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Celtic Cornwall

Cornwall on England's south western peninsula is one of the country's favourite holiday destinations. This area has a history of human settlement that goes back to about 4500BC. Remains of a stone age community from this early period can be seen at Carn Euny. Around 600BC the Celts arrived in Cornwall. They mined for tin, bronze and iron which were plentiful in Cornish rock, an industry that continued for thousands of years. In fact it was tin from Cornwall that brought Britain into recorded history, when fourth century BC Mediterranean adventurers came to Britain in search of tin. Pytheas of Marseilles made the journey in 325BC and wrote an account of his travels. He called Britain "the Tin Islands."

When the Romans left around 400AD, Saxon invasions began, Cornwall being one of the last parts of England to hold out against the newcomers. Reminders of this struggle remain, as a mixture of history and legend.

 

 

 

The Tamar Valley lies at the ancient boundary between Devon and Cornwall. This would have been the area where the Celts fought their lonely battle against the Saxons. A former front line is now an excellent holiday location if you were seeking tranquility. The following places in the Tamer Valley are recommended:

- Cargreen: A beautiful village with flower fields as a backdrop. Convenient for visiting the Tamar Valley Nature Reserve.

- Saltash: There is a famous bridge here built by Brunel. There are also many historic buildings, which include Mary Newman's cottage: Mary Newman was Mrs Francis Drake.

- St Mellion: This village has a famous golf club and championship course.

- Mount Edgcumbe Country Park: Eight hundred acres of beautiful parkland along ten miles of Cornish coastline.

- Tamar Lakes: These lakes straddling the Cornwall and Devon border offer opportunities for walks, fishing and a number of water sports.

 

Tintagel

On the north coast of Cornwall you will find Tintagel. This rocky inlet with ancient castle ruins is the legendary home of King Arthur. Whatever the truth of King Arthur - and he may have had some kind of reality as a Celtic warlord - Tintagel is interesting as illustrating Victorian romanticising of the past. Tennyson made this place famous in his Idylls of the King, in which he described the waves bringing the infant Arthur to the shore. Baby Arthur was rescued from the sea by the wizard Merlin. The cave beneath Tintagel is known as Merlin's Cave.

 

On Bodmin Moor the beautiful village of St Tudy is a reminder of the times when Cornwall stood as a stopping off place between Ireland and the Celtish communities in Brittany. Tudy was a sixth century monk and missionary, who founded monasteries and churches in Brittany. The parish of Tudy in Cornwall is near the river Camel, which offered a safe haven for boats moving to and from Brittany. Either Tudy or one of his monks came over from Brittany to found the church at Tudy. The village therefore demonstrates the ancient links between Cornwall and Brittany, where some Celtic people settled to escape the Saxons. Nothing remains of the original church, except for a carved head on the first pillar in the present church's porch.

Dozmary Pool: Dozmary Pool is a bright blue pool high up on Bodmin Moor. According to legend this is the place where Sir Bedievere summoned up the strength to comply with Arthur's demand that Excalibur be returned to the Lady of the Lake. Naturally other lakes lay claim to the Lady of the Lake: Pomparles Bridge at Glastonbury, along with Looe Pool and Llyn Llydaw in Wales, are the main competitors. The lake that inspired Tennyson in Idylls of the King was actually Bassenthwaite below Skiddaw in the Lake District in Cumbria.

 

 

On the south west coast of Cornwall near Marazion St Michael's Mount is a further beautiful and emotive reminder of the last Celtish struggle. In 495, at a time when Cornwall was the last place in England resisting the Saxons, the arch angel St Michael is supposed to have been spotted by some passing fishermen high up on a ledge of rock on what is now St Michael's Mount. The Mount was dedicated to the apparition, and became a place of pilgrimage. Perhaps the people of Cornwall felt they needed some supernatural help at this time, and let tales of an apparition fulfill their need. In Norman times a priory was built on the Mount, an earthquake destroying the original church in 1275. The church seen today was rebuilt largely in the fourteenth century. St Michael's Mount has a striking natural beauty, which must have contributed to the myths that came to surround it. The Mount is reached by a causeway at low tide, and a boat at high tide.

Finally Land's End, where mainland Britain comes to its end, is a setting in the legend of Tristan and Isolt. According to the legend if you stand on Land's End you might hear the church bells ringing from the Lost Land of Lyonesse, drowned beneath the sea. Perhaps there was some kind of flooding of former land in this area, which contributed to the myth. Perhaps also the idea of the fabled land lost to the sea in the west was a way of saying farewell to the land of the east which had been lost to invaders.

At Land's End today there are shops, restaurants, and displays relating to the history of sailing and to air sea rescue. Disabled access has been well thought out. A leaflet from the Visitors Centre outlines an easy route for wheelchairs and prams. There are adapted toilet facilities.