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Ceremonial county in England
Photo: Dietmar Rabich; Cropped by User:Martinvl, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow) is a county in the southwest of England. Lying west of Devon from which it is separated by the River Tamar, Cornwall is one of the more isolated and distinctive parts of the United Kingdom but is also one of its most popular with holidaymakers. Its relatively warm climate, long coastline, amazing scenery, and diverse Celtic heritage (combined with tales of smuggling, pirates and King Arthur!) go only part of the way to explaining its appeal. Cornwall is a popular destination for those interested in cultural tourism, due to its long association with visual and written arts and its wealth of archaeology. Its mining heritage has been recognised by the United Nations (UNESCO). Over 30% of the county is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), giving it national status and protection. Cornwall has always been fiercely proud of its Celtic heritage, and for many residents, their Cornish identity supersedes their Englishness or Britishness.
the more windswept northern coast along the Celtic Sea and some top surfing areas together with Bodmin Moor and the associated hinterland
includes much of Cornwall's stunning English Channel coast from Falmouth to the Devon Border together with Truro
the Atlantic tip of the South West Peninsula, leading out to the celebrated Land's End
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A Celtic cultural festival celebrating “All things” Cornish and Breton that takes place biennially (every two years) in Cornwall at Easter. The AberFest Festival alternates with the Breizh – Kernow Festival that is held in Brandivy and Bignan (in Breizh/Bretagne – France) on the alternate years.
A semi-circular pocket of soft or flakey pastry, usually filled with meat, turnip, onion and potatoes with a crimped crust to hold whilst munching. Traditionally, the pasty was held by the crust due to the miner's dirty hands and then discarded to avoid ingesting poisonous materials such as lead.
A soft, full-fat goat's milk cheese. Its name means Little Goat in Cornish.
A spicy thick white sausage which is sliced then grilled or fried.
Cornwall has a long tradition of seafood specialties including crowled pilchards, salmon cake and fish cream stew.
A mutton pie with a shortcrust pastry lid. It should be made with at least one layer of onions, followed by alternating layers of sliced apples and mutton chops.
A mixed fish, potato and egg dish with fish heads 'escaping'. The pie is cooked as part of traditional celebrations for Tom Bawcock's Eve, but is not generally eaten at any other time.
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese made in Cornwall. It is covered around the outside with nettles. An alternative variety is covered with wild garlic leaves.
Easy to find in Cornwall - even in tiny towns with just one pub there is frequently a meatless option.
Plain scones with clotted cream and jam or treacle washed down by a pot of tea, traditional in Cornwall to put the jam on first then the clotted cream, unlike Devon who put cream first then jam.
Distinctly yellowish in colour, and rich in flavour, on account of high buttermilk content. Kelly's in particular is a popular brand of Cornish ice-cream, that often uses Cornish words in their marketing.
Clotted cream is a very thick cream that is required to make cream tea scones. Rodda's of Redruth are Cornwall's largest producer.
Locally produced fudge is often made with clotted cream or buttermilk.
Locally produced rock candy.
A unique cultivar of apple, that was found in a cottage garden in Truro in early 19th century.
Traditional ginger biscuits made with cinnamon and other spices.
Type of raisin cake.
Hevva Cake
Lardy cake made with fruit.
Saffron Bun
Fruit loaf flavoured with saffron, saffron being historically popular in Cornwall.
By ferry
Plymouth lies near Cornwall's boundary with Devon. International ferries arrive into Plymouth from:
By train
Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain
By car
Cornwall is tucked away in England's south-westernmost corner. The journey from London to Penzance is around by road, or around miles from Birmingham.
By coach
National Express coaches operate between:
By train
CrossCountry Trains and Great Western Railway operate regular train services between the main centres of population, the latter company also serving a number of other towns on branch lines.
By ferry/boat
In certain areas of Cornwall, ferries exist. They can be considered largely separate from other public transport as they are run by private companies.
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Newquay · Regional · NQY
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The Isles of Scilly (Cornish: Enesek Syllan) is a small archipelago of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 25 miles (40 km) off the coast of Cornwall at the south-western tip of the United Kingdom. The main island, and obvious base for visitors, is St Mary's.
the most westerly point of the English mainland: beyond lies the Isles of Scilly and the Atlantic Ocean
the most southerly point in Britain
a bleak moor to the east of Bodmin made famous by Daphne du Maurier's book Jamaica Inn
Articles and travel topics about Cornwall and United Kingdom.
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