Soldiers, Miners and Fairies
A guided tour of West Cornwall
Steve saw ‘Castles, Canals and Witches’ on trip advisor and asked if I did a tour of West Cornwall.
I replied,
“Err. No, but I’m sure I could put something together.”
So I had a think about what I knew, did some further research and asked people that know stuff. Then (literally) got on my bike to see if I had remembered correctly and to find the best of that which I had researched.
This is the happy result.
Thanks Steve.
So we start our tour...well, that depends upon where Glenys and I pick you up from. But let’s assume that, like Steve and his family you have come ashore from a cruise ship at Falmouth.
Image from Wikimedia. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
The bridge over the creek at Gweek.
Image by Dr Neil Clifton. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
So we start with a drive to the picturesque village of Gweek. Specifically to visit the village shop. It is an absolute Aladdin's cave of Local produce, baked goodies and coffee.
Much needed with the early start!
We then go off exploring!
The first stop is Halligge Fogou.
This is an absolutely fascinating underground chamber of indeterminate age (possibly bronze age). It is man made and its purpose is... well, tell me what you think after you have seen it.
I’ll lend you a little torch so you can go off and explore the subterranean passageways.
The entry to Halligge Fougu.
I'll lend you a torch so you can go and explore it.
Then we go to look at The Lizard Windmill.
The 360 degree view over this part of Cornwall from the top of this ancient structure is fabulous.
I'll tell you the story of "The Windmill Gang" as you take in the scenery.
Across The Lizard peninsula to the sea from The Windmill.
The 16th century Lizard Windmill.
Cliffs at Lizard point looking toward the lighthouse and (below) the old lifeboat house.
Next it's a little retail therapy in Lizard town itself.
Perhaps pick up some souvenirs and a pasty before visiting Britain's most Southerly point on the mainland.
We then travel up toward Penzance, stopping to take in the view before exploring The Penwith area.
The view over Mounts Bay to Mousehole and Penzance.
Yes, that is a rain storm coming in and we all got back to Glenys dry...just.
(Thanks for being in the picture, guys.)
Up above Penzance we discover Penwith.
Many describe this area as "True Cornwall".
Spectacular scenery, ancient monuments, an area of outstanding natural beauty and a UNESCO world heritage site on account of its mining history.
Firstly we visit
'Carn Euny'.
A short walk brings us to a fascinating abandoned village. Carn Euny was occupied from around 500 BC to around 400 AD.​​
We stop at the beautiful town of St.Just. The most Westerly town in Britain.
Once an important mining town.
Explore the absolutely gorgeous church and the surrounding streets. Browse in the shops and perhaps pick up an 'ansome pasty!
Next is a look at Cape Cornwall (you will be amazed at what the monument is for. I was!) and a look at Ballowall Barrow, a unique 10,000 year old burial chamber.
Cape Cornwall
By Tom Corser - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cape_Cornwall.jpgOriginally uploaded in April 2005 to en:Wikipedia (log) by Cyr (talk)., Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8537783
A short ride takes us to Botallack to look at the famous Crowns Engine Houses.
This is an absolutely fascinating area of Cornwall's industrial past. Will you spot the filming location known to Poldark fans as "Wheal Leisure"?
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You can't come to West Cornwall and not mention Geevor Tin Mine.
Some mine workings dating back to the 17th century. Mining stopped here in 1990. The heritage centre opened three years later.
We can stop here for you to explore the museum if you wish, but it's really a day out in itself.
The Men An Tol, or The Holed Stone. Used for many and various peculiar purposes including healing. The magic of this stone is said to be the doing of a good fairy.
Pendennis Castle
This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
I forgot to mention Predannack Airfield, St.Ruan Church, Prussia cove and who lived there, The Merry Maidens, The Plain An Gwary, Zenor Church and the famous mermaid of Zenor!
There is a very great deal to see and do on this tour.
(More than we can realistically cover in a day.)
But the sky won't fall in if we don't see it all.
It's your day, your choice.
We can skip bits you don't wish to see and Glenys can take you back to your base whenever you like.
Is there something you particularly want to see that's not in the tour?
No Problem, we can add it in.
The tours are private, you won't have to share Glenys with anyone and you can go at your own pace.
There's plenty of time for souvenir and ice cream shopping!
It's your holiday, your tour, your pace.
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A group of 6 people sharing the cost of this tour pay £73.17 per head.
​The price for the tour for any number of people up to six is £439.00.
This does not include entry into St. Michaels mount nor the boat to the Mount, Geevor Mine nor Pendennis castle. These entry fees are extra and paid directly to the attraction operators.
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"I could honestly not recommend The Little White Taxi enough." Mark Jones