Fowey in Cornwall

12 February 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Stefan Germer

© Stefan Germer

Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall in England. At the time of the 2001 census, it had a population of 2,273. Fowey is in the South Coast (Eastern Section) of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It lies at the end of the Saints’ Way and has ferries across the river to Polruan (foot) and Bodinnick (vehicle). There are many historic buildings in the town, including the ruins of St Catherine’s Castle, while Readymoney Cove possesses a local beach.   read more…

Penzance in Cornwall

22 January 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

The Wharfside Centre © geograph.org.uk - Mari Buckley/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Wharfside Centre © geograph.org.uk – Mari Buckley/cc-by-sa-2.0

Penzance is a town, civil parish and port in Cornwall. It is well known for being the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles (121 km) west of Plymouth and 300 miles (480 km) west-southwest of London. Situated in the shelter of Mount’s Bay (Towards the middle of the bay and probably the origin of the name is St Michael’s Mount), the town faces south-east onto the English Channel, is bordered to the west by the fishing port of Newlyn, to the north by the civil parish of Madron and to the east by the civil parish of Ludgvan. A ferry service is operated between Penzance Harbour and the Isles of Scilly by the Scillonian III, carrying both foot-passengers and cargo. Sailing time is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. A bus service run by the Skybus Airline Service connects with Land’s End Airport for fixed wing flights (15 minutes) to the Isles of Scilly. The buses leave from the railway station, near the taxi rank, rather than the bus station. Penzance is home to the new Newlyn Art Gallery establishment “The Exchange” which opened in 2007. Penzance is also the home of Penlee House, an art gallery and museum notable for its collection of paintings by members of the Newlyn School. Within Penzance town centre there are a growing number of commercial art galleries. Every December Penzance holds the Montol Festival a community arts event reviving many of the Cornish customs of Christmas, including Guise dancing.   read more…

The Eden Project in Cornwall

12 April 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  5 minutes

Eden Project gardens and Humid Tropical Biome © geograph.org.uk - David Dixon/cc-by-sa-2.0

Eden Project gardens and Humid Tropical Biome © geograph.org.uk – David Dixon/cc-by-sa-2.0

The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world. The project is located in a reclaimed Kaolinite pit, located 1.25 mi (2 kilometres) from the town of St Blazey and 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the larger town of St Austell.   read more…

Theme Week Cornwall – St Ives

21 December 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

St Ives harbour front © flickr.com - Char/cc-by-sa-2.0

St Ives harbour front © flickr.com – Char/cc-by-sa-2.0

St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial emphasis and the town is now primarily a popular holiday resort, notably achieving the award ‘Best UK Seaside Town’ from the British Travel Awards in both 2010 and 2011. St Ives was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1639. St Ives has become renowned for its number of artists. It was named best seaside town of 2007 by the Guardian newspaper. For local information for visitors, holiday makers and local residents, St Ives Town Council opened the St Ives Visitor & Information Centre in June 2011.   read more…

Theme Week Cornwall – Port Isaac

19 December 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

© Sbeech

© Sbeech

Port Isaac is a small and picturesque fishing village on the Atlantic Coast of north Cornwall. The nearest towns are Wadebridge and Camelford, both ten miles away. Port Gaverne, commonly mistaken to be part of Port Isaac, is a nearby hamlet that has its own history. The meaning of the Cornish name is “corn port”, indicating a trade in corn from the arable inland district. Since the 1980s the village has served as backdrop to various television productions, including the ITV series Doc Martin.   read more…

Theme Week Cornwall – Zennor

18 December 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Zennor from Trewey Hill © Jim Champion/cc-by-sa-3.0

Zennor from Trewey Hill © Jim Champion/cc-by-sa-3.0

Zennor is a village and civil parish. The parish includes the villages of Zennor, Boswednack and Porthmeor and the hamlet of Treen. It is located on the north coast, about 6 miles (10 km) north of Penzance. It lies along the B3306 road which connects St Ives to the A30 road. Alphabetically, the parish is the last in Britain. Its name comes from the Cornish for the local saint, St Senara. Zennor Head is a coastal promontory north of the village. The cliffs rise over 200 feet (60 m) from the sea and the highest point of the headland is 314 feet (96 m) above sea level. The village itself is at a height of around 360 feet (110 m).   read more…

Theme Week Cornwall – Truro

17 December 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Lower Lemon Street © Simon Lewis - www.westcountryviews.co.uk/cc-by-2.5

Lower Lemon Street © Simon Lewis – www.westcountryviews.co.uk/cc-by-2.5

Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, UK. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population of 19,000 and its surrounding urban area to 23,000 as based on the results of the population of Cornwall in 2010. It is the only city in the county, and the most southern city in Mainland Great Britain. People from Truro are known as Truronians. Truro’s popularity within Cornwall as the number one destination for retail and leisure, and its role as the administrative centre of the county, is unusual compared to other cities in the country given that it is the fourth most populous settlement in Cornwall. The city is surrounded by a number of protected natural areas such as the historic parklands at Pencalenick, and larger areas of ornamental landscape, such as Trelissick Garden and Tregothnan further down the Truro River. An area south-east of the city, around and including Calenick Creek, has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Other protected areas include an Area of Great Landscape Value comprising agricultural land and wooded valleys to the north east, and Daubuz Moors, a Local Nature Reserve located alongside the River Allen close to the city centre.   read more…

Theme Week Cornwall

16 December 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  7 minutes

Remains of Tintagel Castle, legendary birthplace of mythical King Arthur © Maniple

Remains of Tintagel Castle, legendary birthplace of mythical King Arthur © Maniple

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of 536,000 and covers an area of 3,563 km2 (1,376 sq mi). The administrative centre, and only city in Cornwall, is Truro, although the town of St Austell has a larger population.   read more…

St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall

17 January 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  7 minutes

St. Michael's Mount harbour © geograph.org.uk - Chris Downer

St. Michael’s Mount harbour © geograph.org.uk – Chris Downer

St Michael’s Mount is a tidal island located 366 metres (400 yards) off the Mount’s Bay coast of Cornwall. It is a civil parish and is united with the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts, passable between mid-tide and low water.   read more…

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