Category: Attractions

King of the Castles

From the birthplace of King Arthur to Henry VIII’s chain of formidable fortresses, a world-famous 12th-century island fortification to striking ancient strongholds, take a trip back in time with some of our favourite castles in Cornwall.

Tintagel Castle, Tintagel

Perched on the rugged, sea-lashed cliffs of the North Cornwall coast, these dramatic ruins are said to have been the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur. With settlements here dating back at least as far as the late Roman period, this iconic place is steeped in history and it’s easy to imagine yourself part of the mythology as you navigate the steep, craggy paths and explore the mysterious nearby Merlin’s Cave.

Pendennis Castle & St Mawes Castle, Falmouth

Like grand, twin gate posts marking the entrance to the Carrick Roads from the open sea, Pendennis Castle in Falmouth and St Mawes Castle, on the opposite headland, are some of the best preserved of Henry VIII’s coastal artillery fortresses. Built in the mid 16th century to help guard against attack from France and Spain, their fascinating story continues up to the 20th century when they saw significant action during the First and Second World Wars. Take in both castles in one day using the hourly ferry service across the Fal estuary.

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St Michael’s Mount, Penzance

Surely one of the most recognisable castles in all of the UK, the sight of St Michael’s Mount emerging from the mists of Mounts Bay on a crisp winter’s day is stunning to witness. The craggy island, completely cut off from the mainland at high tide, is home to a magnificent medieval church and castle as well as a small residential community. Cross the cobbled causeway to start your adventure, catch the boat if the path has disappeared under the waves, or simply sit and soak up the fantastic view over a cream tea in nearby Marazion village.

Carn Brea Castle, nr Redruth

You’ll be hard pushed to find a castle experience quite like Carn Brea. This imposing 14th century building, which seems to grow directly from the giant outcrop visible from many miles around, was given its current facelift in the 18th century when it was modelled into a folly-like hunting lodge. Rather unbelievably, the castle is now home to a Middle Eastern restaurant where you can dine by candlelight enclosed by the thick granite walls and warm welcome of a genuine Cornish castle.

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Boconnoc House and Gardens, Cornwall

There’s a slight ‘Brigadoon’ quality to Boconnoc – like the mythical Scottish village, some days you can see it, most you can’t as it’s open to the public on Sundays in May only, no other time. No gift shop, no tea room – the estate is totally unspoilt so it’s no wonder Boconnoc has been used as a film location for a variety of prestigious period dramas.

This glorious estate dates back to the Domesday Book; the architecture there now is 17th and 18th century. As you arrive, you would be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled into a Jane Austen novel. Boconnoc House, at the end of a dramatically sweeping drive and surrounded by pristine formal laws and its own church, is a perfect piece of architectural history. Inside is room after room of extravagantly grand proportion and elegance. If you take a guided historical tour of the house, you’ll see the bedroom where King Charles I hid during the Civil War. Outside, the Georgian Bath House gives you a hint of the lavish lifestyle of previous occupants.

200 acres of woodland, deer park, valley and lake give you plenty to explore. May is the chosen month for public access for good reason; the gardens are filled with azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons in bloom during the month.

In the grounds you’ll find the fascinating water turbine-powered Boconnoc Sawmill, recently restored and now busy producing oak beams, lintels and similar products from the estate’s own timber – these are available to buy.

The public access days in May allow you to wander the gardens; occasional dates for guided tours which enable further access to the estate are publicised on the website – booking is a must for these. The story of Boconnoc is staggering and features an array of royalty, Prime Ministers and other movers and shakers from the mists of time, so for history buffs the tour will be really special.  Other events through the year include steam fairs, sheepdog trials and a Michaelmas Fair – all information can be found on the Boconnoc website.

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Boconnoc House & Gardens
Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0RG, Tel. 01208 872507

Trelissick Garden, Cornwall


Trelissick is one of the National Trust’s big, open spaces that simply allows you to be out in the fresh Cornish air away from traffic and the concrete jungle.  It’s a brilliant spot for families with kids and dogs; you can lose yourself in the woodland, emerging randomly to find a stunning view out over the River Fal, complete with bobbing sail boats. With over five miles of walking you can really get off the beaten track and find some space to yourself.

The gardens occupy their very own peninsula and are split into two – the slightly more formal tended gardens and the wider estate of woodland and open parkland. With water on three sides, there’s a lovely sense of being slightly cut off from the frantic modern world; you can almost see shoulders dropping and heart rates slowing around you. And in a world where we’re often told not to walk on the grass, children are actually encouraged to climb trees at Trelissick (just don’t let them climb too high!).

The team at Trelissick can give details of set walks that follow the river, with views across to narrow creeks, before heading into the woods. You might spot the King Harry Ferry to-and-froing across the water – it’s been voted one of the most beautiful ferry crossings in the world, giving you some idea of the stunning nature of the surroundings here.

