Unique. That’s the best word to describe the Hidden Valley Discovery Park that sits just outside Launceston on the edge of Bodmin Moor. This family-run visitor attraction is like nowhere else for hundreds of miles around as, in essence, it’s a woodland theme park without the fast rides. Instead, it features brainteasin’ puzzles. Everywhere.
‘Fun’ is another perfect word for this adventure park. And ‘challenging’ is yet another. Perhaps we’ll also use ‘magical’. Hidden Valley is basically a whole world within itself, creating an enchanting fantasy universe for adults and kids alike to wander through and take part in an array of puzzles as they go. There are some cracking names around too, such as characters called Funglefluff and Professor Puzzlewit, plus the village of Tremuddlewick with its quirky houses, pixie homes, windmill and tiny picket fences.
One of the park’s highlights is the Muddlers Mystery Trail that takes children and adults along twisting paths, over bridges and through woodlands past mysterious characters and secret fairy houses, solving puzzles along the way. Then there’s the Brain Trail that’s also full of fun challenges and the garden hedge maze that’s made up of more than 4,000 beech trees with a big tree house in the centre. And all this is before you get to the Forbidden Mansion which is a labyrinth of secret passageways, hidden doors and codes that need to be cracked. You even get to walk on the ceiling in one room.
The Hidden Valley Discovery Park was founded in 1994 by Pete Jones. Back then, it was just a straightforward treasure hunt and play area. But, wow, has it grown since then. Now there’s that Forbidden Mansion and maze, plus there’s also a miniature railway that steams through some beautifully landscaped gardens. It travels about a mile around the park and it’s free to ride on as many times as you like. At the end of your puzzle solving journey, The Watering Hole awaits. This café serves homemade cakes alongside ice creams, lunches and hot drinks. Also visit the attraction’s gift shop which stocks some unusual keepsakes for sure.
There’s plenty of free parking at this unique attraction near Launceston but booking your entry tickets on the park’s website beforehand is strongly advised. All in all, though, you come here with the family or with friends for a day of magic, mystery and intrigue. There really is nowhere else in Cornwall like Tremuddlewick and the Hidden Valley it sits in.