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ON-LINE GUIDE TO CORNWALL
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Cornwall as well as some interesting
facts and anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific
place either scroll down the page or use the find
facility on your browser. Much more information can be
found in our
TRAVEL GUIDES -
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for details.
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An isolated beauty that contains some of the most dramatic and spectacular scenery in
the country. This is an apt description of Cornwall,
a land of strong Celtic heritage and ancestry, a place dotted with monuments such as
crosses, holy wells and prehistoric sights and
where legends of old, particularly those
surrounding King Arthur, still have a strong romantic
appeal among the Cornish people and to visitors. Surrounded by rugged coastline, Cornwall
has often been referred to as the English Riviera, encompassing pretty little fishing ports,
secluded picturesque villages, narrow winding lanes
and romantic seafaring traditions. While the northern coastline is dramatic, the
southern Cornish coast is one of sheltered coves.
Here, too, is one of the country's largest natural harbours, at Falmouth, but many of the
fishing villages expanded to manage the exportation
of the vast quantities of mineral ore and china
clay that were extracted from inland Cornwall. Finally, there is Land's End, the westernmost
tip of England, where the granite of Cornwall meets the Atlantic Ocean in a dramatic series
of steep cliffs.
Launceston
Situated on the eastern edge of Bodmin Moor and close to
the county border with Devon, it was here, shortly after the
Norman Conquest, that William I's half-brother, Robert of Mortain,
built the massive Launceston Castle overlooking the River Kensey.
Although now in ruins, the 12-feet thick walls of the keep and
tower can still be seen. Launceston also had a powerful Augustinian
priory, founded beside the river in 1136; the main buildings have gone,
but its chapel of ease remains.
To the west of the town, the Launceston Steam
Railway takes visitors on a scenic trip through
the beautiful Kensey Valley.
Launceston is also the start of the Tamar Valley Discovery
Trail, a 30-mile footpath from here to Plymouth that takes in many of
the villages that litter the Cornwall-Devon border. At
St Ann's Chapel, near Gunnislake, stands the
Tamar Valley Donkey Park, Cornwall's only donkey
sanctuary and home to more than two dozen donkeys and other rescued animals.
Around Launceston
Calstock
12 miles SE of Launceston off the A390
Well known for its splendid views of the Tamar valley, this village
was an important river port in the 19th century and its decline came
with the construction of the huge Railway Viaduct which carries
the
picturesque Tamar Valley Line southwards to Plymouth.
Just to the southwest of Calstock is one of the
best preserved medieval estates in the West Country -
Cotehele House (National Trust), built
between 1485 and 1624. Along with its Great Tudor Hall,
fabulous tapestries and period furniture, the fortified granite house
incorporates some charming features such as the secret spy-hole in the Great
Hall and a tower clock with a bell but no face or hands. Surrounding
the house are, firstly, the grounds, containing exotic and tender
plants that thrive in the mild valley climate, and beyond that the
estate with its ancient network of pathways that allow exploration
of the valley.
The River Tamar runs through the estate and close to an old
cider house and mill is Cotehele Quay, a busy river port in Victorian
times and now home to an outstation of the
National Maritime Museum, an art and craft gallery and
a licensed tea room. The restored Tamar sailing
barge Shamrock
is moored alongside the museum.
Saltash
17 miles SE of Launceston on the A38
The `Gateway to Cornwall', here the River Tamar is spanned by
two mighty bridges. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in
1859, the iron-built Royal Albert Bridge carries the railway, while
alongside is the much more slender Tamar
Bridge, a suspension road bridge that was opened in 1961. To
the south of Saltash lies Mount Edgcumbe
House, to where the Earls of Edgcumbe moved
when they left Cotehele House; it is surrounded by a country park
that encompasses a stretch of heritage coast, numerous follies and one
of Cornwall's greatest gardens. The southernmost point of the
country park takes in Rame Head, 400 feet cliffs that guard the
entrance into Plymouth Sound. Also on this peninsula is 18th century
Antony House, home to a wonderful collection of paintings (many by
Sir Joshua Reynolds), tapestries and furniture. Surrounding the
house are the gardens and grounds landscaped by Humphry Repton.
