Welcome to Cornwall

From surfing beaches along the north shore to satellite communications at Goonhilly, from climate domes at the Eden Project to sleepy villages, it's all here for you to enjoy.

Cornwall - The Hidden Nation

When the Italian cleric, Polydor Vergil, was commissioned by the English king, Henry VII, in 1505 to write "the History of England" (1535), he gave the following description of Britain in the introduction:

"The whole Countrie of Britain ...is divided into iiii partes; whereof the one is inhabited of Englishmen, the other of Scottes, the third of Wallshemen, [and] the fowerthe of Cornishe people, which all differ emonge them selves, either in tongue, in manners, or ells in lawes and ordinaunces."

This distinction of Cornwall was also reflected by the first Duke of Cornwall when, in 1351, he commissioned a survey of his Duchy of Cornwall lands to ascertain what was held, and by whom, of his tenants in "Cornwall & England".

There are many historical references to corroborate this distinction (see constitutional status of Cornwall) and it has been the Cornish perception of themselves up to the present day but hidden from the world by being classified, since 1889, as an English administrative county.

It is argued that to ignore the Cornish as one of the constituent nations of Britain is to deprive the Cornish people of their history and rights as a national group within the United Kingdom and the greater Europe and deliberately facilitate actions detrimental to the future existence of the Cornish people.

While it is also argued that the former kingdom of Cornwall exists historically in the same way as separate Plantagenet kingdoms but is no longer relevant in modern day England. (from Wikipedia)

Truro - The Capital of Cornwall

Truro is the archetypal County Town - elegant and charming with an air of distinction. Its cobbled streets and tiny alleyways, known as "opes", contain some of the nations household names alongside many tiny specialist shops bursting with ideas for even the most demanding shopper.

The shopping centre is level and, for a City with such shopping choice, is remarkably compact. There are lots of places of interest to visit nearby. A popular visitor destination is the Royal Cornwall Museum. Parking in Truro is easy with several multi-storey car parks. A "Park&Ride" scheme operates throughout the Summer season. Thanks to the effort of the local community to keep Truro tidy, it has recently been awarded this prestigious award.

Truro (pronounced /ˈtruːrəʊ/; Cornish: Truru) is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the is the only city in, and the administrative centre of the county. (Note that Bodmin is the county town.) It is the most southerly city in the United Kingdom, situated just under 232 miles (374 kilometres) west south-west of Charing Cross, London. It has a population of 20,920.

The city is well-known for its cathedral, begun in 1879 and finished in 1910. It is also the location of the Royal Cornwall Museum, Cornwall's Courts of Justice and Cornwall County Council's New County Hall, a Grade II listed building. Truro is also the site of a BT Group broadband call centre.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Opening hours:
Daily throughout the year
10am - 6pm


The award winning "Lost Gardens of Heligan" are thought to be the largest garden restoration project in Europe.

Over 57 acres of gardens were lost for 70 years and are now being rediscovered and restored as a working Victorian garden.

www.heligan.com

Bude, North Cornwall

Bude is a small resort town and watering-place in Cornwall, England, UK, on the north coast at the mouth of the river Neet.

There are a number of good beaches in the Bude area, many of which offer good surfing conditions. The Bude Lifesaving Club was the founder club of British Surf Life Saving.

• Summerleaze and Crooklets beaches are both in the town.

• Widemouth bay is a few miles south of Bude and offers a long, wide sandy beach.

• Sandymouth Beach is owned by the National Trust, and has spectacular cliffs and rock formations with shingle below the cliffs and a large expanse of sand at low tide.

• Northcott Mouth beach is situated north of Bude.

  The beaches around Bude are the main reason that the town is a huge tourist resort for all ages during the summer and is catching up with its southern neighbour Newquay.

Boscastle, North Cornwall

Just 14 miles south from Bude and 5 miles from Tintagel, within an designated an "Area of Outstanding Beauty" lies this small village with one of the few remaining unspoilt harbours on the North Cornish Coast.

The small harbour now hosts a number of little fishing boats but was once a hive of activity with trade taking place between Wales, Bristol and the south of England.

