Portal:Cornwall

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Porth Kernow a'gas dynnargh!
Welcome to the Cornwall Portal!

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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The exposed foundations

Penhallam is the site of a fortified manor house near Jacobstow in Cornwall, England. There was probably an earlier, 11th-century ringwork castle on the site, constructed by Tryold or his son, Richard fitz Turold in the years after the Norman invasion of 1066. Their descendants, in particular Andrew de Cardinham, created a substantial, sophisticated manor house at Penhallam between the 1180s and 1234, building a quadrangle of ranges facing onto an internal courtyard, surrounded by a moat and external buildings. The Cardinhams may have used the manor house for hunting expeditions in their nearby deer park. By the 14th century, the Cardinham male line had died out and the house was occupied by tenants. The surrounding manor was broken up and the house itself fell into decay and robbed for its stone. Archaeological investigations between 1968 and 1973 uncovered its foundations, unaltered since the medieval period, and the site is now managed by English Heritage and open to visitors. (Full article...)

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Richard Lemon Lander in 1835

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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Richard Trevithick Humphry Davy William Bligh Mark of Cornwall Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall John Arnold (watchmaker) Cuthbert Mayne Daphne du Maurier Edward Boscawen

Did you know?

...that the world's largest Cornish festival, the Kernewek Lowender, is held in the towns of Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo in South Australia?
...that the small town of St Blazey is named after Blaise, the patron saint of throats?
...that in the 19th century, Cornwall mined half of the world's tin (mine pictured), and was the largest enterprise in Europe?
...that Cornwall is home to the world's first eco-surfboard, made out of balsa wood, hemp fibre and bio-resin?

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Photo credit: Tim

A Methodist chapel in Morvah, with an Anglican church behind. The Methodism of John Wesley proved to be very popular with the working classes in Cornwall in the 19th century, becoming the leading form of Christianity. The chapels became important social centres, with male voice choirs and other church-affiliated groups playing a central role in the social lives of working class Cornishmen.

General images

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

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