Latchley

Latchley is a small village in the Tamar Valley in east Cornwall, within the parish of Calstock. The village has a recorded history stretching back roughly a thousand years, with farming and then mining forming the main occupations for most of that time. Today it is a quiet, scattered settlement surrounded by the steep wooded slopes and river meadows that characterise this part of the Tamar.

The village once had its own church - St Michael and All Angels - designed by Piers St Aubyn and dedicated by the Bishop of Truro in 1883 at a cost of just over 1,100 pounds. After a severe woodworm attack in 1968 the building was closed to worshippers and later converted to a private dwelling.

Latchley sits within the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where the river forms the border between Cornwall and Devon. The valley has a long history of market gardening - particularly cherry and strawberry orchards on the sheltered slopes. Gunnislake, with its medieval bridge and independent shops, is around 2 miles to the south-east, and Gunnislake railway station provides a direct link to Plymouth. Tavistock and Dartmoor are within easy reach across the Devon border, while Bodmin Moor lies to the west. The Tamar Valley Discovery Trail and numerous riverside footpaths make this a strong base for walking.