CORNWALL

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History of Cornwall

The history of Cornwall begins with the pre-Roman inhabitants, including speakers of a Celtic language that would develop into Brythonic and Cornish. After a period of Roman rule, Cornwall reverted to independent Celtic chieftains. The Roman term for the tribe which inhabited what is now Cornwall at the time of Roman rule, the Cornovii, was derived from a Brythonic tribal name which gave modern Cornish Kernow. (For other examples of the survival of Brythonic names noted by the Romans, see Dyfed / Demetae, Cantiaci / Kent , Gwynedd / Veneti and Durotriges / Dorset.) The present English language name of the region derives from suffixing of Old English wealhas ("foreigners, Britons") to the Celtic name.

The site of ancient Belerion, Cornwall was the principal source of tin for the civilisations of the ancient Mediterranean, and at one time the Cornish were the world's foremost experts at mining. As Cornwall's reserves of tin began to be exhausted many Cornishmen emigrated to places such as the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa where their skills were in demand. The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 is attributed to tin miners. The tin mines in Cornwall are now worked-out at current prices, but the expertise and culture of the Cornish tin miners lives on in a number of places around the world. It is said that, wherever you may go in the world, if you see a hole in the ground, you will find a Cornishman at the bottom of it. Several Cornish mining words are in use in English language mining terminology, such as costean, gunnies, and vug.

Since the decline of tin mining, agriculture and fishing, the area's economy has become increasingly dependent on tourism — some of Great Britain's most spectacular coastal scenery can be found here. Nevertheless, Cornwall remains the poorest part of the United Kingdom and it has been granted Objective 1 status by the EU. A political party, Mebyon Kernow, MK, or 'Sons of Cornwall', was formed in 1951 to attempt to assert some degree of autonomy (see Cornish nationalism); while the flag of St Piran is seen increasingly across Cornwall at protests, demonstrations and generally, the party has not achieved significant success at the ballot box, although they do have a number of district councillors. Two of the current MPs to Westminster — Andrew George, MP for St Ives; and Dan Rogerson, MP for North Cornwall — repeated their Parliamentary oaths in Cornish. Further, there is a caucus of local county councillors who are well known locally for their persistent advocacy of Cornwall's political uniqueness. 

Places of interest

Bodmin and Wenford Railway  

Bodmin Moor 

Carn Euny

Carrick Roads

Castle An Dinas 

Chûn Castle 

Chûn Quoit 

Chysauster Ancient Village 

Commando Ridge, Bosigran

Cotehele 

Eden Project

Godrevy Island 

Goonhilly Downs

Gweek seal sanctuary

The Hurlers 

Kynance Cove 

Land's End 

Lanhydrock House 

Lanyon Quoit 

Lappa Valley Steam Railway 

The Lizard 

Loe Pool

Lost Gardens of Heligan

Mên-an-Tol 

Minack Theatre

Mullion Cove 

Pencarrow 

Pendennis Castle 

Penlee House

Poldhu 

Polperro

Museum of Submarine Telegraphy

Restormel Castle 

River Fowey

River Looe

Roseland Peninsula

South West Coast Path

St Mawes Castle 

St Michael's Mount 

Tintagel Castle 

Trelissick Garden 

Truro Cathedral