Cornwall's Hidden History Blog
Reverend Robert Hawker, the eccentric vicar of Morwenstow, has become a much celebrated figure. He is perhaps best known as the author of Cornwall’s unofficial national anthem “Song of the Western Men”, better known as ‘Trelawney’, but he is also remembered for recording the dark tales of smugglers, wreckers and shipwrecks that occurred in his […]
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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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At the entrance to Falmouth Bay, a little closer to Pendennis Point than St Anthony Head, there is a small rocky shoal known as Black Rock. It has had various names over the years, including Falmouth Rock, Parson’s Rock and Caregoyne but perhaps its current name is most suited to its reputation as a menace […]
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Pentillie Castle, built by James Tillie in 1698, is one of the best kept secrets of the Tamar Valley. An elegant home tucked away in deep woodland beside a bend of the river, it is an impossibly idyllic spot. But this grand house, and the wonderful estate that surrounds it, also has one of the […]
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In 1890 there was a huge landslip on the north coast of Cornwall. This cliff fall was so dramatic, so catastrophic that it literally changed the face of the coastline and became known locally as ‘The Earthquake’. A name that that section of the coast retains to this day. Great fissures in the rock face […]
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Between Gorran Haven and Mevagissey, not far from the jutting finger of Chapel Point, there is a deep cleft in the jagged line of the coast. This rocky fissure has been known as Bodrugan’s Leap for more than 500 years, ever since Henry Bodrugan jumped for his life from the cliff top. It is a […]
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“Cornish author Tim Hannigan gives a fascinating, lyrical account of an east-west walk across Britain’s westernmost and most mysterious region . . . Combining landscape and nature writing with deep cultural inquiry The Granite Kingdom is a probing but highly accessible and personal tour of one of Britain’s most popular regions, justaposing history, myth, folklore […]
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Mullion Cove has to be one of the most picturesque places in Cornwall. On a calm day the little harbour, enclosed by the protective arms of its sturdy walls, seems sheltered not only by these man-made additions but also by the rocky island just off shore. But as we well know this coast has many […]
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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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With its long tradition as a home of pirates and smugglers it’s little wonder that there are numerous tales of buried or sunken treasure to be found around the Cornish coast. From shipwrecks such as the one at Dollar Cove to hideouts belonging to pirates like John Piers and even strange legends of magical underwater […]
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