Penwith's moors would have been littered with Iron Age settlements 2000 years ago. Most have vanished, but a few remain – and Chysauster is the best-preserved of them all. Consisting of around eight stone-walled houses, each with its own central courtyard, it gives you a real sense of daily life during the Iron Age – you can still see the stone hearths used to grind corn, and wander around the field system where the residents kept livestock and grew crops.
Chysauster
Top choice
Contact
Address
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.1 MILES
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…
4.53 MILES
After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…
19.16 MILES
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…
8.24 MILES
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…
-
22.96 MILES
Grandly located at the head of the Fal estuary, 4 miles south of Truro, Trelissick is one of Cornwall's most beautiful aristocratic estates, with a formal…
16.62 MILES
Two miles from St Agnes is one of Cornwall's most beautiful coves, Chapel Porth, a wild, rocky beach framed by steep, gorse-covered cliffs, owned by the…
-
7.86 MILES
These wonderful side-by-side beaches join up at low tide to form one epic stretch of golden, flat sand. At the eastern end is the small, National Trust…
-
6.93 MILES
Clinging to the cliffs near Levant, this dramatic complex of mine-workings is one of the most atmospheric sights from Cornwall's industrial past. The main…
Nearby attractions
2.02 MILES
Looming high above the village, the hilltop above Zennor is littered with strange rock formations, runnels, hollows and stacks that are imbued with many…
2. Tremenheere Sculpture Garden
2.13 MILES
This inventive garden opened just outside Penzance in 2012. The landscaped gardens sit in a sheltered valley awash with artworks and installations: look…
2.14 MILES
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…
2.36 MILES
A small stone circle of nine upright stones. The name derives from maedn (later shortened to mên, as in menhir), meaning stone.
2.45 MILES
This little church in the hamlet of Zennor dates from at least 1150. Inside, a famous carved chair depicts the legendary Mermaid of Zennor, who is said to…
2.65 MILES
Perhaps the most impressive of all of the ancient sites in this part of Penwith, this is a classic example of a quoit, or dolmen – a table-like structure…
2.69 MILES
This baffling monument is the only one of its kind in Cornwall, consisting of two upright menhirs flanking a hollow, ring-shaped stone. Squeezing through…
2.91 MILES
This statue honours Penzance's most famous son, chemist and inventor Humphry Davy, who invented the miners' safety lamp and discovered the elements…