Liskeard
13½ miles SW of Launceston on the B3254
Although it is a small town, Liskeard boasts some
grand Victorian public buildings, including the Guildhall and the Public
Hall, home to a local museum. In Well Street, lies one of Liskeard's
most curious features - an arched grotto that marks the site of
Pipe Well, a medieval spring reputed to
have
curative powers.
Another well lies to the southwest: St Keyne's
Well is named after the daughter of a Welsh king who settled here
in the 5th century. The nearby village is also named after
the saint and is home to Paul Corin's Magnificent
Music Machines, a wonderful collection of mechanical
musical instruments.
Looe
20 miles SW of Launceston on the A387
The tidal harbour at Looe, created by the two rivers the East Looe
and West Looe, made this an important fishing and seafaring port and it
is still Cornwall's second most important port with fish
auctions taking place at East Looe's famous Banjo
Pier. East Looe is the older part, and housed in the
16th century Old Guildhall is the town's Museum.
To the southwest of Looe is Polperro, many people's idea of
a typical Cornish fishing village, its steep, narrow streets and
alleyways filled with picturesque fisherman's cottages.
Fowey
24½ miles SW of Launceston on the A3082
A lovely old seafaring town, with steep, narrow streets, Fowey
has one of the most beautiful natural harbours along the south coast.
The town's Museum is an excellent place to discover Fowey's
colourful past and its literary connections: Daphne du Maurier lived
at Gribbin Head and Sir Arthur
Quiller-Couch lived for over 50 years at The Haven, on
the Esplanade.
To the south of Fowey lies St Catherine's
Castle, part of a chain of fortifications that were built
by Henry VIII to protect the harbours along the south coast.
Just up the River Fowey is Golant and the Iron Age
lookout point of Castle Dore Earthworks, while further upstream
is Lostwithiel, a small market town that was the capital of Cornwall
in the 13th century. The strategic crossing point of the River
Fowey here is protected by the surprisingly complete remains of 12th
century Restormel Castle.
Bodmin
19½ miles SW of Launceston on the A389
Situated midway between Cornwall's two coasts and at
the junction of two ancient trade routes, Bodmin has always been
an important town, and Castle Canyke was built during the
Iron Age to defend this important route. To the south is
Lanhydrock House, one of the most
fascinating late 19th century houses in England, surrounded by
wonderful formal gardens, woodland and parkland.
Bolventor
10½ miles SW of Launceston on the A30
Situated at the heart of Bodmin Moor, this scenic village is home
to the former coaching inn that was immortalised by Daphne du
Maurier in her famous novel, Jamaica Inn. Structurally little changed
today, Jamaica Inn still welcomes visitors who come here not only
seeking refreshment and accommodation but also to discover the secrets
of the moors and the life and works of du Maurier.
Bodmin Moor is the smallest of the three great West
Country moors; at 1,377 feet, Brown Willy is the highest point on the
moor, while, just to the northwest, lies Rough Tor, the moor's
second highest point. Throughout this wild and beautiful moorland there
are remains of early occupiers, including Bronze Age hut
circles and field enclosures and Iron Age hill forts.
To the south of Bolventor is the mysterious natural
tarn, Dozmary Pool, a place that is strongly linked with the legend
of King Arthur and said by some to be the place where the Lady of
the Lake received the dying King's sword, Excalibur.
To the southeast lies the one-time mining village of
Minions, and close by are the impressive Bronze Age
Hurlers Stone Circle and Trethevy
Quoit, an impressive enclosed chamber tomb
that originally formed the core of a vast earthwork mound.
Bude
15 miles NW of Launceston off the A39
A traditional seaside resort with sweeping expanses of sand,
rock pools and Atlantic breakers, Bude has also developed into a
popular surfing centre. Completed in 1820, the
Bude Canal was an ambitious project that aimed to connect
the
Atlantic with the English Channel via the River Tamar. However,
the only stretch to be finished was that between Bude and Launceston
and it is now the Bude Canal Trail footpath.
