A Visit to Malpas Village, Cornwall, UK

It’s always great to explore big cities, but sometimes it’s nice to get away from all the bustle and head to the riverside. Malpas Village is about a 25 minute walk from Truro, in Cornwall in the southwest of England. It’s the perfect hideaway from traffic and crowds (there’s only one street, and it only runs in one direction!). Plus, there are cute restaurants, a lovely park, a coffee shop, and views of the little boats docked in the river. A perfect afternoon out.

Getting to Malpas Village

Truro is the transportation hub of Cornwall, so there are both trains and buses that travel regularly to the city. We took the bus from Falmouth because there was a transport strike happening when we were there, and the trains were not running. The city bus took less than an hour and gave a better sense of the geography than the train did. The single (one-way) adult fare was £3.50 (return would have been cheaper, but we were spending the night).

Malpas Village is walkable from Truro, or accessible by taxi or car. No public transit runs to the village – you can just imagine a bus trying to navigate the narrow, single-lane road. From Truro, head to the major roundabout and take Malpas Road. The road will follow the river, and you’ll naturally encounter Boscawen Park, which has tennis courts and a playground, and restaurants on the way.

Spending more time in southern England? Check out Brighton in the off season

Along the route, watch out for the cute cottages, and Sunny Corner, a spot the community has made into a lovely garden.

Want to spend more time in England as a Canadian? Perhaps an ancestry visa would work for you! The process was surprisingly quick.

The Heron Inn

Malpas Village has a couple of restaurants – Trennick Mill which is along the road heading into the village, and the Heron Inn which is right at the end of the road. The Heron also runs a little coffee shop near the boat launch, if you carry on past the restaurant.

We stopped for lunch at The Heron Inn, a gastropub which was beautifully decorated and had the fire going when we arrived. The fish and chips were really nice, and the food going to the other tables (especially the burgers) looked huge and delicious. They had decorated the windows for Christmas already when we were there in November, and the Christmas dinners they had planned for December made me wish I was staying longer! The staff were very friendly, and there was plenty of seating for walk-ins.

As we came into Malpas, the tide was out so the river looked completely muddy (and really not very attractive). But once we got to the village, you could see the river full of water, and by the time we walked back all the boats were floating again.

Truro itself has several tourist attractions – the major cathedral in town, the museum, and the Hall for Cornwall where live theatre and music are on offer. But taking an afternoon to wander down to Malpas was the highlight of our time in the city, and for those seeking a little peace and quiet it’s a great option.