Carn Brea

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Towering on the skyline between Camborne and Redruth and visible for miles around, this craggy hilltop is one of Cornwall's most iconic natural features. It's thought to have been occupied for several thousand years, and remains dating from the neolithic period, Bronze Age and Iron Age have all been found here. Since 1836 it's been topped by a 90m-high Celtic cross, built to honour the Bassett family, which owned and ran many of the mines around Camborne and Redruth.

It's also the site of a dramatic folly known as Carn Brea Castle, originally built by the Bassetts as a hunting lodge, now home to a restaurant.

Various walking and biking trails run around the hillside, and the views are majestic, especially at sunrise and sundown.


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