A Blog about Cornwall's Hidden Places & Untold Stories
A woman on the edge of the sea finds a girl on the edge of life. I always used to say that no matter where I was in the world if you picked me up and dropped me down anywhere in Cornwall I would know I was home. There is something in the air, in […]
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Smuggling in Cornwall was once regarded as an honourable profession and the men who practiced it were known euphemistically as ‘fair traders’. In fact, a fair trader in Falmouth, Isaac Cocart, was actually mayor of the town twice, as well as being a respected magistrate. Cornwall’s extensive coastline, with so many tiny coves, offers ample […]
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When I first read about Merther Uny I was intrigued. I was fascinated to see this ruined place. A place that had once been so important. A site of peace and pilgrimage. It is still a peaceful place today. Isolated down a dead-end farm track and hidden in a shady glade above a wooded valley. […]
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Cornwall has long been an inspiration the artists, directors and writers alike. Atmospheric coastline, myths and legends galore and history down every lane and beyond every Cornish hedge. It’s little wonder that the county finds its way into the imagination. In 1910 Arthur Conan Doyle published his 43rd Sherlock Holmes mystery, his first and only […]
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Hidden deep in woodland above the River Fowey is what remains of Largin Castle. It sits on the top of a steep ridge that towers above the Glynn Valley, and is the perfect spot for a defensive structure. But Largin was no Roman outpost or ‘motte and bailey’ affair. This ‘castle’ was built in the […]
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Because of its long established links with so many traditionally masculine industries – farming, fishing, mining – Cornwall can sometimes feel like quite a macho county. In honour of International Women’s Day I thought that I would try to redress that balance by reminding us all of some of the marvellous, talented and wonderful women […]
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King Arthur’s connections to Cornwall are long-standing and rather tangled. I have to admit that sometimes I find this connection frustrating, because his myth often seems to over ride the true history of the county. Tintagel being the perfect example of this. However, there are two sites on Bodmin Moor which bear his name that […]
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From the 7th until the 10th March Falmouth will be playing host to a whole weekend of free events, talks, workshops and performances to designed to celebrate and nurture women and girls in Cornwall. So, what is the Women of the World Festival? In a nutshell: It is a joyous celebration of what it means […]
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The vast majority of our ancient monuments in Cornwall are quite plain. They may be dramatic in their setting, their age or their size but they often demonstrate to us the effects of the elements more than the mark of the hands that built them. There are, however, a few exceptions to this. Places in […]
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I recently visited what I consider to be one of the most enigmatic places on Bodmin Moor. So special that I actually considered not sharing it with you! Every once in a while there are locations in Cornwall you just want to selfishly keep to yourself. For me Buttern Hill is one of those. Buttern […]
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