Attractions in Southwest Cornwall page 2

Botallack Tin Mine

The St Just mining district is an intrinsic part of the West Cornwall and national industrial heritage, with an ongoing bid for world heritage status, if successful will rank this area alongside the pyramids of Egypt!

In it's heyday, this rich source of tin made the area surrounding St Just very prosperous. In the late 20th Century due to world tin prices dropping, these mines were no longer commercially viable. However they now contribute to the Cornish economy as popular tourist attractions.

Pendeen

pendeen is a community with roots firmly in the mining district, that sprang up to serve the miners and families. Pendeen watch is a working lighthouse, Geevor Tin mine a heritage site, with a fine visitor centre and guided tours underground. Levant engine house nearby is owned by the national trust with a beautifully restored working engine. Pendeen also has two sandy coves, Portheras and Boat Cove, nestling amongst the cliffs.

Lanyon Quoit

Lanyon Quoit is one of the oldest of Cornwall's antiquities It is said to have been erected approximately 2500BC to mark the site of an ancient burial mound and now stands two metres tall with a massive 13.5 ton capstone although originally it is believed to have been three to four metres tall, before being badly damage in 1815 and rebuilt to its present form.

Lanyon Quoit is one of the most photographed images of Cornwall and is easy to find alongside the road between Madron and Morvah.

Chysauster Iron Age Settlement

Chysauster ancient village, an English heritage site, has easy road access and parking. Dating from roman occupation times, the village can be clearly seen, arranged in a unique formation only found here and on the Isles of Scilly, homestead houses arranged around an open courtyard. This Iron Age Settlement is remarkably preservation and is an interesting and educational visit.

St Ives