Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the next left-hand turn, signed to Penzance/Madron (you'll see a white cottage next to the turning). Stay on this
road until you reach a small
layby
and farm gate on the left; it's easy to miss, so keep your eyes peeled. From
here, an unsigned trail leads up to the ring-shaped stone known as the
Mên-an-tol
; if you wish, you can con-
tinue along the trail to the
Nine Maidens
stone circle. It's a mile there and back from the layby.
Back in the car, continue along the minor road for half-a-mile. You'll pass
Lanyon Quoit
on your left, one
of the largest and best-preserved of Penwith's dolmens. You can walk up to the quoit by crossing over a drystone
wall. From here, it's another couple of miles to the village of
Madron
and its holy well, one of Penwith's
many sacred wells.
Continue downhill towards Penzance. When you reach the village of
Heamoor
, take the minor road signed
left towards
Gulval
. Continue through the village and onto the B3311 towards Nancledra. Climb the hill to
Badger's Cross
, and take the next left signed to
Chysauster
, 0.75 miles after the turning. This is the
southwest's most important Iron Age village, and you can wander freely around roundhouse remains.
Follow the road from Chysauster on to the nearby village of
Mulfra
, where you can see another impress-
ive dolmen,
Mulfra Quoit
, before backtracking to
Penzance
.
St Just-in-Penwith & Cape Cornwall
Not to be confused with its namesake on the Roseland, St-Just-in-Penwith (usually known
simply as St Just) might not be the hive of activity it was during the heyday of Cornish tin
mining, but it's still a hub for Penwith's artistic community. All roads lead to the Market
Sq, ringed by grey granite buildings, the small parish church and the Plen-an-gwary, an
open-air auditorium once used to stage outdoor theatre, mystery plays, Methodist sermons
and Cornish wrestling.
Jutting out from the cliffs a couple of miles from St Just is
Cape Cornwall
, a rocky head-
land topped by an abandoned chimneystack (the remains of the Cape Cornwall Mine,
which closed in 1875). Below the cape is the rocky beach of Priest's Cove, while nearby
are the ruins of St Helen's Oratory, one of the first Christian chapels built in West Corn-
wall. There's a cafe near the point.
A century ago, the surrounding cliffs (especially Gurnard's Head) were among the most
treacherous in Britain, accounting for hundreds of costly shipwrecks. To prevent further
wrecks, construction of a new lighthouse at
Pendeen Watch
began in 1900. Standing barely
17m tall, the lighthouse was originally oil-powered, before being electrified in 1926 and
automated in 1995.
Half a mile east of town is
Portheras Cove
, a lovely slash of sheltered sand reached via a
15-minute walk along the cliff path. The high cliffs around the beach take the brunt of the