Close to the canal's entrance stands Bude
Castle, designed by the local 19th century physician
and brilliant inventor, Sir Goldsworthy Gurney. What makes this
building (now an office) particularly interesting is that it is thought
to have been the first building in Britain to be constructed on
sand. To celebrate the new millennium, Carole Vincent and
Anthony Fanshawe designed the Bude Light
2000, the first large-scale public sculpture to
combine coloured concrete with fibre optic lighting.
To the south of Bude is one of the most dramatic
places along this stretch of coastline, Crackington
Haven, a tiny port overlooked by towering 400ft cliffs.
Tintagel
17 miles W of Launceston on the B3263
Tintagel Castle, set on a wild and windswept headland, is
forever linked with the legend of King Arthur, and the village
naturally owes much of its popularity to its Arthurian connections; one of
its many interesting attractions on this theme is
King Arthur's Great Hall. Also worth seeing here is
the weather-beaten Old Post Office, a 14th century manor house
that became a Post Office in the 19th century. Purchased by the
National Trust in 1903 for £100, the building still has its original
stone-paved medieval hall and ancient fireplace along with the
ground floor office of the postmistress.
To the south lies the most famous slate quarry in
Cornwall, Delabole Slate Quarry.
Truro
The administrative and ecclesiastical centre of Cornwall, this
elegant small city was once a fashionable place to rival Bath. The
foundation stone of Truro Cathedral was
laid in 1880 and this splendid Early English style building, with
its celebrated Victorian stained glass window, was finally completed
in 1910. To the northeast lies Probus, a large village that is home to
the `really useful garden' - Probus
Gardens. Here, too, is Trewithen House and
Gardens, which were laid out in the early 20th century.
Around Truro
Newquay
10 miles N of Truro on the A392
A traditional English seaside resort, with all the usual
trappings, Newquay also has a long history and for centuries was an
important pilchard fishing village. On the Towan Headland stands a
Huer's Hut from where the Huer would scan the sea looking for shoals
of pilchards and, once spotted, he would cry `hevva' to alert
the awaiting fishing crews. Today, its beautiful rocky coastline and
acres of golden sands have seen it develop into a popular
seaside
resort famous throughout the world for its surfing.
Inland are the imposing engine house and chimney stack of
East Wheal Rose mine, Cornwall's richest lead mine, and close by
is the delightful small Elizabeth manor house,
Trerice, which is also home to a Mower Museum.
Padstow
19½ miles NE of Truro on the A389
It was here that the Welsh missionary St Petroc landed in
the 6th century and founded a Celtic Minster. Beginning at the door
of the town's 13th century parish Church of St Petroc, the
Saints Way is a middle-distance footpath that follows the route that
was taken by travellers and pilgrims crossing Cornwall on their
way from Brittany to Ireland.
Although the River Camel silted up in the 19th century,
the Harbour remains the town's focal point and here are many
of Padstow's older buildings, including Raleigh
Cottage, where Sir Walter Raleigh lived while he was
Warden of Cornwall, and the tiny Harbour Cottage. The harbour is also
home to the Shipwreck Museum.
On the other side of the Camel Estuary are the small resorts
of Polzeath and New Polzeath and a beautiful coastal path that takes
in the cliffs and farmland of Pentire Point and Rumps Point.
The Church of St Enodoc is a Norman building that has,
on several occasions, been virtually submerged by windblown
sand. The beautiful churchyard contains
the graves of many shipwrecked mariners and that of the poet
Sir John Betjeman, who is buried here along with his parents.
Betjeman spent many of his childhood holidays in the villages and
coves around the Camel Estuary, and his affection for the local people
and places was the inspiration for many of his works. The church
is reached across a golf course that is regarded as one of the most
scenic links courses in the country.
