Cornwall's Hidden History Blog
George Symons is not a name that many of us will be familiar with but one hundred years ago he was something of a Cornish celebrity. And for those passionate about motorsports in the south west today he should be a legend. George Symons raced in the first ever Manx Grand Prix in 1923, competed […]
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Porthcurno beach is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in Cornwall and it’s not hard to see why. On a sunny day it has something of the feel of the Caribbean about it, a tropical paradise, a Robinson Crusoe beach – secluded, idyllic, with white sand and clear, emerald green waters. […]
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The curve of Whitesand Bay stretches from Aire Point to Pedn-Men-Du headland, like a rough, rocky bite out of the Land’s End coastline. This bay, which encompasses Sennen Cove and Gwynver Beach, is a popular surf spot where huge rollers tumble in from the Atlantic. But in centuries past those waves brought with them some […]
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In the early hours of the 22th March 2003 the cargo ship RMS Mülheim was making its way from Cork in Ireland to Germany when a freak accident occurred with disastrous consequences. This unusual event caused the ship hit the cliffs at Gamper Bay, between Lands End and Sennen Cove, at about 5am. In the […]
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The artist Albert Reuss was one of many Jewish refugees who fled Nazi occupied Europe and the terrible violence of the Holocaust to the safety of the United Kingdom. However it was a chance meeting with a Cornish Quaker that not only brought about that escape but also meant that Albert and his wife were […]
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Today the small fishing port of St Ives is best known for its beaches, its vibrant art scene and its ice cream but in the 18th and 19th centuries it was something of a smuggler’s paradise. And as was so often the case in Cornwall it seems the whole community was in on the enterprise […]
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The Keigwin Arms, once known as Keigwin Manor, stands in the heart of Mousehole and is reputedly the oldest building in this historic fishing village. It is much photographed because of its age and elegant façade but this particular house also has many interesting tales to tell. It has seen a great deal over the […]
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The jutting, rugged finger of rock known as Gurnard’s Head has to be one of my favourite places in Penwith. From its dramatic heights I have watched gannets diving for fish and seen sleepy seals bottling; sometimes I have picnicked on warm grass in golden, evening sunshine and sometimes hidden behind rocks slick with rain […]
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“murder cannot be hid long . . . the truth will out.” Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, 1596 In October 1813 a group of workmen were employed to take down a derelict building near the old quay in Penzance. As they began lifting the stone slabs covering the ground floor they made a grisly discovery. […]
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When we imagine the Penwith peninsula in the 19th century it can seem almost as if the cliff tops, beaches and harbours must have been overrun with artists at their easels. So many were attracted here by the mild climate, the beautiful landscapes and that famous ethereal light that Cornwall, especially the far west, developed […]
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