Must-see attractions in Cornwall

  • ST AUSTELL, ENGLAND - JULY 2, 2019: Eden Sessions music concert at Eden Project eco visitor attraction in Cornwall, England.
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    Eden Project

    South Cornwall

    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…

  • August 23, 2018: Ceiling inside the St Ives Tate Modern art gallery.

    Tate St Ives

    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…

  • Laying down Giant at the Lost gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, England

    Lost Gardens of Heligan

    South Cornwall

    This is Cornwall's real-life secret garden. Formerly the family estate of the Tremaynes, Heligan's magnificent 19th-century gardens fell into disrepair…

  • Trelissick

    South Cornwall

    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…

  • Rame Head

    South Cornwall

    A great bulk of rock topped by a picturesque clifftop chapel, Rame Head is another of Cornwall's most majestic coastal viewpoints, with a jaw-dropping 360…

  • St Mawes Castle

    South Cornwall

    Strategically sited to command an uninterrupted field of fire over the entrance to Falmouth Bay in tandem with Pendennis Castle, on the opposite side of…

  • Whitsand Bay

    South Cornwall

    Small coves dot the coastline of the Rame Peninsula, but for a proper stretch of sand, this huge – and undervisited – bay is the place. Pronounced…

  • Potager Garden

    South Cornwall

    It's a bit of a drive from Falmouth but this gorgeous kitchen garden near Constantine is well worth the detour. Rescued from dilapidation by its current…

  • Leach Pottery

    St Ives

    While other St Ives artists broke new ground in sculpture and abstract art, potter Bernard Leach was hard at work reinventing British ceramics in his…

  • Charlestown Shipwreck & Heritage Centre

    South Cornwall

    Charlestown's seagoing heritage is explored at this fascinating museum, which houses a massive collection of objects and ephemera recovered from more than…

  • Cornish Seal Sanctuary

    South Cornwall

    The ‘ah’ factor goes into overdrive at this sea-life centre in Gweek, about 12 miles drive from Falmouth along the Helford River. It cares for sick and…

  • Port of Charlestown

    South Cornwall

    It's been off-limits for many years to everyone except film crews, but since spring 2017 Charlestown's historic port has reopened to the public. You can…

  • Caerhays Castle

    Caerhays Castle

    South Cornwall

    On the hills above the gentle crescent of Porthluney Beach, this crenellated country mansion was originally built for the Trevanions and later remodelled…

  • St Ives, UK - July 2019: Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

    Barbara Hepworth Museum

    St Ives

    Barbara Hepworth (1903–75) was one of the leading abstract sculptors of the 20th century and a key figure in the St Ives art scene. Her studio on Barnoon…

  • Trebah Garden

    South Cornwall

    Trebah Garden was planted in 1840 by Charles Fox, younger brother of Alfred, who established nearby Glendurgan Garden. It's less formal, with gigantic…

  • Pendennis Castle

    South Cornwall

    Designed in tandem with its sister castle in St Mawes across the estuary, this Tudor castle sits proudly on Pendennis Point, and was built as part of…

  • Truro Cathedral

    South Cornwall

    Built on the site of a 16th-century parish church in soaring Gothic Revival style, Truro Cathedral was completed in 1910, making it the first cathedral…

  • Restormel Castle

    South Cornwall

    High on a hilltop above Lostwithiel, 9 miles from St Austell on the A390, the ruined castle of Restormel was built by Edward the Black Prince (the first…

  • Glendurgan

    South Cornwall

    Glendurgan was established by Alfred Fox in the 1820s to show off the many weird and wonderful plants being brought back from the far corners of the…

  • Looe Island

    South Cornwall

    A mile offshore from Hannafore Point is densely wooded Looe Island (officially known as St George's Island), a 9-hectare nature reserve and haven for…

  • Cawsand & Kingsand

    South Cornwall

    While many of the coastal villages have become gentrified to the point of being unrecognised, these twin villages still genuinely feel like the fishing…

  • St-Just-in-Roseland

    South Cornwall

    The creekside church of this sleepy village is quite possibly the prettiest in Cornwall – and in this ecclesiastically minded county, there’s no shortage…

  • Port Eliot

    South Cornwall

    This glorious country estate is the family seat of the Earl of St Germans. The Grade I–listed house is open for three months of the year; guided tours of…

  • Roche Rock

    South Cornwall

    Clinging to a spur of contorted rock surrounded by barren heath, the curious tumbledown chapel on top of Roche Rock looks like a forgotten set from Monty…

  • National Maritime Museum

    South Cornwall

    Falmouth's most high-profile museum is located on the revamped area around Discovery Quay. It's the sister outpost of the National Maritime Museum in…

  • Dodman Point

    South Cornwall

    Thrusting into the English Channel, the Dodman (or the rather more macabre Deadman, as it's nicknamed by shipwreck-wary sailors) is the highest headland…

  • Mount Edgcumbe

    South Cornwall

    Encompassing 350 hectares, this Grade I–listed estate was built for the Earls of Edgcumbe, but is now owned by Cornwall and Plymouth City Councils. It's…

  • Enys Gardens

    South Cornwall

    The definition of a secret garden (especially since it's only open three days a week), this handsome estate is said to be one of the oldest in Cornwall –…

  • Vault Beach

    South Cornwall

    For acres of sand near Mevagissey, Vault is the choice, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. The walk down from the nearby NT car park is long and steep;…

  • Hemmick Beach

    South Cornwall

    This perfect pocket of golden sand lies to the west of Dodman Point, between Penare and Boswinger. The access road is steep and narrow, and parking next…

  • Maenporth Beach

    South Cornwall

    Maenporth is the quietest of Falmouth's beaches, with facilities including a cafe, kayak centre and restaurant, the Cove. The 1978 wreck of the Scottish…

  • Porthcurnick

    South Cornwall

    A popular family beach near the port of Portscatho, which has become even more frequented thanks to the success of its beachside cafe, the Hidden Hut…

  • Swanpool Beach

    South Cornwall

    South of Falmouth lies the popular beach of Swanpool, near a small inland lagoon populated by grebes, coots, ducks and mute swans. A coastal path runs…

  • Antony House

    South Cornwall

    Owned by the National Trust and occupied by the Carew-Pole family, this house's main claim to fame is its decorative gardens, designed by the 18th-century…

  • Carne & Pendower

    South Cornwall

    These twin side-by-side beaches form one of the Roseland's largest areas of sand at low tide. It's brilliant for beachcombing and rock-pooling – look out…

  • Talland Bay

    South Cornwall

    Along the coast path between Looe and Polperro is this small sheltered beach, which makes a great spot for swimming at both low and high tide, with inlets…

  • Lerryn

    South Cornwall

    Four miles southeast of Lostwithiel is another quaint and ancient village, Lerryn, which sits on the banks of the picturesque creek with which it shares…

  • Gorran Haven

    South Cornwall

    There's not much to see in this sleepy south-coast village, save for a smattering of seasonal shops and tea-rooms, but the seaside setting is undeniably…

  • Royal Cornwall Museum

    South Cornwall

    Collections at the county's main museum encompass everything from geological specimens to Celtic torques and a ceremonial carriage. Upstairs there's an…

  • St Ives Society of Artists

    St Ives

    One of the town's oldest and most influential art collectives, founded in 1929, this gallery is housed inside a converted church on Norway Sq, with a…