Wadebridge
20 miles NE of Truro on the A39
Standing at the historic lowest bridging point on the River
Camel, this ancient port and busy market town is now a popular
holiday centre. The town is also home to Bridge on
Wool, which was constructed on bridge piers
that were sunk on foundation of woolsacks; the bridge still
carries the main road that links the town's two ancient parishes. The
town's former railway station is now home to the
John Betjeman Centre.
St Austell
12½ miles NE of Truro on the A390
When William Cookworthy discovered large deposits
of
kaolin, or china clay, in 1748, this old market town, a centre of
tin and copper mining, was transformed. Over the years,
the waste material from the clay pits to the north and west of the town
has been piled up into conical spoil heaps that have led to the
area being nicknamed the Cornish Alps. More recently, action
has been taken to soften the countryside and the heaps
and disused pits have been landscaped with planting, undulating
footpaths and nature trails.
In the heart of the Cornish Alps lies Wheal Martyn, an old
clay works that is now home to the Wheal Martyn China
Clay Museum. To the northeast, in the heart of the china clay area, lies
the wonderful Eden Project, an ambitious undertaking that aims
to "promote the understanding and responsible management of
the vital relationship between plants, people and resources."
To the southeast lies Charlestown, a small
fishing village that developed into a harbour for exporting china clay.
Close to the docks is the Charlestown Shipwreck,
Rescue and Heritage Centre which offers an insight into the
town's history, local shipwrecks and the various devices that have
been developed over the years for rescuing and recovering those
in peril at sea.
Mevagissey
11½ miles E of Truro on the B3273
The largest fishing village in St
Austell Bay. Housed in a harbour building dating from 1745 are
the Mevagissey Folk Museum, the World of Model
Railway Exhibition and The Aquarium. In the 1750s, when John
Wesley first came to Mevagissey to preach, he was greeted with a barrage
of rotten eggs and old fish and had to be rescued from the crowd
and taken to safety. In return for their hospitality, Wesley gave his
hosts James and Mary Lelean his silver shoe buckles.
To the northwest of Mevagissey lie the famous
Lost Gardens of Heligan, one of the country's most interesting
gardens that was originally laid out in 1780 but lay undisturbed for 70
years before being rediscovered in 1990. Today, this beautiful and
intriguing place is once again attracting visitors from all over the world.
St Mawes
7½ miles S of Truro on the A3078
This charming town in the shelter of Carrick Roads is dominated
by its artillery fort, St Mawes Castle, which was built in the 1540s as
part of Henry VIII's coastal defences.
Falmouth
8 miles SW of Truro on the A39
A spectacular deep-water anchorage that is the world's third
largest natural harbour, Falmouth lies in Britain's Western Approaches
and guards the entrance into Carrick Roads. Standing on a 200
feet promontory overlooking the entrance to Carrick Roads,
Henry VIII's Pendennis Castle is one of
Cornwall's great fortresses and, along with St Mawes Castle, it
has protected Britain's shores from attack ever since its construction.
Falmouth's nautical and notorious past is revealed at
the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
To the north lies Feock, one of the prettiest small villages
in Cornwall and to the south lies Restronguet
Point. It was from Tolverne, just north of
Feock, that Allied troops left for the Normandy coast during the
D-day landings and on the shingle beach the remains of the
concrete honeycombed mattresses can still be seen. Close by lies the
estate of Trelissick, a privately owned 18th century house that
is surrounded by marvellous gardens and parkland that offer
wonderful views over Carrick Roads.
Helford
12½ miles SW of Truro off the B3293
A picture postcard village on the southern banks of the
Helford estuary, Helford was once the haunt of smugglers, but today it is
a popular sailing centre. From the village, the five-mile
Helford River Walk takes in several
isolated hamlets and a 200-year-old fig tree that grows in the churchyard
at Manaccan.
On the northern banks of the River Helford are two
glorious gardens: Glendurgan Garden, created in the 1820s, and
Trebah Garden that has often been called the `garden of dreams'.
