Find the nearest History & Heritage in Cornwall

The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, Cornwal overlooks the marina. The Museum houses galleries, interactve displays, workshops as well as the expected 100’s of boats.

Wheal Coates is a former cliff top tin mine situated on the north coast of Cornwall, between Porthtowan and St Agnes. It is maintained by the National Trust, for more details see National Trust website.

The Tregiffian Burial Chamber is a Neolithic or early Bronze age chambered tomb. An entrance passage, lined with stone slabs, leads into a central chamber. It is a rare form of a passage grave, known as an Entrance grave. This type of burial chamber is also typical in the nearby Isles of Scilly.

Godolphin was considered in the 17th century to be the most fashionable house in Cornwall. There are many fascinating walks on the estate, which includes Godolphin Hill and more than 400 recorded archaeological features.

The Garrison peninsula above Porthcressa Beach at the rear of Hugh Town on St. Mary’s. Paths take you around the peninsula and you can well understand the strategic importance of the garrison. As you walk you will see the walls, various battery locations and the castle.

Penlee House Gallery and Museum is a small museum and art gallery contains many paintings by the ‘Newlyn School’ (c.1880 – c.1940) including Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes, Walter Langley, Harold Harvey and Laura Knight. Set in an elegant Victorian house and park, Penlee House also covers West Cornwall’s archaeology and social history, and offers a cafe and shop.

Now in ruins Tintagel Castle is Cornwall’s most iconic site where the legend of King Arthur was born. A strong hold of the Earls of Cornwall, the castle was built in the 13th Century. Located on one of the most dramatic and windswept locations in Cornwall. You have a small exhibition and shop along with a cafe. You need to be energetic to visit the castle as you have to negotiate a hill down from the village and then up many steps, once at the top there is lots to explore. The path down from the village has a landrover service for a small charge.

Saint Mawes Castle is among the best-preserved of Henry VIII’s coastal artillery fortresses. The castle was one of the chain of forts built between 1539 and 1545 to counter an invasion threat from Catholic France and Spain, it guarded the important anchorage of Carrick Roads, sharing the task with Pendennis Castle on the other side of the Fal estuary.

Bant’s Carn Burial Chamber and Halangy Down Ancient Village. The remains of an Iron Age village in a scenic location. With a Bronze Age burial mound, entrance passage and inner chamber.

Cotehele is a Tudor house with superb collections of textiles, armour and furniture. The house is set around three courtyards and the grounds have a valey garden and terraced gardens with many paths you can explore alongside the River Tamar. The garden includes a domed medieval dovecote and passes down to a quay.

Chysauster Ancient Village, 2,000 year old Iron Age settlement. The village of stone-walled homesteads known as ‘courtyard houses’, found only on the Land’s End peninsula and the Isles of Scilly. The houses line a ‘village street’, and each had an open central courtyard surrounded by a number of thatched rooms. There are also the remains of an enigmatic ‘fogou’ underground passage.