The name Penzance is derived from the Cornish Pen Sans, meaning holy headland, as a chapel once stood on the point to the west of the harbour more than a millennium ago. The town received various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and has long been the commercial centre for the Land’s End Peninsula.

Down at the bottom, close to the harbour is the Dolphin Inn, which is said to have been the first place in Britain where tobacco was smoked. It is also said to have housed Sir John Hawkins during the wars with Spain and to have been the venue for trials over which Hanging Judge Jeffreys presided in the 17th century.

From Penzance harbour, ferries go to the Isles of Scilly. It is also possible to travel to the islands by helicopter from the newly reinstated Penzance Heliport and by small plane from Land’s End Airport. A little way along the seafront in the direction of Newlyn is the art deco Jubilee Swimming Pool, opened in 1935.

Situated a stone’s throw from the larger town of Penzance, Newlyn is home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the United Kingdom, with over 40 acres of harbour. The industry is one of the most important in the county, contributing millions of pounds to the Cornish economy each year. All sorts of fishing vessels can be seen in the harbour – beam trawlers, long liners, crabbers and even small open boats used for hand-lining for mackerel in the Bay.

Fun fact; the port was sacked and torched by a Spanish raiding party in the 16th century, then rebuilt. Today, very little of old Newlyn remains. Many of the white painted or stone faced granite cottages, separated by steep, narrow alleys, were only saved from demolition be the outbreak of the Second World War. The medieval harbour walls are dwarfed by the hundred year old walls of the North and South Piers.

Sheffield is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, situated near the village of Paul.

Sheffield, Cornwall is thought to have been established to house the workers of the Sheffield Quarry and later the surrounding farms. The settlement was built along the road into Penzance where the quarry’s stone had to be carted for shipment.

After the 1830 Beerhouse Act, a kiddlywink (or kiddle-e-wink), which is an old name for a Cornish beer shop or beer house, was thought to have been set up in what is now No. 2 Lower Sheffield and a paraffin store constructed next door (now No. 1). Kiddlywinks were reputed to be the haunts of smugglers and often had an unmarked bottle of spirits under the counter, however farm and quarry labourers were also known to receive beer instead of wages.

Deep within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the village has a popular pub, The Logan Rock Inn, a village shop, cafe and campsite with views to both Logan Rock and nearby Porthcurno.

Treen overlooks the Penberth Valley and sits about a kilometre inland from Treryn Dinas, an Iron Age promontory fort, or cliff castle.

People have occupied the impressive rocky promontory at Treryn Dinas since early prehistoric times. Flint tools have been found dating back to the Mesolithic, or Middle Stone Age, period. The local eighteenth-century antiquarian William Borlase mentions a Neolithic stone circle, although there is little to be seen of it now. The ramparts and ditches of the Iron Age promontory fort are visible, however, defending the landward part of the headland, as are the remains of stone houses within. Coins and a copper brooch from Roman times have also been found here..

At the end of the promontory is the famous Logan Rock, or rocking stone.

Porthcurno was once an important place on the map. It was the centre of world telecommunication and, until recently, there was a training school for that industry to which people came from all over the world. The Porthcurno Telegraph Museum remains as a testament to the past. It incorporates tunnels well below the surface use to house top secret equipment during the Second World War.Porthcurno Beach is about three miles east of Land`s End on the south coast of West Cornwall. It faces south-east and lies in the western corner of lovely Porthcurno Bay. A wide footpath gently slopes down to the beach from a large car park around 200 yards above. There is a café across the road from the car park and a restaurant not far away during the in season. In the car park are public toilets and a telephone. The sandy beach shelves quite swiftly.