Lizard
22 miles SW of Truro on the A3038
The most southerly village in mainland Britain, Lizard is a
place of craft shops, cafés and art galleries that lends its name to
the Lizard Peninsula, an area that is physically separate from
mainland Cornwall. The Lizard is known for its unique serpentine rock, a
green mineral that became fashionable in the 19th century after
Queen Victoria visited Cornwall and ordered many items made from
the stone for her house, Osborne, on the Isle of Wight.
To the south of the village lies Lizard
Point, the tip of the peninsula, whose three sides
are lashed by waves whatever the season.
To the northwest of Lizard, close to
Mullion, is the popular sandy beach of Poldhu
Cove, from where in 1901 Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the first
wireless message from the clifftops and across the Atlantic. A
granite column commemorates the event. A couple of miles inland,
on Goonhilly Downs, is a monument to the very latest
in telecommunications - the Earth
Satellite Station.
Helston
15 miles SW of Truro on the A394
Dating back to Roman times, this ancient stannary town
also developed as a port but, today, it is best known for the famous
Festival of the Furry, or Flora Dance, a colourful festival of music
and
dance with ancient pagan connections. Among the
town's surprising number of Georgian, Regency and Victorian buildings
are the Helston Folk Museum and 16th century Angel House,
the former town house of the Godolphin family.
To the northwest lie Trevarno Estate and
Gardens, and close by is the Poldark Mine
Heritage Complex, with its underground tour of tunnels and the
famous 18th century Poldark village.
To the east of the town is another interesting
family attraction, Flambards, which is based around a faithful
re-creation of a Victorian street. Nearby is the Royal Navy's land and
sea rescue headquarters at Culdrose, one of the largest and
busiest helicopter bases in Europe.
Redruth
8½ miles SW of Truro on the A393
This market town owes its past prosperity to its location
- at
the
heart of Cornwall's mining industry - and some pockets of
Victorian, Georgian and earlier buildings can still be found. In the 19th
century the land around Camborne was the most intensely mined in
the world with, in the 1850s, over 300 mines producing some two
thirds of the world's copper! With such a history of mining it is
not surprising that Camborne is home to the world famous
School of Mining and its Geological Museum.
Immediately south of Redruth lies dramatic Carn
Brea, a granite hill that rises some 738 feet
above sea level and is crowned by a 90 feet monument to Francis Basset,
a local benevolent mine and land owner. Nearby is the
mysterious Gwennap Pit, a round, grass-covered amphitheatre that
is thought to have been created by the collapse of a subterranean
mine shaft.
To the north, along the coast, lie the two thriving holiday
centres of Porthtowan and
Portreath, which, although they developed
as a copper mining village and ore exporting port respectively, are
now the summer preserve of holidaymakers and surfers.
St Agnes
8 miles NW of Truro on the B3285
Once known as the source of the finest tin in Cornwall, this
old village still retains many of its original miners' cottages
while, surrounding the village, are the ruins of old mine
workings including the clifftop buildings of one of Cornwall's best known mines
- Wheal
Coates. The mine operated between 1860 and
1890 and the derelict Engine House is one of the more
exceptional landmarks along this stretch of coast. The remains of
Wheal Kitty provides panoramic views over this once industrial area.
The tin production processes is explained on guided tours
around Blue Hills Tin Streams at nearby
Trevellas.
Just up the coast lies the holiday resort of
Perranporth whose Celtic heritage is kept
alive during the annual Lowender Peran Festival
of music and dance.
Penzance
Cornwall's only promenade stretches from here to Newlyn,
and other interesting buildings include the exotic
Egyptian House created from two cottages in
the 1830s, and The Union Hotel, where the first announcement
in mainland England of the victory of Trafalgar and the death of
Nelson was made. Penzance's links with the sea are remembered at the
Maritime Museum and the Trinity House Lighthouse
Centre.
To the southwest lies Newlyn, the largest fish landing port
in England. As well as being home to the Pilchard Works
Heritage Museum, the town is known for its artistic associations: it was
here in the late 19th century that the Newlyn
School of art was founded.
