St
Michael's Mount
Set in the sweep of coast from the
Lizard to Lamorna, St Michael's Mount is one of the most romantic sites in England.
The legend of its name is that St Micheal once appeared in a vision to fishermen,
referred to by Milton in Lycidas, and for a long time it was a monastery.
Penzance
Famous for its pirates, it suffered
during the 16th and 17th centuries during raids from the Spanish and buccaneers.
Its warm climate means it is full of delightful sub-tropical gardens. Perhaps
the most famous son of Penzance was Humphrey Davy, born here in 1778.
Maen
an Tol and Lanyon Quoit
The mysterious Maen an Tol consists
of a ring shaped stone flanked by two small, standing pillars. Anyone passing
through the stone is meant to be cured of the ague. Nearby Lanyon Quoit is the
most famous and spectacular of the Cornish cromlechs.
St
Just
Set amidst magnificent views, St
Just has ancient mines and ruined chapel nearby a 15th Century church. An amphitheatre
near the centre of town was used for miracle plays in the Cornish language,
and the Gorsedd is frequently held here.
Land's
End
The westernmost point of Britain.
Despite the grim Land's End Experience, the granite cliffs and sights such as
Logan Rock (a 65 ton boulder that is balanced so as to rock gently) create impressive
spectacles, as does Treen Dinas, an Iron Age rampart.
Merry
Maidens and the Pipers
A ceremonial complex in beautiful
landscape. The Merry Maidens is the name given to one of the finest stone circles
in Penwith, while the Pipers are two stones approximately fifteen feet tall.
Legend has it that these were a group of dancers whose festivities continued
into the Sabbath.
St
Ives
Set within the crook of some of the
best beaches in Cornwall, this old fishing village and centre for modern art
is deservedly one of the great tourist attractions of the county. Across the
bay is Godrevy Lighthouse, the inspiration for Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
Zennor
Quoit
In the time of the 18th century antiquarian,
William Borlase, Zennor Quoit was the largest work in the area. Then a farmer
decided to cut up the quoit to make a cattle shed. A relative of Borlase's saved
the rest of the monument for 30 shillings, sans capstone.
