Isles of Scilly
While Neolithic settlers probably only visited Scilly sporadically, by the Iron Age settlers had arrived and made a life here, eking out a living by…
Must-see attractions in Devon & Cornwall
South Cornwall
High on a hilltop above Lostwithiel, 9 miles from St Austell on the A390, the ruined castle of Restormel was built by Edward the Black Prince (the first…
South Cornwall
Glendurgan was established by Alfred Fox in the 1820s to show off the many weird and wonderful plants being brought back from the far corners of the…
North Cornwall
Not quite the off-the-radar secret it once was, Porth Joke remains a good spot to escape (most) of the crowds. Known as Polly Joke to locals, its best…
North Cornwall
A long, narrow, northwest-facing beach backed by grass-covered dunes, tall cliffs and divided by a tidal stream. It's best visited at low tide, when there…
North Cornwall
Two miles southwest of Newquay as the crow flies (but more like 5 miles by road), Holywell is a wonderful expanse of white sand, dotted with tidal pools…
Exeter
On fine sunny days the people of Exeter head to the quay. Cobbled paths lead between former warehouses that have been converted into antique shops, quirky…
Dartmoor National Park
At first glance, Dartmoor can come as something of a shock to the senses. The largest stretch of open moorland in the southwest, Dartmoor covers an area…
Plymouth
The Mayflower Steps mark the approximate final UK departure point of the Pilgrim Fathers – the band of settlers who founded New England's first permanent…
Plymouth
The red-and-white stripes of Smeaton's Tower rise from the middle of the Plymouth Hoe headland. For an insight into past lighthouse keepers' lives, head…
Exeter
The earliest parts of Exeter's Guildhall date from 1330, making it the oldest municipal building still in use in the country. An ornate barrel roof arches…
Exeter
The historic home of the Earl of Devon, Powderham is a stately but still friendly place built in 1391 and remodelled in the Victorian era. A visit takes…
West Cornwall
Perched on the end of the headland above Porthcurno, this massive boulder once famously rocked back and forth on its own natural pivot with only the…
South Cornwall
A mile offshore from Hannafore Point is densely wooded Looe Island (officially known as St George's Island), a 9-hectare nature reserve and haven for…
South Devon
Henry VIII gave this pastoral 324-hectare estate to two of his wives (Catherines Howard and Parr). For many years it was home to the town's art college;…
South Cornwall
While many of the coastal villages have become gentrified to the point of being unrecognised, these twin villages still genuinely feel like the fishing…
West Cornwall
Pronounced boscawen-oon, this is a large and well-defined stone circle (actually an ellipse), consisting of 19 upright stones, plus one leaning stone near…
South Devon
A slanting 10-hectare chunk of grass-topped rock, tidal Burgh Island is connected to Bigbury-on-Sea by a stretch of sand at low tide. At high water the…
East Cornwall
Belonging to the well-to-do Molesworth-St Aubyn family, this wonderful Georgian manor was remodelled in the late 18th century in the best Palladian…
West Cornwall
This Iron Age village is one of only a few in Penwith to have survived the centuries relatively intact. The remains of several circular huts can still be…
West Cornwall
At this clifftop site, one of the world's only working beam engines is still in thunderous action. Built in 1840, these great engines were the powerhouses…
West Cornwall
This rugged cove is part of the private Porth-en-Alls Estate. There’s a small public car park signposted off the A394, from where the coast path meanders…
North Cornwall
This former mining valley near Trevaunance Cove is locally known as Blue Hills, a reference to the vivid blue heather that grows here in summer. There's a…
East Cornwall
One of the most impressive – and strangest – prehistoric sites on Bodmin Moor, this great structure is formed of 56 standing stones, although…
South Cornwall
The creekside church of this sleepy village is quite possibly the prettiest in Cornwall – and in this ecclesiastically minded county, there’s no shortage…
South Devon
Discover maze-like passages, atmospheric guardrooms and great views from the battlements of this picturesque castle. The best way to arrive is via the…
South Cornwall
This glorious country estate is the family seat of the Earl of St Germans. The Grade I–listed house is open for three months of the year; guided tours of…
South Devon
Slapton Ley's broad sweep of water is ringed by a nature reserve and fringed by reed beds and woods. A 1.75-mile trail skirts the ley, crossing the reed…
Penzance
Down a muddy track lined by hawthorn hedges, this natural spring has been revered since ancient times, and its waters are reputed to have magical and…
East Cornwall
Looking like a gigantic game of granite Jenga, this stack of rocks is legendarily said to have been the work of giants – but the truth is even stranger. A…
Penzance
The cream of Penzance's heritage architecture can be seen along Chapel St, which is lined with a wealth of beautifully preserved Georgian buildings.
North Cornwall
Given how close it is to Padstow, this grand beach stays surprisingly quiet most of the year. It looks out over the mouth of the Camel Estuary and, thanks…
Dartmoor National Park
Morwellham Quay is part of the southwest's Mining World Heritage Site and offers intriguing insight into the copper boom that gripped west Devon in the…
West Cornwall
Little now remains of this Iron Age hillfort, but in its day, this man-made stronghold would have been one of the best fortified redoubts in Penwith. As…
West Cornwall
This fascinating museum charts the unlikely tale of Porthcurno's role in transatlantic telecommunications. In 1870 an underwater cable was laid here,…
The Lizard
This titchy village is truly a postcard come to life. With its idyllic huddle of thatched houses and fisher’s cottages, set at the foot of a lung…
South Cornwall
Clinging to a spur of contorted rock surrounded by barren heath, the curious tumbledown chapel on top of Roche Rock looks like a forgotten set from Monty…
Penzance
This inventive garden opened just outside Penzance in 2012. The landscaped gardens sit in a sheltered valley awash with artworks and installations: look…
South Devon
Wave-dashed as they are today, Slapton Sands have an even more dramatic past. During WWII, thousands of American servicemen trained here for D-Day using…
North Cornwall
The 101-hectare country park of Tehidy formerly belonged to the Bassets, one of Cornwall’s four richest tin-mining families, who made their fortune from…
