Looe Island is on the east side of Cornwall and gives you a very calm and serene experience. It’s easily accessible by boats, you can roam around the island and witness some wildlife, and relax overlooking a stunning view of Looe Harbour. Newquay is the hottest summer spot in Cornwall, with the town being packed with tourists from March to October half term. Fistral Beach has something for all surfers whether you’re a beginner or a professional. Waves are high and plentiful, and the beach provides some of the best breakpoints in the country.
The county’s representative rugby side have reached the final of the County Championship on 12 occasions with the last of these coming in 2013. As you would expect Cornish dishes are largely influenced by their surroundings with many of the local dishes being fish-based. The most famous of these dishes is Stargazy pie where the head of a fish sticks through a pie-crust as if it were “star-gazing”.
This was the last recorded battle between Cornwall and Wessex, and possibly resulted in the loss of Cornish independence. In 875, the Annales Cambriae record that king Dungarth of Cornwall drowned, yet Alfred the Great had been able to go hunting in Cornwall a decade earlier suggesting Dungarth was likely an under-king. In the 880s Alfred the Great was able to leave estates in Cornwall in his will. With the miles of coastline that Cornwall can boast it would come as no surprise that water sports are incredibly popular.
The ancient Brythonic country shares much of its cultural history with neighbouring Devon and Somerset in England and Wales and Brittany further afield. Historic records of authentic Cornish mythology or history are hard to verify but the earliest Cornish language marks the separation of Primitive Cornish from Old Welsh often dated to the Battle of Deorham in 577. Some events will use Cornish, in short phrases, openings, greetings or names. There is a healthy tradition of music in the language, which can also be enjoyed by non-speakers. The vast majority of place names in Cornwall are derived from the language, and many people who live in Cornwall know a few words or phrases, e.g. ‘Kernow bys vyken! Many Cornish houses, businesses, children, pets and boats are named in the language, thus it has use as an “”official community language”” and any Cornish speaker will often be asked to provide translations.
Cornwall has a border with only one other county, Devon, which is formed almost entirely by the River Tamar, and the remainder by the Marsland Valley. In 838, the Cornish and their Danish allies were defeated by Egbert in the Battle of Hingston Down at Hengestesdune. In 875, the last recorded king of Cornwall, Dumgarth, is said to have drowned. Around the 880s, Anglo-Saxons from Wessex had established modest land holdings in the north eastern part of Cornwall; notably Alfred the Great who had acquired a few estates. William of Malmesbury, writing around 1120, says that King Athelstan of England (924–939) fixed the boundary between English and Cornish people at the east bank of the River Tamar. While elements of William’s story, like the burning of Exeter, have been cast in doubt by recent writers Athelstan did re-establish a separate Cornish Bishop and relations between Wessex and the Cornish elite improved from the time of his rule.
While it’s not as historic as other cathedrals in the West Country, it’s one of the best free things to do in Cornwall (entry is donation-only). Cornwall’s geography is unique, with a rugged coastline, rolling hills, and moorland landscapes. Cornwall has a strong maritime history and has been a trading hub for centuries, which has contributed to its cultural exchange with other countries.
