Myles New
Cornwall
You can't get further west than the ancient Celtic kingdom of Cornwall (or Kernow, as it's known to Cornish speakers). Blessed with the southwest's wildest coastline and most breathtakingly beautiful beaches, this proudly independent peninsula has always marched to its own tune.
While the staple industries of old – mining, fishing and farming – have all but disappeared, Cornwall has since reinvented itself as one of the nation's creative corners. Whether it's exploring the space-age domes of the Eden Project, sampling the culinary creations of a celebrity chef or basking on a deserted beach, you're guaranteed to feel the itch of inspiration. Time to let a little Kernow into your soul.
Since 2006, Cornwall's historic mining areas have been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (www.cornish-mining.org.uk).
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Cornwall.
Nature Centre
Eden Project
Looking like a cross between a lunar landing station and a James Bond villain's lair, the gigantic hemispherical greenhouses of the Eden Project have become a symbol of Cornwall's renaissance. Dreamt up by ex-record producer Tim Smit, and built in an abandoned clay pit near St Austell, Eden's glass-domed "biomes" recreate major world climate systems in microcosm, from the lush jungles with stinky rafflesia flowers and banana trees of the Amazon rainforest to the olive trees, citrus groves and colorful flowers of the Mediterranean. The outside gardens include Cornish plants, local wildflowers as well as flora from South Africa and South Korea. Built to mark the start of the new millennium, and now considered one of Britain's modern architectural wonders, the Eden Project aims to explore issues of environment and conservation, and point the way to a cleaner, greener future for us all. Exhibits cover everything from global warming to rubber production and chocolate making. It's incredibly impressive as well as educational and inspiring. Eden Project biomes From the visitor center, paths lead down into the pit where the two biomes rise up like giant bubbled domes, surrounded by landscaped gardens. Each biome is stocked with fauna that would flourish in its native habitat, exploring the ways in which plants, climate, weather, insects and animals interact to create their unique ecosystems. The highlight is the steamy, tropical Rainforest Biome, where a gravity-defying treetop walkway winds its way through the jungle canopy. The zip wire and other adventures Eden is home to England's longest zip wire, a giant gravity swing, a 12m-high bungee drop, and a heart-stopping 25m "free fall" jump on to an airbag. There's an additional charge for each activity, but there are combo tickets available. In summer the biomes often provide a backdrop for live concerts during the Eden Sessions, and in winter host a full-size ice rink. Tickets and opening times Timed entry tickets must be booked online in advance (this includes members). Ticket prices for adults vary depending on the time of year, and are valid for return visits within a year. Children's tickets are £10 (free for under 5s). There are some variations to opening times through the year, but generally Eden Project opens 9:30am to 6pm daily (last entry around 4pm). Getting there The Eden site is at Bodelva, 3 miles northeast of St Austell. Buses run from St Austell train station.
Historic Building
Lanhydrock
This magnificent manor, 2.5 miles southeast of Bodmin, offers a fascinating insight into Upstairs, Downstairs life in Victorian England. The house was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1881 as a home for the Agar-Robartes family, complete with mod cons such as radiators, roasting ovens, warming cupboards and flushing loos. The centrepieces are the drawing room, packed with artworks and antiques, and the enormous kitchens, complete with a pioneering refrigerator room. The ornate Long Gallery is famous for its plaster ceiling.
Landmark
St Michael's Mount
Looming up in the middle of Mount's Bay and connected to the mainland at Marazion via a cobbled causeway, this abbey-crowned island is an unforgettable sight, and one of Cornwall's most iconic images. Initially a Benedictine monastery, and later the seat of the St Aubyn family, it's a must-visit. You can catch the ferry (adult/child £2/1) from Marazion at high tide, but it's worth arriving at low tide so you can walk across the causeway, as pilgrims did centuries ago.
Gallery
Tate St Ives
After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been added to the museum's original, spiral-shaped core. Focusing on the coterie of experimental artists who congregated at St Ives after the WWII and turned the little seaside town into a mecca of modern art, the museum showcases the work of luminaries such as Barbara Hepworth, Terry Frost, Peter Lanyon and Patrick Heron in luminous, white-walled surroundings.
Gardens
Tresco Abbey Garden
Tresco's key attraction – and one of Scilly's must-see gems – is this subtropical estate, laid out in 1834 on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine priory by the horticultural visionary Augustus Smith. The 7-hectare gardens are now home to more than 20,000 exotic species, from towering palms to desert cacti and crimson flame trees, all nurtured by the temperate Gulf Stream. Admission also covers the Valhalla collection, made up of figureheads and nameplates salvaged from ships wrecked off Tresco.
Beach
Kynance Cove
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly blue seas that seem almost tropical in colour. The cliffs around the cove are rich in serpentine, a red-green rock popular with Victorian trinket-makers. It's an impossibly beautiful spot and, when the seas aren't too rough, an exhilarating place for a wild swim. Drinks and snacks are available at the ecofriendly beach cafe.
Castle
Tintagel Castle
Famous as the supposed birthplace of King Arthur, Tintagel's epic clifftop castle has been occupied since Roman times and once served as a residence for Cornwall's Celtic kings. The present castle is largely the work of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, who built a castle here during the 1230s. Though the Arthurian links may be tenuous, it's certainly a fine spot for a fortress: clinging to black granite cliffs, surrounded by booming surf and wheeling gulls, it's the classic fairy-tale castle.
House
Godolphin
This wonderful medieval house and garden was the family seat of the Godolphin family who, during the 17th and 18th centuries, were one of Cornwall's great mining dynasties. The main house is still undergoing restoration by the National Trust: tours of the interior run on most days (check ahead), but the wider estate can be explored on your own. With acres of woodland, riverside walks and lawns to roam, it's hard to think of a more tranquil place for a stroll.
Gardens
Lost Gardens of Heligan
This is Cornwall's real-life secret garden. Formerly the family estate of the Tremaynes, Heligan's magnificent 19th-century gardens fell into disrepair following WWI, but have been splendidly restored by the brains behind the Eden Project, Tim Smit, and a huge army of gardeners and volunteers. It's a horticultural wonderland: you'll encounter formal lawns, working kitchen gardens, fruit-filled greenhouses, a secret grotto and a 25m-high rhododendron, plus a lost-world Jungle Valley of ferns, palms and tropical blooms.
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