Portal:Cornwall

Porth Kernow a'gas dynnargh!
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Cornwall (/ˈkɔːrnwəl/; Cornish: Kernow [ˈkɛrnɔʊ] or [ˈkɛrnɔ]) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, Devon to the east, and the English Channel to the south. The largest urban area is the Redruth and Camborne conurbation.

The county is predominantly rural, with an area of 1,375 square miles (3,562 km²) and an estimated population of 585,655 in 2024. The county's major settlements include the city of Truro and St Austell in the centre, Redruth and Camborne adjacent to each other in the southwest, Saltash in the extreme southeast, and Penzance and Falmouth on the southern coast. For local government purposes most of Cornwall is a unitary authority area, with the Isles of Scilly governed by a unique local authority. The Cornish nationalist movement disputes the constitutional status of Cornwall and seeks greater autonomy within the United Kingdom.

Cornwall is the westernmost part of the South West Peninsula, and the southernmost county within the United Kingdom. Its coastline is characterised by steep cliffs and, to the south, several rias, including those at the mouths of the rivers Fal and Fowey. It includes the southernmost point on Great Britain, Lizard Point, and forms a large part of the Cornwall National Landscape. The national landscape also includes Bodmin Moor, an upland outcrop of the Cornubian batholith granite formation. The county contains many short rivers; the longest is the Tamar, which forms the border with Devon. (Full article...)

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The Henrician castle, seen from the landward side

St Mawes Castle (Cornish: Kastel Lannvowsedh) is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the Carrick Roads waterway at the mouth of the River Fal. The castle was built under the direction of Thomas Treffry to a clover leaf design, with a four-storey central tower and three protruding, round bastions that formed gun platforms. It was initially armed with 19 artillery pieces, intended for use against enemy shipping, operating in partnership with its sister castle of Pendennis on the other side of the estuary. During the English Civil War, St Mawes was held by Royalist supporters of King Charles I, but surrendered to a Parliamentary army in 1646 in the final phase of the conflict.

The castle continued in use as a fort through the 18th and 19th centuries. In the early 1850s, fears of a fresh conflict with France, combined with changes in military technology, led to the redevelopment of the fortification. The out-dated Henrician castle was turned into a barracks and substantial gun batteries were constructed beneath it, equipped with the latest naval artillery. In the 1880s and 1890s an electrically operated minefield was laid across the River Fal, operated from St Mawes and Pendennis, and new, quick-firing guns were installed at St Mawes to support these defences. After 1905, however, St Mawes' guns were removed, and between 1920 and 1939 it was run by the state as a tourist attraction.

Brought back into service in the Second World War, naval artillery and an anti-aircraft gun were installed at the castle to defend against the risk of German attack. With the end of the war, St Mawes again returned to use as a tourist attraction. In the 21st century, the castle is operated by English Heritage. The castle has elaborate, carved 16th-century decorations including sea monsters and gargoyles, and the historian Paul Pattison has described the site as "arguably the most perfect survivor of all Henry's forts".

The castle is a scheduled monument and Grade I listed building. (Full article...)

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Richard Lemon Lander

Richard Lemon Lander (8 February 1804 – 6 February 1834) was a British explorer of western Africa. He and his brother John were the first Europeans to follow the course of the River Niger, and discover that it led to the Atlantic. (Full article...)

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Did you know?

...that Cornish miners first brought football to Mexico, and the Cornishman Alfred C. Crowle was once manager of the Mexico national football team?
...that Tregenna Castle (pictured) in St Ives was the Great Western Railway's first holiday destination hotel?
...that the town of St Columb Major in Cornwall is used as a sports pitch for the game of Cornish hurling, making it the largest pitch in the world?
...that Cornish bagpipes, once common in Cornwall, feature two long chanters which are played independently?
...that a bowling green and a monument now occupy the site of Helston Castle in Cornwall?

Selected quote

The whole object of my life has been to inculcate into Cornish people a sense of their Cornishness."

— Henry Jenner, Celtic scholar, Cornish activist, and originator of the Cornish language revival

Selected picture

Photo credit: Tom Corser

The West Penwith coast, can be viewed from a passenger helicopter travelling from the Isles of Scilly to the Penzance Heliport.

