It seems fitting that the first of the 39 Historic Counties visited was Cornwall. Home of Land’s End, the start of so many long-distance challenges, Cornwall resides at the far south west corner of England.
Cornwall is effectively an island; the Tamar River that runs from north to south cuts Cornwall off from the mainland, and the place certainly does feel different to the rest of the country. In fact, large swathes of Cornish people do consider themselves independent from England and there are popular Cornish separatist political parties – let’s say Cornwall’s relationship with England is somewhat ‘semi-detached’.
Cornish people are a Celtic people, similar to those of Wales, Ireland and Scotland, and as Cornwall was never conquered by the Romans or Anglo Saxons, the ethnic and cultural make up of this Shire has remained relatively intact. Crossing the Tamar River into Cornwall, I did notice straight away more freckles and fair hair.
This is the first stop of the Shire Checklist, so let’s begin.
#1: The Flag
Cornwall’s St. Piran’s flag was easy to find in a part of England so attached to their local history – I’m sure most have seen this flag on car bumpers before too.
To tell you a bit about St. Piran, he is one of three patron saints in Cornwall (St. Michael & St. Petroc are the others) and is said to have been flung into the sea in Ireland with a millstone around his neck – but then miraculously washed up on the shores on Perranporth in Cornwall during the 6th Century. He discovered tin, lived for 200 years and died by falling down a well, quite a life.
I found this flag whilst looking down to Sennen Cove but I was spoilt for choice as the flags were everywhere you looked.
#2: Three Pints
Cornwall is famous for its St. Austell and Sharp’s breweries that produce nationwide classics such as Tribute and Doom Bar. From the St. Austell brewery I also found Cornish Best and Mena Dhu – Cornwall’s version of Guinness (which is basically the Irish version on steroids!).
My stand-out beer however was the wholesome Betty Stogs. A hearty ale with mightily unfashionable branding, this beer from Skinner’s brewery was once rivalling Tribute as the top Cornish beer.
#3: Local Dish
The famous Cornish pasty. This was a slightly unadventurous choice, but Cornish pasties in Cornwall definitely seem to taste better.
How long have they been eaten? Pasties have been part of the British diet for around 700 years, but they became massively popular among Cornish miners around the 18th century. This was because of the Cornish pasty’s thick pastry crust, miners working in filthy underground conditions could hold their meal without getting the rest of it contaminated.
An interesting fact on Cornish pasties:
The well-known British rhyme, commonly used in football stadiums, “Oggie, oggie, oggie!” originated among Cornish tin miners enjoying pasties.
The word ‘Oggie’ stems from the word ‘Hoggan’, Cornish for pasty. To let the miners know the pasties were cooked, the miner’s wives would shout “Oggie, oggie, oggie!” down the mine shaft, and the miners would shout “Oi, oi, oi!” in reply.
My first pasty during this trip to Cornwall was a tad posh with medium-well steak chunks, various vegetables and steaming onion gravy – bought from a little stall, in front of a castle, on an island cut off from the mainland at high-tide – St. Michael’s Mount. I annoyingly forgot to take a photo of the Cornish classic, but below you’ll see the Disney film-like setting they were being served from.
#4: Cathedral
As I visit more cathedrals, I hope gain greater knowledge and comparisons between them – but for now I can just admire their beauty.
Truro Cathedral isn’t very old, it was finished in 1910 and was designed by the architect John Loughborough Pearson. Pearson sought to revive the Gothic style from the medieval age – buildings characterised by pointed arches, windows and steep roofs.
Truro Cathedral is stunning. Stepping through the wooden doors into the silence of the huge main room, I looked up and was taken aback by the height of the ceiling. Through having some construction experience myself, I could really appreciate the scale, detail and ambition of this project – especially without modern day power tools.
#5: Highest point
My eye-opening climb of Cornwall’s highest point is explained in the accompanying post.
#6: Oldest Pub
Within the tiny village of St. Breward, reached only through navigating the winding, sheep-covered tarmac across the hills of Bodmin Moor, is the oldest pub in Cornwall – aptly named, The Old Inn. A pub has been situated here for 1000 years, beginning as shelter for the monks that built the neighbouring church.
Nowadays it’s a white-walled fortress of beer and traditional pub grub. Stepping inside I was immediately treated to that hearty, comforting feeling that all good pubs generate. Heavy stone walls, low ceilings, a wooden bar, a crackling fire, and a big smile from the barman who, with his arms wide-open showing off his various draught beers, asks “What can I get you?”.
In a nice touch, throughout the pub were charming paintings of Cornwall’s landscape by local artists, all available to be bought. Whilst surrounded by the mind-mellowing paintings and views of the lush green hills outside, feeling the warmth of the fire against my face, with pint of Tribute in hand and aromas of Sunday roasts lingering in the air, I couldn’t imagine a more comforting place to be. Hats off to the monks that started this moorland retreat.
#7: Local Tradition/Culture
Cornwall is a place synonymous with myths, legends and prehistoric history. Taking only West Cornwall as an example, there is a higher concentration of ancient sites here than anywhere else in Europe.
The local folklore I was most interested in is the fastest-growing religion in the UK – Paganism. An ancient, Celtic religion that seems to focus on the connection between humans, the natural world and our ancestors.
Before visiting Cornwall, I reached out to local Pagan groups and arranged an interview (sadly online, due to Covid) with one of their founding members – that interview will be summarised in a forthcoming post.
However, whilst in Cornwall I did visit an ancient village, a ‘spiritual’ tree, discovered a trail path of fairies and ventured through fields of fern to find my local culture highlight – the Boscawen-Un stone circle.
Though not as dramatic as Stonehenge, the 1 quartz and 18 granite stones have been sitting there for an impressive 4000 years. Whilst there, a family came along with a guitar and picnic basket. I did, embarrassingly, ask them if they were Pagan (sigh), they weren’t, they just simply loved the ancient sites. The family live a really interesting and inspiring life on an eco-retreat in Cornwall – they have a blog too, find it here.
#8: Famous Landmark – Land’s End
We walked to Land’s End from our campsite just a few miles inland but reaching Land’s End felt a great achievement. Once we departed from the pavements and roads of the tiny seafront village of Sennen Cove, the superbly rugged, crashing coastline created a film-like scene as we neared the western extremity of Britain.
The area close to Land’s End is quite bleak, barren, an area of nothingness, it gives the feeling that you really are far away from it all.
Land’s End itself has a little touristy bit but as we enjoyed a Cornish pasty with the sun slowly sinking below the wide ripples of the Atlantic Ocean, at the most westerly point of England, it did feel a really special moment.
Shire Summary
To summarise Cornwall in one word – mysterious. The ancient sites and their spiritual following, unspoilt rural landscape and slow pace of life, make a trip to Cornwall a true escape from normality – it’s easy to see why so many city-folk buy holiday homes in this faraway county. Indeed, my trip to Cornwall left me with a mixed feeling of satisfaction and an eagerness to return. Cornwall may well be the first tick on the Shire Checklist, but it will not be the last time I visit this westward gem.
