Visit West Cornwall

Hayle & Phillack - Gateway to West Cornwall
Situated amidst St Ives Bay's three miles of golden sands, Hayle was a major, internationally renowned, engineering centre and an important port during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The town's worldwide reputation for engineering innovation and technical excellence acted as a magnet for Steam-Age pioneers, including Richard Trevithick, inventor of the World's first practical steam road car, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the great railway engineer.
It is now a resort and a haven for many birds, especially waders, and part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. It is a fascinating repository of industrial archaeology, much of which has been restored. The town is also famous for some of the best pasties in Cornwall. Its Godrevy Lighthouse was the inspiration for Virginia Woolf's novel 'To The Lighthouse'. Rosamund Pilcher, author of The Shell Seekers, hails from these parts, as does Elizabeth Arden. It is here and the surrounding areas which served such as inspiration for the artist John Miller.

Madron - The Spiritual Heart of West Cornwall
There are few parishes in Cornwall with such a favoured outlook as Madron's. The parish has no coastline; yet because of its elevated position above Penzance and the glittering expanse of Mount's Bay, there are exhilarating views of the sea from almost every quarter. Madron has a striking variety of landscapes; they range from south-facing fields and wooded valleys to miles of high moorland, within which lie some of Cornwall's most dramatic ancient monuments. At the heart of the main village of Madron is a cluster of beautiful granite buildings that enclose a handsome 14th century church. The village has a popular pub, the King William IV, and a shop. In a wooded valley below the village lies Trengwainton, one of Cornwall's finest gardens.

Marazion, Perranuthnoe & Goldsithney - Beautiful Mount's Bay
Marazion faces St Michael's Mount and is the oldest town in England. A great place to start exploring the smaller settlements of this area, much of which is, in fact, part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A short distance inland is the quiet village of Goldsithney. Only a mile or so to the east lies the village of Perranuthnoe, with its fine sandy beach and its open aspect. Further east again is the fine headlands of Cudden Point, it's a great little expedition which will take you half a day if you don't become spellbound for too long.

Mousehole & Paul - Gateway to Mount's Bay
Mousehole (pronounced Mouzol) is one of Cornwall's best examples of a traditional fishing village and, despite the industry's decline, is full of character. It's also an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The granite buildings of Paul and its magnificent Church of St Paul de Leon are a must-see.

Newlyn - A Great Cornish Port
The fishing port of Newlyn lies in the western corner of Mount's Bay adjacent to Penzance. The bustling harbourside and the narrow back streets and cobbled courtyards of Newlyn offer the visitor a refreshing glimpse of a genuine Cornish community. Newlyn's many attractions include an art gallery, several pubs of character, cafes, restaurants and a good range of shops.

Pendeen - Cornwall's Famous Mining Coast
Pendeen, east of St Just, is a former mining village with a good selection of traditional inns. It has a lighthouse which guards one of the region's wildest, most dramatic sections of coast, much of which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Truly picturesque mining ruins seem to teeter on the edge of the land here, an amazing sight. The walks from Pendeen are superlative: west to the mine sites, east to Portheras Beach.

Penzance - The Holy Headland
The name Penzance comes from two Cornish words: pen and sans and means 'holy headland'. Situated in sheltered Mount's Bay, this handsome resort town offers first-rate hospitality, good food, art, crafts and quality shops. There are three World-class galleries here to take-in The Exchange, Penlee House Gallery and Museum and the Newlyn Art Gallery. With it's fine, million gallon, art-deco Jubilee swimming pool, sub-tropical Morrab Gardens, magnificent Promenade and picturesque harbour, Penzance has that real Riviera touch and is a feast for the eyes and much else besides. The town is a tapestry of sun-trap terraces, attractive parks, gardens and high walkways overlooking the bay. There's a lot to explore and the many pubs,cafes and restaurants ensure that you'll never be short of a place to put your feet up. Near by St Michael's Mount is the focal point of the bay. Cut off from the mainland at high tide, this medieval building was originally monastic and shares much in common with Mont St Michel, the Benedictine abbey in Normandy. St Michael's Mount is a thoroughly romantic building and you can see it's battlements, turrets and towers from Penzance.

Porthcurno, St Levan & Treen - The Golden Coast
Porthcurno, St Levan and Treen lie on one of Cornwall's most beautiful coasts within an area of spectacular granite cliffs and beaches. Yet the surrounding countryside is equally lovely while the area is well served by excellent village shops, pubs and other services. Much of the coast is owned by the National Trust. The Porthcurno valley has had close links with oceanic communications since the last century. Attractions in the area include the Museum of Submarine Telegraphy and the Minack Theatre.

St Buryan & Lamorna - The Heart of West Cornwall
The parish of St Buryan offers the visitor the very best of West Cornwall's coast and countryside at the beautiful Lamorna Cove and amidst the green fields and wooded valleys that surround the village of St Buryan itself. The area is famous for its ancient monuments, and two of the finest prehistoric stone circles in the country lie within its boundaries. There are shops and a popular pub in St Buryan village. Lamorna Cove has the famous Wink Inn and a cafe and shop at the harbour car park. There are several galleries and craft shops throughout the area as well as campsites self catering and bed & breakfast establishments.

St Ives - Artists Paradise
With its honey granite houses and networks of lanes, St Ives is a quintessentially Cornish place. Yet there is something about the light and its effect on the colours of this ancient port that gives it a distinctly Southern European flavour. In the 19th and 20th centuries, painters flocked here and, today, the town is a major international art centre with its very own Tate Gallery. The harbour, where working fishing boats have been landing their catches for hundreds of years, is the focal point of St Ives. It is a great place to meet, to loll on the sheltered beach, and to pass the time of day. As you might expect, the town's restaurants have a deserved reputation for the quality and variety of the fish they serve. Behind the harbour wind lanes with unusual names, like Mount Zion, Salubrious Place and Teetotal Street. Here you'll find a honeycomb of shops, pubs, galleries, and places to eat. A leisurely walk along the coastal footpath is a calm and beautiful way to relax and absorb the sights and sounds of the bay. Return by the branch line train, an amazing feat of Victorian engineering, which snakes along the vertiginous cliff edge, and experience one of the most spectacular rail journeys in Britain.

St Just-in-Penwith - Charming, Historic Mining Town
As Cornwall's most westerly town, St Just really is the last of England. Busy and welcoming, the town was a centre for tin mining in previous centuries. The area's mining district is part of a World Heritage Site as a result, and it's scenery has to be seen to be beleived, even if mining isn't something you're interested in. The town itself boasts one of only two medieval amphitheatres in Cornwall called the Plen an Gwary and reputedly the oldest working theatre in Britain. See it in action when the Ordinalia miracle plays are performed and during the Lafrowda Festival every July. St Just has many inns, independent art galleries and studios. A fine Methodist Chapel and 15th century Parish Church are also worth visiting. Nearby, you'll encounter the legendary natural landmark of Land's End. It's a place of breathtaking beauty and is a definite must-see. In the right conditions, the massive power of the Atlantic can be seen hurling itself against the towering granite headland. At other times, the sea is as tranquil as a millpond.

Zennor - Home of the Mermaid
Steeped in myth and legend and nestling on the scenic coast road only 4 miles west of St Ives, surrounded by dramatic coastal scenery and ancient fields on one side and high, gaunt moorland on the other. Legend has it that the mermaid of Zennor (depicted on a bench-end in the Norman and later medieval church) was so entranced by the singing of a local chorister that she lured him into the sea, never to return. D H Lawrence wrote 'Women in Love' here in the village he described as 'the best place I have ever been in'.