Visit West Cornwall

St Just-in-Penwith SW 37 31
St Just is England's most westerly town, seven miles north west of Penzance off the north coast near ancient sites and Cornwall's most important and spectacular section of heritage mining coast. A former centre of the mining industry, today it is an unpretentious but lively working town with lively inns, shops and galleries.

The centre of the tin and copper industry in the early 19th century, when it grew dramatically, the town has rows of granite miners' cottages, a fine Methodist chapel and 15th century parish church.

Within easy walking distance of the free car park are two spacious squares with a large number of inns, independent art galleries and studios, shops and other useful amenities. These include the library/tourist information centre (01736 788165), doctor's surgery, pharmacy, post office, garage, sports centre, newsagent, supermarkets, bank and more. The grassed Plen-an-Gwary at the heart of the town is one of only two surviving outdoor medieval amphitheatres in Cornwall, allegedly the oldest working theatre in Britain.

Just beyond is the gloriously wild and spectacular heritage coast and path leading to the UK's most important and visually imposing mining monuments - Geevor (exceptional tin mining site with underground tour), Levant (with working beam engine) and the famous Crowns engine houses and calciners at Botallack. Cape Cornwall, with its hill-top ornamental chimney, offers splendid views and a spectacularly located golf course/country club, while ancient sites like Bollowall Barrow (2500-1500 BC burial chamber at the cliff edge), and the giant boulders and raised beach at the end of Cot Valley, are easily accessible.

Plen-an-gwary (place of the play)
Grassed remains of medieval amphitheatre, an ancient scheduled monument still in daily use. The plen is allegedly Britain’s oldest working theatre and the site of events and spectacular performances like July’s Lafrowda festival and occasional performances of the Ordinalia miracle plays and other shows.
Off Bank Square in the centre of St Just.
Click here for information about the plen-an-gwary project.

St Just Parish Church
Earliest parts 14th century with with 8th-9th century cross, two 15th century wall paintings uncovered during 1866 restoration and depicting Christ surrounded by tools of the period and St George and the Dragon and decorated columns.
Church Street, St Just.
Click here for more information about the church

St Just Methodist Church 1833
One of the largest in Cornwall with seating for over 1,000, an impressive granite exterior and fine interior. Adjacent burial ground has graves for over 4,000 local people.
Chapel Street, St Just

Quaker Burial ground
For some 35 Quakers used 1659-1789 with one visible grave.
Junction of St Just B3306 and Land’s End A30 roads opposite Chapel Carn Brea

Pendeen SW 38 34
Granite mining village and neighbouring settlements with lighthouse and traditional inns near Cornwall’s most important and spectacular section of heritage mining coast. Pendeen village (East of St Just) and surrounding ancient granite agricultural settlements developed with the area’s 19th century tin and copper mines. Since 1900 Pendeen Lighthouse - accessed from a lane opposite the village car park - has been situated on one of the most dangerous and dramatic stretches of Britain’s coastline (filmed for the “Poldark” TV series). From here there are glorious coastal walks east to Portheras beach and west past many reminders of the mining industry that dominated this area - Levant mine and beam engine, a working steam-powered beam engine and historic site owned by the National Trust; Geevor, the largest mining history site in the UK; and the Crowns engine houses, dramatically perched on the coast at nearby Botallack. The Count House, Botallack (National Trust) contains information about the Crowns and other industrial heritage sites in the area including its calciners, the finest surviving arsenic-refining works in Britain. Numerous traditional mining pubs, hotels and eating-houses offer local produce. Art galleries and a Gem and Jewellery Workshop are on the main road and the nearby Pendeen Manor (providing B&B and refreshments) is a listed 17th century manor with fogou (or prehistoric underground chamber).

Pendeen church
Built 1852 and designed by the Vicar, Robert Aitkien based on the ground-plan of Iona Abbey. Uses granite quarried from the Carn above the church and has fine east window. Surrounded by imposing castellated walls with a Gothic gateway.
Pendeen, off B3306 coast road from St Just to St Ives.

Zennor SW 45 38
Charming linear village steeped in myth and legend and nestling on the scenic B3306 coast road only 4 miles west of St Ives. Surrounded by dramatic coastal scenery and ancient fields on one side and high, gaunt moorland on the other, the village is a great place for walkers, with interesting folk museum (over 5,000 items and an extensive collection on people who have lived in the area), church and inn.

Legend has it that the mermaid of Zennor was so entranced by the singing of a local chorister that she lured him to the sea, never to return. A bench-end in the Norman and later medieval church displays a carving of the mermaid, while the traditional Tinner’s Arms, where D H Lawrence stayed before moving elsewhere in the village to write “Women in Love”, provides an hospitable example of the area’s literary connections. Nearby Zennor quoit is a large Neolithic chamber tomb and there are magnificent coastal walks around Gurnard’s Head (Iron Age cliff castle on nearby spectacular coastland).

Wayside Folk Museum, Zennor
Cornwall’s oldest private museum contains over 5,000 items devoted to life in the area from 3000BC to the 1950s, a listed watermill and book and gift shop. Limited opening. Phone for times and prices.
01736 796945
Centre of Zennor – a short walk from bus stop.