The National Trust own and care for the beautiful medieval harbour and surrounding coastline and some of the most beautiful countryside within the British Isles

An excellent base for touring the area, all of Cornwall or North Devon, including moorlands, sheltered wooden valleys and coastal footpaths offering magnificent views, are all on our doorstep.

Here too a lovely valley heads inland, a path follows a fast flowing burbling stream which leads to several hidden churches allowing you to discover the little known connection between North Cornwall and Thomas Hardy.

Tintagel, North Cornwall

Situated on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, the village of Tintagel (pronounced /tɪn'tædʒl̩/ with the stress on the second syllable; Cornish: Dintagell) and nearby Tintagel Castle are associated with the legends surrounding King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. The village has, in recent times, become a magnet for tourists and day-trippers.

The modern-day village of Tintagel was known as Trevena (Cornish: Tre war Venydh). It was cited originally as a place of origin for King Arthur by the pseudo-historian Geoffrey of Monmouth. Tintagel is also used as a locus for the Arthurian mythos by the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson in the poem Idylls of the King. The village also features the 'Old Post Office', which dates from the 14th Century. It became a post office during the nineteenth century, and is now in the hands of the National Trust.

Major excavations beginning with Ralegh Radford's work in the 1930s on and around the site of the 12th century castle have revealed that Tintagel headland was the site of a high status Celtic monastery (according to Radford), a princely fortress or trading settlement dating to the 5th and 6th centuries, in the period immediately following the withdrawal of the Romans from Britain. Finds of Mediterranean oil and wine jars show that Sub-Roman Britain was not the isolated outpost it was considered to be, for considerable trade in high value goods was taking place at the time with the Mediterranean region. In 1998, excavations discovered the "Arthur stone" which has added to Tintagel's Arthurian lore.

The coastline around Tintagel is significant because it is composed of old Devonian slate; about a mile southwards from Tintagel towards Treknow the coastline was quarried extensively for this hard-wearing roofing surface. The turquoise green water around this coast is caused by the slate/sand around Tintagel which contains elements of copper: strong sunlight turns the water a light turquoise green colour in warm weather. Although there is no beach at Tintagel, Trebarwith Strand is just half an hour's walk south of Tintagel and is probably Cornwall's finest beach, boasting clear seas, golden sands, and superb surf.

Tintagel has the Catholic Church of St Paul the Apostle which has a 30,000 piece mosaic within its walls.People worldwide also come to Tintagel to view the names of their babies who have been lost due to miscarriage,stillbirth or other cause.The names are kept in the Miscarriage & Infant Loss Memorial Book which is kept at the church. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Mevagissey, South Cornwall

Mevagissey is a traditional fishing village on the South Cornish coastline with a fascinating history, which finds a special place in the hearts of every visitor who comes here.

Mevagissey and the surrounding area provides many things to do, but when just want to get away from it all Mevagissey is ideal for that too.

In Mevagissey, you can watch the catch of the day come in, which will be served to you in the evening with fine wine in excellent restaurants, while the fisherman can be found sampling the local Cornish ale in the local taverns.

The village's maze of narrow allyways, small coves and great cliffs will bring to life stories of Mevagissey's smugglers and intreague the explorer inside you. The gift shops and art galleries will inspire your creative side and the many walks in the area will put you in touch with the beauty of Cornwall. It is an ideal base from which to explore Cornwall and The Rosaland Peninsula.

The village remain unspoilt and offers everything that you would need to enjoy a wonderful holiday in Cornwall.

Gorran Haven, South Cornwall

Situated at the most eastern point of the Roseland Peninsula, this village is set well off the beaten track and is one of those places that you only reach if you are either lost or intend on being there.

It is about 3 1/2 miles from Mevagissey reachable by road or on foot via the South West Coast Path.The bay of Gorran Haven is sheltered from the prevailing west winds by Dodman Point. Bathers can enjoy the luxury of two sandy beaches offering safe bathing. Great Perhaver is accessible only by boat and very rarely on a spring tide. BEWARE!!!

The valley of Gorran Haven enjoys good shelter from the elements apart from when there is an easterly wind. The area enjoy an abundence of flora and fauna including wild flowers and a wide variety of birds.

The sea angler will feel at home here, with numerous secluded spots along the cliffs. Alternatively, why not sit and relax on the quay and watch the local fishermen haul in their catch at the end of the day?