On the cliffs to the west of Porthcurno is the world famous Minack Theatre . This wonderful open air venue commands superb views across Porthcurno Bay, with its turquoise water and golden rocks, as far as The Lizard. Between May and September each year, performances are given by a variety of theatrical companies. An Exhibition Centre tells the story of how a village play in 1929 led to the seventeen week summer season now staged in the 750 seat auditorium. The Minack Theatre was the inspiration and life’s work of Rowena Cade. There is a café on the site and sub-tropical rockeries, based on the cliff garden developed here by Rowena Cade in the 1930s. The salt-tolerant succulents thrive, despite the wind, providing an added dash of colour during most of the year.

There are many rewarding walks along the cliffs and coastal path from Porthcurno, westwards towards Porthgwarra and Land’s End; eastwards to Logan Rock and Mousehole. Beyond the headland is Penberth Cove, an unspoilt fishing cove belonging to the National Trust. Open boats can be seen on a granite slipway in front of the old horse drawn windlass.

Land’s End is the legendary Cornish destination that has inspired people since ancient Greek times when it was referred to as ‘Belerion’ – Place of the Sun.

One of Britain’s best loved landmarks, famous for its unique location and beautiful scenery. Cliff top trails, breathtaking views, pay-as-you-go family attractions, shopping village, restaurant and cafés.

Whether it happens to be storm-watching over Longships Lighthouse, admiring the breath-taking views from the First and Last Point or having a picture taken at the famous signpost, for centuries Land’s End has been a place of real discovery. Follow the same path walked by early nineteenth-century visitors who travelled on foot or horseback to complete the final stage of their journeys to Penn-an-Wlas (Land’s End in Cornish).

After taking in the coastal views, choose to make food part of your adventure and discover a range of dining options. Visit the Cornish Pantry for a selection of hot and cold meals from our self-service counter, call in at the Bakehouse for tasty takeaways, or select sweet treats at the Land’s End Doughnut Company or the Ice Cream Parlour. Alternatively, enjoy a lunchtime or evening meal at The Land’s End Restaurant, with its contemporary look in which to sit back and take in the view across the Atlantic Ocean, or relax with a drink or afternoon tea at the bar.

There’s no nicer place to browse for bargains than in this beautiful cliff-top setting, so visit The West Country Shopping Village, Penwith House or the First and Last House, all offering great gifts, souvenirs, clothing and tasty treats unique to this unforgettable corner of the British Isles.

Sennen Cove boasts one of the most beautiful stretches of sand in Cornwall, Whitesands Beach, and still retains much of the atmosphere of an old fishing village. Tucked away, just behind Land’s End the cove receives the full force of the Atlantic ocean making it a popular spot with surfers and hosting the UK’s oldest surfing club.

The Old Success Inn is a 17th century building with views across the bay. The cove was once frequented by many mermaids, in addition to the Sennen Whooper. Perhaps these mermaids were really dolphins, which can still be seen frolicking in the water close to the coast. A nearby rock is known as the Irish Lady and is the memorial to the sole survivor of a long ago wreck. Unfortunately she fell into the sea before she could be rescued, but her ghost can sometimes be seen still clinging to the rock.

St Just-in-Penwith is the nearest town to Land’s End. It has an ideal situation for visitors to the far west of Cornwall as it is situated on the edge of the moors and close to the beautiful north coast, about 8 miles west of Penzance. Originally the centre of the tin mining industry in this part of Cornwall, the town’s past is reflected in the nature of the streets of granite cottages. St Just was once the mining centre of the peninsula and disused engine houses dominate the landscape. In the centre of the town is Plain-an-Gwarry, a theatre used for miracle plays in medieval times, and more recently the Lafrowda Festival.

The main village of a stretch of coast drenched in industrial history, Pendeen itself is a linear settlement, with an attractive church and an award-winning pub, the North Inn. During the 19th century the village grew considerably – mainly to house miners and their families.

The white lighthouse of Pendeen Watch stands on a headland below from where spectacular sunsets can be seen. The adjacent Boat Cove is a tiny fishing cove and, a little further, Portheras cove is a remote but pleasantly sandy beach.

