Park and Ride schemes run in peak season at Lelant Saltings for the town of St Ives and at Liskeard for Looe, while two parking sites at Langarth Park and Tregurra Park serve Truro. A town with bags of charm, Padstow is a must visit for foodies and adventure seekers. Kids will love trying their hand at crabbing at the harbour, while Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant serves up the flavours of the county. Take the time to explore the Camel Cycle Trail, which starts and ends in Padstow. From some of the steepest gradients in the county on the North Torpoint coastal road, to gentle country cycles – there’s something for everyone here.
The GDP per head for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was 79.2% of the EU-27 average for 2004, the UK per head average was 123.0%. In 2011, the latest available figures, Cornwall’s measure of wealth was 64% of the European average per capita. A Cornish pastyCornwall is perhaps best known though for its pasties, a savoury dish made with pastry. Today’s pasties usually contain a filling of beef steak, onion, potato and swede with salt and white pepper, but historically pasties had a variety of different fillings.
The industry played a crucial role in shaping the region’s economy, culture, and landscape. Cornwall has a long and proud history of mining, with tin and copper being the most important minerals extracted from the ground. On my travels, I’ve heard lots of these Cornish facts, and have learned plenty more from my family and from my extensive research about Cornwall (I’ve even learned a little of the language – more on that below!). It’s linked to the patron saint of Cornwall, St Piran, who is also the patron saint of tin miners. The Penzance welcome sign with its message in the English and Cornish languagesSome people in Cornwall have revived Cornish, a very old recently extinct Celtic language, which is related to Breton and to Welsh. There is also a dialect of the English language spoken in Cornwall known as Cornish-English.
Take in the subtropical paradise of Trebah Garden or go back in time at Henry VIII’s coastal fort, Pendennis Castle. Regardless of what you want to do when you visit Cornwall, you’ll discover a county packed with charm and intrigue. As Poldark fans will know, dramatic cliffs give way to secluded coves, rocky outcrops and vast expanses of beach. Away from the sea, there is moorland, wooded valleys and a variety of market towns and villages.
A map of Iron Age Celtic tribes of Southern Britain.A map of inscription stones, with and without Ogham inscriptions.Claims have been made that the Phoenicians traded directly with Cornwall for tin. There is no archaeological evidence for this and modern historians have debunked earlier antiquarian constructions of “”the Phoenician legacy of Cornwall””, including belief that the Phoenicians even settled Cornwall. A map of camps and earthworks in CornwallAround 750 BCE the Iron Age reached Britain, permitting greater scope of agriculture through the use of new iron ploughs and axes. During broadly the same time , Celtic cultures and peoples spread across the British Isles. You’re likely to be familiar with many Cornish dairy products as well, including Cornish fudge and Cornish ice cream. Cornish clotted cream is in the unique position of being protected under EU law with the main manufacturers being Rodda’s.
Following a review by the Boundary Commission for England taking effect at the 2010 general election, Cornwall is divided into six county constituencies to elect MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. (The Isle of Man Government and the Welsh Government also recognise Asturias and Galicia.) Cornwall is represented, as one of the Celtic nations, at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, an annual celebration of Celtic culture held in Brittany. As its population is comparatively small, and largely rural, Cornwall’s contribution to British national sport in the United Kingdom has been limited; the county’s greatest successes have come in fencing. In 2014, half of the men’s GB team fenced for Truro Fencing Club, and 3 Truro fencers appeared at the 2012 Olympics. “”FOR THE FALLEN”” plaque with the Rumps promontory beyondThe late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman was famously fond of Cornwall and it featured prominently in his poetry.
