Cornwall Historic Towns and Villages

Duloe is a small village just inland from the port of Looe. There are three main attractions of historic interest around Duloe; the medieval church, the nearby Holy Well founded by St Cuby, and the smallest prehistoric stone circle in Cornwall.
Duloe, West Country, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: Bronze Age stone circle

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Falmouth stands at the entrance to the Fal estuary, with a marvellous natural harbour. Falmouth is a popular seaside resort and a centre for pleasure boating. The major historic attraction is Pendennis Castle, built on a headland outside the harbour by Henry VIII. Pendennis is one of two matching castles guarding the estuary - the other is St Mawes Castle, on the far bank of the Fal.
Falmouth, Cornwall, England

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A pretty Cornish coastal town in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Fowey has a long history as a centre for the china clay industry. Though many of the buildings that cluster close to the harbour are Georgian or newer, there are several medieval buildings worthy of note. Probably the oldest is Noah's Ark, in Fore Street, which dates to the 15th century, and is a good example of a typical late medieval or Tudor merchant's house. Further along Fore Street is 15th-century Place house. Also medieval is the museum, near the Georgian Town Hall.
Fowey, Cornwall, England

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Gunwalloe is a scattered rural village in the north-west corner of the Lizard Peninsula, just south of Helston. The parish church of St Winwaloe is one of the oldest in Cornwall, said to have been founded by a 6th-century saint. Dollar Beach is named for a 17th-century Spanish treasure ship that ran aground here carrying a cargo of silver dollars.
Gunwalloe, Cornwall, England

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Heritage Highlight: St Winwaloe's Church is one of the oldest in Cornwall

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Gweek is a beautiful village on the picturesque Helford Estuary in southern Cornwall, surrounded by woodland and stunning coastal scenery. Gweek is best known for its National Seal Sanctuary, which is a must-visit family attraction.
Gweek, Cornwall, England

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Hayle is a town in St Ives Bay, on the north coast of Cornwall, an area rich in copper ore. The town served for many years as a centre of the Corning copper mining and smelting industry. That industrial heritage has been recognised by UNESCO, and Hayle is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. Today most visitors come to Hayle to enjoy birdwatching at the mouth of the Hayle estuary.
Hayle, Cornwall, England

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A lovely old village in southern Cornwall, Helford was once a busy port until the Helford River silted up. Readers of Daphne DuMaurier's classic novel, 'Frenchman's Creek' will be familiar with Helford's reputation for smuggling. Du Maurier spent her own honeymoon here and was inspired by the romance of the port's smuggling past to create her only romance novel.
Helford, Cornwall, England

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Helston is a traditional Cornish town, with houses of slate and granite. Helston was an important port in the Middle Ages until sand and shifting tides silted the harbour. It was later a 'stannary town', an administrative centre for the Cornish tin mining industry. Helston is best known for its annual Furry Dance, a peculiar pre-Christian festival, where inhabitants dance through the greenery-bedecked streets.
Helston, Cornwall, England

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The village of Holywell is a small resort village on the Cornish coast, about 3 miles from Newquay. The village is named for an ancient holy well, found in a cave on the north side of the beach and only accessible at low tide (not everyone agrees that this is the site of the holy well. Another theory is that it lies near the 18th tee of Holywell Golf Course). The view across Holywell Bay was voted Britain's fourth best view in a 2008 survey by the National Trust.
Holywell, Cornwall, England

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Land's End is literally the end of land; the furthest extremity of mainland Britain. There is not actually a lot to see at Land's End save for a visitor centre and superb coastal scenery. At the edge of the cliffs is a signpost with mileage indicators to various global destinations. This must surely be the most photographed signpost in Britain, for most visitors have their picture taken in front of the signpost. Look out to sea, past the ragged rocks at the base of the cliffs, and listen for a far-off bell. Those are the mystical bells Lyonesse, the magical land associated with King Arthur, which is said to lie beneath the sea off Land's End.
Land's End, Cornwall, England

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