Cornwall
From World travel guide
Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow or Cernow) is an English county in the extreme south-west of the country, part of the West Country region, and associated with the Isles of Scilly. Lying westwards beyond the River Tamar border with its nearest county neighbour Devon, Cornwall is one of the more isolated parts of the United Kingdom - if also one of the most popular with travellers and holiday-makers. Its relatively warm climate, long coastline, amazing scenery, and diverse Anglo-Celtic heritage (combined with tales of smuggling and pirates!) go only part of the way to explaining its appeal.
Contents |
Cities
- Truro — Cornwall's county town and its only city.
Main Population Centers
Harbor and Fishing Settlements
- Boscastle
- Bude
- Fowey
- Looe
- Mevagissey
- Padstow
- Pendeen
- Polperro
- Polruan
- St Ives — an interesting harbour village, home to a branch of the Tate Gallery
- Tintagel
Other Destinations
Understand
The modern English name is derived from the tribal name Cornovii and the Anglo-Saxon word wealas (meaning "foreigners"). Cornovii may mean "horn [peninsula] people". Wealas is also the origin of the name Wales.
Get in
By Train
Regular trains run on the main line from London, Bristol, Birmingham etc. to Plymouth, Truro and Penzance. There are also a few branch lines, the most useful linking St Ives to the main line at St Erth and from Newquay to Par.
By car
Cornwall is best accessed by road via the A38, crossing the Tamar River at Plymouth via the Tamar Bridge, and the A30, which crosses the Cornish-Devon border south of Launceston.
BEWARNED....if you come over the Tamar bridge ( A38) the tunnel on the other side
has a 30 mph repeat 30mph speed limit backed by 9 "specs" speed cameras...
The Cornish Police welcome you to Cornwall !!
Despite there has never been a fatality in the tunnel.
You can have a little momento on your driving license to remember them and
your holiday by....
There is no bridge toll coming from Devon to Cornwall But is £ 1 uk pound (1.2 euros approx) on leaving so recommend going home on the A30 ....;)
Get around
Talk
The inhabitants of Cornwall speak English as their main language - usually with a strong West Country accent. That said, Cornwall is home to one of the bastions of Celtic language in the British Isles - th e Cornish language is closely related to Welsh and Breton, less so to Irish and Scots Gaelic. It survived as a living tongue until 1777 and the death of Dolly Pentreath, the last person thought to have spoken only Cornish (although this is disputed). The publication of Henry Jenner's "Handbook of the Cornish Language" in 1904 caused a resurgence of interest in the Cornish language, and efforts are being made to revive it. Although there has never been a census there are currently estimated to be some 2,000 Cornish speakers, 100-150 of whom are fluent. It has recently been officially recognised by the UK government as a minority language.
See
Although only a small county, Cornwall boasts a large number of attractions for the traveller, many lying outside of cities and towns amidst the Cornish landscape:
- Bodmin Moor [1]
- the Eden Project [2] - giant plastic bubbles dedicated to conservation
- Land's End [3] - where England meets the Atlantic head-on
- The Lost Gardens of Heligan [4] - 80 acres of stunning landscaped scenery with a huge complex of walled flower and vegetable gardens
- St Michael's Mount [5]
- Tintagel Castle [www.english-heritage.org.uk/filestore/ visitsevents/asp/visits/Details.asp?Property_Id=320]
Eat
Cornwall has a number of regional specialities:
- Cornish Pasties, of course, semi-circular pockets of soft pastry filled with meat and other fillings
- Cornish Ice Cream - distinctly yellowish in colour, and rich in flavour, on account of high buttermilk content
Drink
Stay safe
Get out
Representing the extreme south-west tip of England, the options for escape from Cornwall are limited to the next mainland county of Devon to the east and the Isles of Scilly to the south.
External links
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