Cornwall

This article is about Cornwall in the United Kingdom. For other uses, seeCornwall (disambiguation).

"Cornouailles" redirects here. Not to be confused withCornouaille.

Cornwall Kernow(Cornish)
Ceremonial county
Part ofWheal Coatestin mine,St Michael's Mount,and ponies onBodmin Moor
Flag
Cornwall shown within England
Coordinates:50°24′N4°54′W
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South West England
Established	Ancient
Time zone	UTC+0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1(BST)
UK Parliament	6 MPs
Police	Devon and Cornwall Police
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Edward Bolitho
High Sheriff	Stamford Timothy John Galsworthy (2024-25)
Area	3,562 km2(1,375 sq mi)
• Rank	12th of 48
Population (2022)	577,694
• Rank	40th of 48
Density	162/km2(420/sq mi)
Ethnicity (2021)	96.8%White 1.2%Mixed 1.1%other 0.7%Asian 0.2%Black
Unitary authority
Council	Cornwall Council
Control	Conservative
Admin HQ	Lys Kernow,Truro
Area	3,545 km2(1,369 sq mi)
• Rank	4th of 296
Population (2022)	575,413
• Rank	5th of 296
Density	162/km2(420/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	GB-CON
GSS code	E06000052
ITL	TLK30
Website	cornwall.gov.uk
Districts
Districts of Cornwall
Districts	Cornwall (unitary) Isles of Scilly(sui generisunitary)

Cornwall(/ˈkɔːrnwɔːl,-wəl/;Cornish:Kernow;Cornish pronunciation:[ˈkɛrnɔʊ];or[ˈkɛrnɔ]) is aceremonial countyinSouth West England.It is recognised by Cornish and Celtic political groups as one of theCeltic nations,and is the homeland of theCornish people.The county is bordered by theAtlantic Oceanto the north and west,Devonto the east, and theEnglish Channelto the south. The largest urban area in the county is aconurbationthat includes the former mining towns ofRedruthandCamborne,and thecounty townis the city ofTruro.

The county is rural, with an area of 1,375 square miles (3,562 km²) and population of 568,210. Outside of the Redruth-Camborne conurbation the largest settlements areFalmouth,Penzance,Newquay,St Austell,and Truro. Forlocal governmentpurposes most of Cornwall is aunitary authorityarea, with theIsles of Scillyhaving aunique local authority.TheCornish nationalistmovement disputes theconstitutional status of Cornwalland seeks greaterautonomywithin the United Kingdom.

Cornwall is the westernmost part of theSouth West Peninsula.Its coastline is characterised by steep cliffs and, to the south, severalrias,including those at the mouths of the riversFalandFowey.It includes the southernmost point onGreat Britain,Lizard Point,and forms a large part of theCornwall National Landscape.The national landscape also includesBodmin Moor,an upland outcrop of theCornubian batholithgranite formation. The county contains many short rivers; the longest is theTamar,which forms the border with Devon.

Cornwall had a minor Roman presence, and later formed part of the Brittonic kingdom ofDumnonia.From the 7th century, theBritonsin the South West increasingly came into conflict with the expanding Anglo-Saxon kingdom ofWessex,eventually being pushed west of the Tamar; by theNorman ConquestCornwall was administered as part of England, though it retained its own culture. The remainder of theMiddle AgesandEarly Modern Periodwere relatively settled, with Cornwall developing itstin miningindustry and becoming aduchyin 1337. During theIndustrial Revolution,the tin and copper mines were expanded and then declined, with china clay extraction becoming a major industry. Railways were built, leading to a growth of tourism in the 20th century. TheCornish languagebecameextinctas a living community language at theend of the 18th century,but is now being revived.

Name

"Cornweallas" shown on an early 19th-century map of "Saxon England" (and Wales) based on theAnglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Cliffs at Land's End

The modernEnglishname "Cornwall" is acompoundof two terms coming from two different language groups:

• "Corn-" originates from theProto-Celtic*karnu- ( "horn",presumed in reference to"headland"), and iscognatewith theEnglishword "horn" andLatin"cornu" (both deriving from theProto-Indo-European*ker-). There may also have been an Iron Age group that occupied the Cornish peninsula known as theCornovii(i.e. "people of the horn or headland" ).
• "-wall" derives fromwealh,anexonyminOld Englishmeaning "foreigner", "slave" or "Brittonic-speaker" (as inWelsh).

In theCornish language,Cornwall isKernowwhich stems from the sameProto-Celticroot.

History

Main article:History of Cornwall

For a chronological guide, seeTimeline of Cornish history.

Mên-an-Tol

Prehistory, Roman and post-Roman periods

Main article:Prehistoric Cornwall

See also:Dumnonia

Humans reoccupiedBritainafter thelast Ice Age.The area now known as Cornwall was first inhabited in thePalaeolithicandMesolithicperiods. It continued to be occupied byNeolithicand then byBronze Agepeople.

Cornwall in the Late Bronze Ageformed part of a maritime trading-networked culture which researchers have dubbed theAtlantic Bronze Agesystem, and which extended over most of the areas of present-day Ireland, England, Wales, France, Spain, and Portugal.

