A Blog about Cornwall's Hidden Places & Untold Stories
The first place that the Spanish Armada was sighted on mainland Britain was supposedly at Lizard Point in July 1588. From there, in a pre-arranged signal, a great chain of beacons was lit. The glow of fires jumped from one hilltop to the next up across the country to warn of the enemy’s arrival to […]
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The Killigrew family are said to have been the original builders and benefactors of Falmouth. They were the first to realise and exploit it’s potential as a harbour and a centre for trade. With their deep connections to the monarchy from the time of the reign of Henry III in the 13th century they were […]
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Tantalising glimpses of Cornwall’s forgotten history can often be found preserved in the names given to villages, roads, woodlands, tors and rivers. The Cornish translation can offer clues, hints of former industries perhaps, a remembrance of a historical figure or subtle signpost to past events. In the graveyard of Camborne parish church there is an […]
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Precariously perched on towering cliffs Wheal Trewavas Mine is a special place to visit. These huge engine houses are just as impressive as the world-famous Crown Mines at Botallack on Cornwall’s North Coast. And, just like the Crown Mines, Wheal Trewavas was once famous for it’s temeritous tunnels that stretching out from the coast beneath […]
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Smugglers retained a certain mystique, a measure of respect and acclaim, within the Cornish community throughout the 18th century and beyond. And perhaps none more so than John Carter, the King of Prussia Cove, who remains one of the eras best known characters to this day. It was said that no jury in Cornwall would […]
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The coastline around Newquay bristles with rocky headlines. Penhale Point, Kelsey Head, Pentire Point, Towan Head, Park Head, Griffin Point . . . Jutting out into the ocean like the jagged teeth of an ancient comb. Many of these promontories were the refuge places of early man. Geologically and physically advantageous sites where cliff castles […]
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During the winter of 1849 the whole of Falmouth was on edge. The conversation in the shops, the alehouses and on the streets was only about one thing . . . Strange sounds had been heard at night, unexplainable, frightening noises that were keeping everyone awake. Screeching Cries There were various contradictory descriptions of what […]
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Droskyn Point towers above Perranporth beach. The crashing waves of the Atlantic beat its rocky cliffs. But this spectacular headland hides an ancient secret. Hidden down a steep, narrow path is thought to be the earliest known evidence of mining in Cornwall. Beginnings . . . The origins of tin mining in Cornwall are hazy […]
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“The seashore seems to be a potent spot for ghosts. Fishermen dread to walk anywhere near where a ship has foundered. The souls of drowned sailors are said to haunt such places and the ‘calling of the dead’ has frequently been heard . . .” James Turner, The Stone Peninsula, 1975. Fishermen and sailors are […]
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The tiny fort known as Little Dennis is probably the oldest building in the Falmouth area, apart from the ruin of Arwenack Manor perhaps, it was constructed by the Tudors nearly 500 years ago. Little Dennis was built straight onto the bedrock, close to the highwater line, looking out across the sweep of Falmouth Bay […]
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