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Places of Interest, Rich and Varied Heritage
Museums and Art Galleries
Cornwall has a rich and varied cultural tradition. There are some world class places to visit such as the Tate Gallery at St Ives and the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth as well as some hidden gems at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, the Penlee Museum and Art Gallery in Penzance and the Geevor Tin Mine near Zennor, which also offers the chance to go underground into a real tin mine escorted by a miner who worked the rock before the tin mines shut down.
Other places of interest are the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, on the site of the first Marconi telegraph link to the USA, and in complete contrast the Newlyn Art Gallery.
National Trust and Gardens
In the immediate vicinity are some of the greatest national trust and private gardens in Cornwall. Warmed by the tropical air of the gulf stream there are many spectacular plants that grow only in the far south west of the UK.
Particular favourites within easy reach of Cuckoo are Tregwanton, Tressilick and Glendurgan Gardens (all National Trust); Trevano Gardens which is also home to the National Museum of Gardening; Trebah Gardens and Lamorran House and Gardens.
For a day trip, the Eden Project is a must and is a 45 miles drive mostly along the A30 towards St Austell.
Places of Interest, Heritage, Monuments and Legends
The peninsula of West Cornwall was an important trading point in ancient times and so has a rich tradition dating back to the bronze age and probably beyond. St Michael’s Mount (National Trust) can be viewed from the road just above Cuckoo and was an important trading post. The island forming the Mount can be accessed for free at low tide along the causeway linking it to Marazion. The Chysauster Bronze Age village is less than two miles from the cottage and Trencrom iron age hill fort is a pleasant country walk away to the north.
Cuckoo Cottage is in a direct line between Trencrom Hill and St Michael’s Mount and legend has it that the giant Trecrobben, who lived on Trencrom, and the giant Cormoran who lived with his wife Cormelian on St Michael’s Mount, used to throw stones to each other in a game of quoits. One day Cormoran called to Trecrobben to throw him a hammer, which he did and accidentally killed Cormoran’s wife. In their grief the giant’s lifted the Mount and buried her beneath Chapel Rock. It would be romantic to suggest that the walls of Cuckoo Cottage were built from the granite stones that fell short during the giant’s game but they are more likely to have come from the granite quarry at Castle-an-Dinas just above Ludgvan, which has been worked since the iron age and is still active today.
Just down the road at the bottom of Ludgvan there is the Giant’s Grave that also has a legend connected to it but was probably associated with the siege of St Michael’s Mount in the English Civil War of 1646 or during a much longer bloodier siege during the War of the Roses in 1473 when 6,000 troops were encamped in the locality.
In addition to ancient legends and monuments there are more recent sites associated with the sea faring traditions and defence of Cornwall. There are the Castles of Pendennis and St Mawes near Falmouth and the Pendeen Lighthouse near to Cape Cornwall, about 10 miles from the cottage.
Cuckoo Cottage is centrally located in the heart of Penwith, West Cornwall. It is ideally situated to explore the many sandy beaches and coves on the north and south coasts of the Cornish peninsula. In addition there are historic fishing ports and tin mines, ancient settlements, museums, art galleries, gardens, stately homes and a range of modern visitor attractions catering for all the family. Most attractions are now either open all year round or for most of the year, so even outside of the summer months there is plenty to see and do.
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Cuckoo Cottage Map - Places to Visit
Examples of places to visit are shown on the Cuckoo Cottage map (see file).
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