A Blog about Cornwall's Hidden Places & Untold Stories
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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In 1828, when he was just 22 years old, Isambard Kingdom Brunel stood on the banks of the Tamar at Saltash. Surveying the wide, tidal river he concluded that it was ‘much too wide to be worth having a bridge’. Some 20 years later however, he was to design the Royal Albert Bridge for that […]
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Port Quin is a beautiful place, a picturesque little Cornish inlet. It is considered a safe habour, though somewhat shallow, with the rocks at its narrow entrance between Doyden Point and Kellan Head appearing to almost touch. Yet despite its sheltered position, and having Newquay and Padstow on one side and Port Isaac on the […]
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When South Crofty tin mine closed in 1998 a gaping hole was left in our community, not only for the miners and their families but for the whole of Cornwall. It was the end of an era. In recent years the Canadian company, Strongbow Exploration, has made positive steps towards re-opening this iconic mine. But […]
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“The two seas, the waters of St Ives Bay separated only by a narrow stretch of land from the ocean where St Michael’s Mount guards Marazion. Cut a canal and western Cornwall is an island.” Claud Williamson shaw, The Cornishman, 20th September 1906 For a number of years during the late 19th and early 20th […]
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In the early hours of Sunday morning, 12th January 1890, Lewannick church caught fire. The alarm was raised at one o’clock and pretty soon the whole village was awake, crowding in the narrow roads around the building, wondering what to do. The Launceston fire crew was sent for but it was already too late. The […]
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In 1848 the author Catherine Crowe published a book called The Night Side of Nature, it was an exploration of ‘ghosts and ghost seers’. The book quickly became a bestseller and interestingly it introduced its readers to a new word – Poltergeist. Originating in Germany in the mid-19th century poltergeist came from poltern meaning to […]
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This summer sees the release of a beautiful book of short stories set in Cornwall and inspired by the generations of strong women that have made this elemental peninsula their home. I spoke to the author Jackie Taylor about Strange Waters, what brought her to Cornwall and why she finds the area so inspiring. Jackie […]
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For the jet-setters of the 21st century it is hard to imagine a world without powered flight, but just for a moment put yourself in the shoes of one of the people in the enormous crowds that gathered around Mounts Bay on July 23rd 1910. They were there to see their first aeroplane take to […]
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A few years ago I visited the Tower of London and for some reason, with all its 1000 years of history, all those momentous episodes that have played out within its walls, the one memory that sticks with me is standing on the spot where Anne Boleyn lost her head. I find her a fascinating […]
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