General images

The following are images from various Cornwall-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Harlyn Bay (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 2Cornwall's national tartan, bracca (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 3The 9th-century Men Myghtern Doniert (King Doniert's Stone) commemorating the last independent King of Cornwall (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 4The Minack Theatre, carved from the cliffs (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 5Cornwall seen from the International Space Station (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 6Millennium Cross, Landrake (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 7Land's End (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 8Entrance at Truro Cathedral has a welcome sign in several languages, including Cornish. (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 9Three Holes Cross (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 10Lady of Cornwall and flower girls at the 2007 Gorseth (Penzance) (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 11The War Memorial, in the churchyard, Constantine, Kerrier, carved from local stone by Elkana Symons (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 12The font of St Nonna's church, Altarnun (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 13Flag of St Piran, used as a flag of Cornwall (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 14A map of inscription stones, with and without Ogham inscriptions. (from History of Cornwall)
Image 15Atlas of Cornwall by Christopher Saxton from 1576 (from History of Cornwall)
Image 16A Cornish pasty, known traditionally as an oggy, can be found all over the world. (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 17Low tide at Bedruthan Steps (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 18Penryn, Prayer Book Rebellion Memorial, near the site of Glasney College (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 19Church of St Morwenna, Morwenstow (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 20Rough seas off Trebarwith Strand on the north coast (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 21Will of Alfred the Great, AD 873–888 (11th-century copy, British Library Stowe MS 944, ff. 29v–33r) (from History of Cornwall)
Image 22Bal maidens at work, showing traditional dress (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 23An aerial view of Carrick Roads (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 24Boscawen-Un stone circle looking north (from History of Cornwall)
Image 25Lime-washed and slate-hung domestic vernacular architecture of various periods, Polperro (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 26Wheal Owles, example of a historic Cornish tin mine (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 27The Roman milestone in St Materiana's Church, Tintagel (from History of Cornwall)
Image 28Stargazy pie, with sardines looking skywards before it is baked in the oven
Image 29Boscawen-Un stone circle looking north (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 30The view northwest from Carn Brea, Penwith (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 31The cross at the end of Higher Bore Street, Bodmin (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 32Lanner Band Room (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 33Remains of Tintagel Castle, according to legend the site of King Arthur's conception (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 34Celebrating Saint Piran's Day (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 35St German's priory church, St Germans (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 36Stanhope Forbes, A Fish Sale on a Cornish Beach (1884-85); also showing traditional dress (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 37Bluebells on the Cornish coast (from Geography of Cornwall)
Image 38Cornish dancers (from Music of Cornwall)
Image 39Cornish wrestling (Omdowl Kernewek) (from Culture of Cornwall)
Image 40A map of camps and earthworks in Cornwall (from History of Cornwall)
Image 41The cross on the grave of Charles Bowen Cooke, St Just in Roseland (from Culture of Cornwall)

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Topics

Geography

Geography - Geology - Flora and fauna - Special Areas of Conservation - Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Natural Regions - Bodmin Moor - Carnmenellis - Cornish Killas - Hensbarrow - Tamar Valley - The Lizard - West Penwith
Former districts - Penwith - Kerrier - Carrick - Restormel - Caradon - North Cornwall
Settlements - Truro - St Austell - Falmouth - Penzance - Camborne - Newquay - Bodmin - Redruth - St Ives - Helston - Bude - Liskeard - Hayle - Launceston - Penryn - full list...
Hills - Alex Tor - Brown Willy - Caradon Hill - Carnmenellis - Condolden - Hawk's Tor - Hensbarrow Beacon - Kilmar Tor - Rough Tor - Stowe's Hill - The Beacon - Tregonning Hill - Trencrom Hill - Watch Croft

Economy and demographics

Economy - Mining - Transport - Duchy of Cornwall - South West Regional Assembly - South West of England Regional Development Agency - Cornish people - Cornish emigration - People from Cornwall

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Recognised content

This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by JL-Bot (talk · contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is tagged (e.g. {{WikiProject Cornwall}}) or categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See WP:RECOG for configuration options.