removed and known locally as Brunel's stumps.
Where can you try watersports near Truro?
Loe Beach at Feock, on the sheltered Carrick Roads a few miles south of Truro, has a sailing and paddle centre hiring kayaks and paddleboards and running lessons, with a cafe, toilets and parking on hand.
Why is Gwennap Pit worth visiting?
This grassed amphitheatre near Redruth was where the preacher John Wesley drew great crowds, and it was later terraced into neat turf tiers. A Methodist service is still held there each year, as it has been for over two centuries, and a small visitor centre and chapel stand alongside.
Conclusion
From a riverside stroll on the city's doorstep to the old mining hills above Redruth, this pocket of Cornwall packs a great deal into a short distance. Begin with the flat Newham Trail beside the Truro River, then head southwest for the arches of Carnon Viaduct and the green ruins of Kennall Vale.
Down on the Carrick Roads, Loe Beach at Feock is made for a gentle paddle, while the Roseland rewards a longer look with the subtropical terraces of Lamorran above St Mawes. West of the city, Carn Marth and Gwennap Pit blend flooded quarry pools with a preaching amphitheatre steeped in history.
River, coast or windswept hilltop, each lies within an easy drive. Whether you come for wildlife, industry or a fine sea view, these are the hidden gems to seek out near Truro.