Around Penzance
Zennor
5½ miles N of Penzance on the B3306
This delightful ancient village
shows evidence of Bronze Age settlers and the Wayside
Folk Museum has numerous exhibits that tell of this region's
industrial past. DH Lawrence lived here with his wife Frieda during World War
I and it was during his stay here, under police surveillance,
that Lawrence wrote Women in Love. However, his pacifist
tendencies and Frieda's German heritage (her cousin was the flying ace the
Red Baron) caused them to be `moved on' in October 1917.
By the porch in the church at Zennor is a memorial to John Davey, who
died in 1891, stating that he was the last person to have any great
knowledge of the native Cornish language Kernuack. It is said that
he remained familiar with the language by speaking it to his
cat. To the southeast of the village lies the Neolithic chamber tomb,
Zennor Quoit while, close by, is Chysauster Ancient
Village, a Romano-Cornish village that was built around 2,000 years ago
and has one of the oldest identifiable streets in the country.
St Ives
7 miles NE of Penzance on the A3074
Now one of the most-visited places in the county, this was once one
of the most important fishing centres in Cornwall, and locally mined
ores and minerals were exported from the harbour
(St Ives Museum is housed in a former mine
building). St Ives is also home to Tate St
Ives, dedicated to the work of 20th century painters and sculptures,
and the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture
Garden and Museum, housed in her former studio.
Hayle
7½ miles NE of Penzance on the B3301
It was here in the early 1800s that the Cornish inventor
Richard Trevithick built an early version of the steam locomotive and, a
short time later, one of the first railways in the world was constructed
here to carry tin and copper from Redruth down to the port.
Marazion
3 miles E of Penzance off the A394
For centuries the most important settlement around Mount's Bay,
this harbour town of fine old inns and residential houses that overlook
the sandy beach is now a windsurfing and sailing centre. To the
northwest is Marazion Marsh, an RSPB reserve with breeding colonies
of grey herons and visiting waders and wildfowl.
Situated a third of a mile offshore and connected
to Marazion by a cobbled causeway that is exposed at high tide,
St Michael's Mount rises dramatically out of the waters
of Mount's Bay. In the 11th century, Edward the Confessor founded
a priory on the mount and these remains are incorporated into
the marvellous St Michael's Mount Castle.
Land's End
9 miles SW of Penzance on the A30
Mainland Britain's most westerly point and one of the
country's
most famous landmarks, it is here that the granite of Cornwall
finally meets the Atlantic Ocean in a series of savage cliffs, reefs and
sheer-sided islets. Land's End has been a tourist destination since the
early 19th century, and down the years an ever-expanding complex
of man-made attractions has been added to the majestic scenery
that nature has provided. From this headland can be seen
Longships Lighthouse, just off shore, and
Wolf Rock Lighthouse, seven miles away. Just to the
southeast, and protected by Gwennap Head, is
Porthcurno, from where in 1870 the first telegraph cable was
laid linking Britain with the rest of the world. Housed in a
secret underground wartime communications centre is
the Porthcurno Wartime Telegraph Museum. This interesting village
is also home to the marvellous Minack
Theatre, an open-air amphitheatre cut into the cliff
that was founded by Rowena Cade in the 1930s.
St Just
6½ miles NW of Penzance on the A3071
The westernmost town in mainland Britain, St Just was once a
thriving mining centre, and the surrounding area is littered with
industrial remains. A narrow road leads westwards to
Cape Cornwall, the only cape in England and, along
the way, the road passes the last remains of Cape Cornwall Mine
- its tall chimney.
St Just marks the start of The Tinners'
Way, an ancient trackway
between the town and St Ives that follows ancient moorland paths.
To the northeast lies Pendeen, where tin has been mined
since prehistoric times. The last of 20 or so mines in this area,
Geevor Tin Mine and Heritage Centre not only preserves the mine but
also offers visitors the chance to experience the conditions
that miners had to endure underground. Also close by is the mighty
Levant Steam Engine, housed in a tiny building perched high on the cliffs.
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