In nearby Trewellard, Geevor mine, the last working tin mine in the area, is now open to the public with a visitor’s centre and a tour of 18th century tunnels. Further still, Botallack boasts some atmospheric engine houses, the Crowns engine houses, huddled at the foot of a dramatic cliff, and even older arsenic works. Close by, the Levant engine house still contains a working beam engine; the oldest in the UK.

Once you’ve made your way into St Ives, you can explore the charming jumble of old cobbled streets, such as all the little back lanes off the main shopping area, Fore Street. Parallel to Fore Street, Wharf Road is backed by lively bars and cafes overlooking the harbour and beach. Head west along the shore to Smeaton’s Pier, and look back over the town across the fishing boats. St Ives really does set the standard for the term “picturesque”.

Facing northeast and just one mile east of St Ives, the beach rarely has any surf so makes for an ideal spot for families with toddlers as the sea here is perfect for swimming. Served by the picturesque St Ives branch line and around a mile long, the golden sands bathe in the bright light of west Cornwall and a short walk on the east side of the beach at low tide brings you to Porth Kidney sands where you’ll find a RSPB bird sanctuary, an important habitat for sea birds.

Part of an array of beaches that make up St Ives Bay, listed as one of the world’s best by the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Organisation, the beach at Carbis Bay is surrounded by sub-tropical plants and lapped by turquoise waters which just might just have you thinking you were somewhere much further south.

Dotted around the village are other ancient gems like the stone bridge which is at least 600 years old and the interesting Mediaeval lantern in the centre of the village near the Post Office. St Erth would have once been connected better to the sea by its river and its bridge the only way to cross the river for miles, but the building of the causeway at nearby Hayle put an end to this.

Various unchallenging but pretty walks can be had here. Walk along the St Erth river inland, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to catch the annual rubber duck race! A sign outside the pub indicated a circular walk which encompasses the nature reserve of St Erth Pits – old sandpits which have now been taken over by wildlife and support some semi-mature woods. The sand from here, known as Harvey’s Pits, would have been used in local foundries and also in pottery produced in by the renowned local artist Bernard Leach.

The village has one pub, the Star Inn, which dates back to the 17th century, and a railway station on the mainline between Penzance and Plymouth. The branch line to St Ives also stops at this old fashioned station.

The attractive old town of Marazion is a popular destination for beach holidays and water sports, including windsurfing, kite-surfing and sailing. The name Marazion has erroneously been referred to as Market Jew but is believed to be derived from the old Cornish Marghaisewe, meaning Thursday market. The quaint town claims to be one of the oldest in Britain. It was known as Ictis by the Romans.

Mount’s Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in the world. The clean, sandy beaches offer safe bathing, and there are wonderful views towards the Lizard Peninsula, in one direction, and Land’s End in the other. There are many lovely walks in the area, both coastal and inland.

On Marazion Green, the ghost of a lady in white is seen to jump onto a horse behind a horseman and gallop as far as Red River, This was where Sir John Arundell, Sheriff of Cornwall, was killed whilst leading an attack on St Michael’s Mount in 1471, after the Mount had been seized by the Earl of Oxford. Apparently Sir John’s death was no surprise as he had been cursed by a shepherd who claimed to have been wrongfully imprisoned.

The name Penzance is derived from the Cornish Pen Sans, meaning holy headland, as a chapel once stood on the point to the west of the harbour more than a millennium ago. The town received various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and has long been the commercial centre for the Land’s End Peninsula.

Down at the bottom, close to the harbour is the Dolphin Inn, which is said to have been the first place in Britain where tobacco was smoked. It is also said to have housed Sir John Hawkins during the wars with Spain and to have been the venue for trials over which Hanging Judge Jeffreys presided in the 17th century.

From Penzance harbour, ferries go to the Isles of Scilly. It is also possible to travel to the islands by helicopter from the newly reinstated Penzance Heliport and by small plane from Land’s End Airport. A little way along the seafront in the direction of Newlyn is the art deco Jubilee Swimming Pool, opened in 1935.