5 Places to visit in Cornwall

What follows are five places in Cornwall which are recommend to visit. Some are major tourist spots, but others are less well known but there is one thing which links them all - they are all in Cornwall and I would recommend visiting them.

They are shown in no particular order other than they were the order which looked best on the page!

The Eden Project is probably the most famous of all the Cornish tourist attractions mentioned on this page. The brainchild of Tim Smit it is a series of biomes (massive dome shaped greenhouses) which are located in a former china clay quarry to provide an environmentally minded tourist attraction. There are two main biomes, one which is hot and dry to provide a Mediterranean type habitat and one which is hot and wet to mimic the rainforest. In each of these there are a wide variety of suitable plants from around the world, including many endangered species. There are paths around the inside of the dome, and in the case of the rainforest biome there are also suspended paths in the treetops! Outside there are many more gardens, which contain plants which can cope with the Cornish climate. There are several gift shops and restaurants which serve local produce (some has actually been grown in the Eden Project itself!).

Many visitors to the Eden Project are attracted by The Eden Sessions, which are summer music and comedy events held on a specially erected stage by the biomes and due to the unique setting some large acts can be encouraged to come to quite an intimate venue. Past artists to visit include Oasis, Pulp, Muse, Jack Johnson, Mumford and Sons and Amy Winehouse. However, as could be guessed, the tickets sell out very quickly especially for the bigger names so get in early. The Eden Project also has an ice skating rink in the winter which again attracts many visitors. A further advantage to both events is the on the day of the special event it is possible to look around the Eden Project for free!

The Eden Project comes highly recommended and is one of the top visitor attractions in the UK and more information can be found on the official Eden Project website.

Tintagel Castle is located on the north coast of Cornwall and is a castle on it's own peninsula (Tintagel Island). All that remains of the Castle are ruins from the 13th and 14th centuries, but due to their location sticking out into the Atlantic they are rather unique. However, it has been determined that settlement on the site occurred much earlier, maybe even pre-Roman. Certainly by Roman times it appears that the location was the site of a rather rich trading point.

Tintagel Castle is famously linked to the legend of King Arthur as far back as the 12th century. Depending on the source, some say Tintagel Castle was the conception point of King Arthur and others say it was the site of the Round Table, but obviously none of this can be proved. Tintagel Castle is now maintained by English Heritage and so information on Tintagel Castle opening times, admission prices and how to get there (including a map!) can be found on the Tintagel Castle page of the English Heritage website.

Bodmin Moor is an area of moorland in Cornwall. Moorland is a type of habitat, found in temperate areas of the world at upland areas. Typically the soils are acidic and the vegetation is relatively short. Bodmin Moor fits all of these characteristics. Bodmin Moor is located in the north of Cornwall and is approximately 80 square miles in size. The upland area is caused by a large outcrop of granite, which is a much harder stone than that which surrounds, and so whilst the surrounding stone has reduced in height due to erosion etc the granite has done so at a much slower rate. Many areas of Bodmin Moor are open to the public and it is popular with walkers, horse-riders and cyclists.

The Minack Theatre is unlike anything else you have ever encountered. It is an outdoor, open air amphitheatre which is more unusual than typical theatres but what sets it apart from other such open-air theatres is it's unique location on a small bit of granite jutting out into the sea. Pretty much the entire theatre is made out of stone, yet remarkably and despite appearances it is under 100 years old. During summer months, there are a number of performances and so it is possible to see an activity in this most unusual of locations. Aside from these times, the location is open as a visitor attraction and so it is highly recommened.

A part of Cornwall was at one time known as being one of the richest areas in the entire world due the large degree of mineral wealth underfoot, including tin. At one stage there were many mines over Cornwall and for this reason there are probably thousands of abandoned shafts across the county. Such was the value of minerals, there are even cases where the mine workings stretch miles under the sea. There are no longer any working tin mines in Cornwall, however, the unique landscape caused by mining, as well as the important role the area played has resulted in the area being granted World Heritage Site status by the UN. There are a number of places to visit and learn about the mining heritage of Cornwall, but one of the best areas is probably Geevor tin mine where it is even still possible to actually go underground down a real mine, as well as learn about mining in the above ground visitor centre (good for those who are claustrophobic!).