Cornwall's Hidden History Blog
The Iron Age Cornish (if we can affectionately call them that) were far more outward looking then we would perhaps assume. Their world, around 2000 years ago, was not confined to the granite peninsula that they called home. The profitable tin trade ensured that they made contact with civilisations from across the Irish Sea, into […]
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The English Civil War was a conflict that divided a nation, tore families and communities apart and resulted in the death of an estimated 200,000 people making it the bloodiest war ever fought on British soil. On the 16th May 1643 about half a mile from the town of Stratton one of the most important […]
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I first spoke to Sam Davison two years ago, back in 2020, when he contacted me to tell me that he was on a mission to visit and photograph every ancient standing stone in Cornwall! I remember thinking at the time that it was a pretty ambitious project (that’s an understatement!) but the images he […]
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The St Austell region of Cornwall, the Clay Country as it’s known, is full of mountains – the giant white spoil heaps left behind by the industry of the area crowd the horizon and tower over the grey villages. In the centre of it all is Hensbarrow Beacon, a natural summit that was once the […]
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It may be a little off the beaten track but with breath-taking views across the Cornish countryside and a mysterious atmosphere Bury Castle near Cardinham is well worth seeking out. This castle has long been a forgotten treasure hidden in our landscape and the theory that it may be connected to the legends of King […]
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In the shadow of Rough Tor is an area of Bodmin Moor known as Crowdy Marsh. Today it is the site of a large reservoir but in the 19th century this was considered a dangerous place, an evil morass that trapped ponies, cattle and men on horseback. The writer J. W Malin called it ” […]
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Roche Rock is a spectacular geological phenomenon that has been the focal point of the surrounding communities for so long that there are numerous ancient myths and legends associated with it. I set out to discover the history of this striking landmark and the many stories that seem to cling to these enigmatic ruins like […]
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Like so much of Penwith the parish of Sancreed is pretty much bursting with ancient remains. From Bronze Age standing stones and Iron Age villages to holy wells and Celtic crosses. This is an incredibly rich historic landscape that offers us so much and needs our protection. So it was wonderful to hear in February […]
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In 1944 the Reverend Henry Ardern Lewis arrived on St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly and alongside his duties for his new congregation, like so many clergymen of that time, he began dabbling in archaeology. And he was certainly spoilt for choice, St Martin’s is peppered with prehistoric remains, from standing stones to chambered cairns. During […]
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There are many objects that have been found in Cornwall lurking in vaults and display cases inside the British Museum. Treasures that I would just love to see with my own eyes . . . or better still, hold in my hands. The intricate Anglo-Saxon silver from the Trewhiddle hoard for example, or the huge […]
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