The formal gardens don’t have the instant exotic feel of places like Trebah; this is a more understated place where it’s all about the peace of the atmosphere and a less structured feel. Autumn is one of the best times for colour at Trelissick, as the leaves turn gold in the woodland and the gardens bloom with late-flowering plants.  The hub of Trelissick is a complex of rugged, old former farm buildings, with a striking fairy tale tower; you’ll find a good café, a gift shop, bookshop and a plant centre. Sunday lunches here have a loyal following.

Like all National Trust properties, there’s plenty going on throughout the year at Trelissick, from wassailing in January to Christmas events. Lecture lunches on a huge variety of subjects are a stalwart of the Trelissick calendar.

Trelissick Garden is open daily.

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Trelissick Garden
Feock, Nr Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6QL, Tel. 01872 862090

Trebah Garden

There’s something about the term ‘sub-tropical’ that fills a Brit with longing. It sounds like something that couldn’t possibly be found in cloudy, windy England. And yet…Trebah Garden, in a tucked-away little valley near Falmouth, promises something a little more exotic than we’re used to on these shores.

Trebah is a brilliant blend of stunning gardens and lovely Cornish beach. The steep valley that houses Trebah means that the garden enjoys the kind of sheltered environment that gives it its own unique climate. And don’t the plants love it – plants more often seen in far flung corners of the planet. And to add to the interest, this part of Cornwall has more than a hint of shady smuggling history about it – across the water is Frenchman’s Creek, immortalised by Daphne du Maurier .

There’s plenty for the green-fingered to get excited about here, from the Hydrangea Valley and the Giant Pink Tulip Tree to the rare evergreens and water garden. Children – who may sigh at the thought of a garden visit – will love Trebah. It’s not just that there are all kinds of child-oriented activities like the bamboo maze, the Elephant Rhubarb passage and the two cafes with an emphasis on local ice cream. Trebah has an irresistible ‘Swallows and Amazons’ quality, with secret pathways and bridges leading down to the pretty beach of Polgwidden Cove with its boathouse and views far out to sea. Complementary buckets and spades are available for children who can’t leave a beach without a stint of excavation, and the café even doles out sunscreen for those who’ve forgotten.

A busy calendar of events, particularly in school holidays, means there’s always something going on, from guided trails and workshops for the kids to art exhibitions and occasional music events for adults.

Trebah Garden is open every single day. There’s good wheelchair access (around 80% of the venue is accessible by motorised wheelchair, and Trebah has two of them available to use free of charge). The garden is dog friendly (except inside the cafes).

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Trebah Garden
Mawnan Smith, Nr Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5JZ, Tel. 01326 252200

Food and Farm shops in Cornwall

Fish often hogs the limelight when it comes to Cornish food, but the county produces noteworthy foods across the spectrum. The growing interest in local, seasonal produce has been a godsend to Cornish farmers and many of them have developed swanky farm shops that are a far cry from the rough-and-ready, barely-converted barns of times past.

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One of the most exciting is Lobbs, next to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. This farm shop is so inviting and attractive it can make your average supermarket look tired and shabby. A big proportion of what’s on display comes directly from the farm next door. The meat is reared here, on feed grown on the farm too. The vegetables have that just-picked quality – because that’s exactly what they are. You’ll find a lot more than the essentials here, everything from biscuits and home-made cakes to Cornish cheeses and real ales, pies baked on the premises to classic hogs pudding. If you’re visiting Heligan, don’t leave without dropping in to Lobbs.

On the north coast is the equally worthy Padstow Farm Shop. There’s something about the fact that the vegetables here were grown in a Victorian walled garden that seems to make them taste better. Beef comes from Ruby Red Devon cattle and the pork is often from a heritage breed such as Saddleback or Tamworth. And you just can’t leave without a pack of the Padstow Pasta, made with durum wheat grown on the farm here, milled at the Cornish Mill and Bakehouse near Newquay and then made on the premises in Padstow – where you can watch it in progress.

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Supermarkets tend to be much the same wherever you go – it’s a chore whether you’re at home or on holiday. The Kingsley Village Food Hall, a few miles outside Newquay, is stocked with enough novel produce to make a weekly shop a tad more interesting. A proper butcher, a fishmonger with seasonal seafood landed at Newlyn and an incredible bakery and patisserie section are the stars of the show, but don’t miss the wide choice of Cornish wines and beers.

While we’re on the subject of alcohol, the Camel Valley vineyard, between Wadebridge and Bodmin, has been putting the noses of French champagne makers out of joint with their multi-award winning Camel Valley Brut; you can buy this delectable fizz by the bottle or the case from the vineyard’s cellar door, but even better to make an afternoon of it with a vineyard tour and a tasting session on the veranda overlooking the vines.

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Lobbs Farm Shop
Heligan, St Ewe, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6EN, Tel. 01726 844411

Padstow Farm Shop
Trethillick Farm, Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8HJ, Tel. 01841 533060

Kingsley Village
Penhale, Fraddon, Cornwall, TR9 6NA. Tel. 01726 861111

Camel Valley Vineyard
Nanstallon, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL30 5LG, Tel. 01208 77959