Visit West Cornwall

The heritage area contains one of the richest concentrations of archaeological remains in Europe, covering a living historic landscape of small fields, maritime grassland, cliff and heathland. The unique stone-hedged fields and stone-walled homesteads that characterise the area have been created by farming over the last 5,000 years, but they need careful management in order to retain their character and continue to support a rich wildlife for future generations to enjoy. To this end, the West Penwith ESA aims to protect and enhance the special landscape character of the area and its wildlife and historic interests. It restores traditional farm buildings, maintains Cornish hedges and walls, builds new ones and offers financial incentives to encourage environmentally friendly work.