Portal:Cornwall

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Porth Kernow a'gas dynnargh!
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P:CW

Cornwall (/ˈkɔːrnwɔːl, -wəl/; Cornish: Kernow; Cornish pronunciation: [ˈkɛrnɔʊ]; or [ˈkɛrnɔ]) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised by Cornish and Celtic political groups as one of the Celtic nations, and is 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 settlement is Falmouth, and the county town is the city of Truro.

The county is rural, with an area of 1,375 square miles (3,562 km²) and population of 568,210. After Falmouth (23,061), the largest settlements are Penzance, Newquay, St Austell, and Truro. For local government purposes most of Cornwall is a unitary authority area, with the Isles of Scilly having 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. 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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Selected article

The 1864 chimney of Cape Cornwall Mine

Cape Cornwall Mine was a tin mine on Cape Cornwall, a cape at the western tip of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It operated intermittently between 1838 and 1883, after which time it closed permanently and the engine house was demolished. The mine's 1864 chimney near the peak of the cape was retained as an aid to navigation, and in the early 20th century the former ore dressing floors were for a time converted into greenhouses and wineries. In 1987 the site was donated to the nation by the H. J. Heinz Company. The remains of Cape Cornwall Mine now form part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Full article...)

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Selected biography

Cuthbert Mayne in a mezzotint by Daniel Fournier

Cuthbert Mayne (c. 1543–29 November 1577) was an English Catholic priest executed under the laws of Elizabeth I. He was the first of the seminary priests trained on the Continent to be martyred. Mayne was beatified in 1886 and canonised as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales in 1970. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies
Richard Trevithick Humphry Davy William Bligh Richard Lemon Lander Mark of Cornwall Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall John Arnold (watchmaker) Daphne du Maurier Edward Boscawen

Did you know?

...that the last battle to be fought on English soil, the Battle of Bossenden Wood in 1838, was led by a Cornish self-declared Messiah?
...that the Cornishman Richard Lower was the first Western scientist to perform a human blood transfusion?
...that St Buryan's Church (pictured) is reputed to have the heaviest peal of 6 bells anywhere in the world?
...that the Cornish language is officially recognised by the UK government under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages?

Selected quote

Selected picture

Photo credit: Tinminer

The Tin Miner statue in Fore Street, Redruth, representing the history of the men who worked down the tin and copper mines in the area.

General images

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

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