During theBritish Iron Age,Cornwall, like all of Britain (modern England, Scotland, Wales, and the Isle of Man), was inhabited by aCeltic-speakingpeople known as theBritonswith distinctive cultural relations to neighbouringBrittany.TheCommon Brittonicspoken at this time eventually developed into several distinct tongues, includingCornish,Welsh,Breton,CumbricandPictish.

The first written account of Cornwall comes from the 1st-century BC Sicilian Greek historianDiodorus Siculus,supposedly quoting or paraphrasing the 4th-century BCE geographerPytheas,who had sailed to Britain:

The inhabitants of that part of Britain calledBelerion(or Land's End) from their intercourse with foreign merchants, are civilized in their manner of life. They prepare thetin,working very carefully the earth in which it is produced... Here then the merchants buy the tin from the natives and carry it over toGaul,and after traveling overland for about thirty days, they finally bring their loads on horses to the mouth of the Rhône.

Celtic tribes of Southern Britain

The identity of these merchants is unknown. It has been theorized that they werePhoenicians,but there is no evidence for this.Professor Timothy Champion, discussing Diodorus Siculus's comments on the tin trade, states that "Diodorus never actually says that the Phoenicians sailed to Cornwall. In fact, he says quite the opposite: the production of Cornish tin was in the hands of the natives of Cornwall, and its transport to the Mediterranean was organized by local merchants, by sea and then overland through France, passing through areas well outside Phoenician control."Isotopic evidence suggests that tin ingots found off the coast ofHaifa,Israel,may have been from Cornwall.Tin, required for the production ofbronze,was a relatively rare and precious commodity in the Bronze Age – hence the interest shown in Devon and Cornwall's tin resources. (For further discussion of tin mining seethe section on the economy below.)

In the first four centuries AD, during the time ofRoman dominance in Britain,Cornwall was rather remote from the main centres of Romanization – the nearest beingIsca Dumnoniorum,modern-dayExeter.However, the Roman road system extended into Cornwall with four significant Roman sites based on forts:Tregear nearNanstallonwas discovered in the early 1970s, two others were found atRestormel Castle,Lostwithiel in 2007, and a third fort nearCalstockwas also discovered early in 2007. In addition, a Roman-style villa was found atMagor Farm,Illogan in 1935.Ptolemy'sGeographike Hyphegesismentions four towns controlled by theDumnonii,three of which may have been in Cornwall.However, after 410 AD, Cornwall appears to have reverted to rule by Romano-Celtic chieftains of theCornoviitribe as part of the Brittonic kingdom ofDumnonia(which also included present-day Devonshire and the Scilly Isles), including the territory of oneMarcus Cunomorus,with at least one significant power base atTintagelin the early 6th century.

"King"Mark of Cornwallis a semi-historical figure known from Welsh literature, from theMatter of Britain,and, in particular, from the later Norman-Breton medieval romance ofTristan and Yseult,where he appears as a close relative ofKing Arthur,himself usually considered to be born of the Cornish people in folklore traditions derived fromGeoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-centuryHistoria Regum Britanniae.

Archaeology supports ecclesiastical, literary and legendary evidence for some relative economic stability and close cultural ties between thesub-RomanWestcountry,South Wales, Brittany, the Channel Islands, and Ireland through the fifth and sixth centuries.In Cornwall, the arrival of Celtic saints such asNectan,Paul Aurelian,Petroc,Piran,Samsonand numerous others reinforced the preexisting Roman Christianity.

Conflict with Wessex

TheBattle of Deorhamin 577 saw the separation ofDumnonia(and therefore Cornwall) from Wales, following which theDumnoniioften came into conflict with the expanding English kingdom ofWessex.Centwineof Wessex "drove the Britons as far as the sea" in 682, and by 690St Bonifice,then a Saxon boy, was attending an abbey in Exeter, which was in turn ruled by a Saxon abbot.TheCarmen Rhythmicumwritten byAldhelmcontains the earliest literary reference to Cornwall as distinct from Devon. Religious tensions between the Dumnonians (who celebratedceltic Christiantraditions) and Wessex (who wereRoman Catholic) are described inAldhelm's lettertoKing Geraint.TheAnnales Cambriaereport that in AD 722 the Britons of Cornwall won a battle at"Hehil".It seems likely that the enemy the Cornish fought was a West Saxon force, as evidenced by the naming ofKing Ineof Wessex and his kinsman Nonna in reference to an earlier Battle of Llongborth in 710.

TheAnglo-Saxon Chroniclestated in 815 (adjusted date) "and in this year king Ecgbryht raided in Cornwall from east to west." this has been interpreted to mean a raid from the Tamar to Land's End, and the end of Cornish independence.However, theAnglo-Saxon Chroniclestates that in 825 (adjusted date) a battle took place between the Wealas (Cornish) and the Defnas (men of Devon) atGafulforda.The Cornish giving battle here, and the later battle at Hingston Down, casts doubt on any claims of control Wessex had at this stage.

In 838, the Cornish and their Danish allies were defeated by Egbert in theBattle of Hingston Downat Hengestesdune. In 875, the last recorded king of Cornwall,Dumgarth,is said to have drowned.Around the 880s, Anglo-Saxons from Wessex had established modest land holdings in the north eastern part of Cornwall; notablyAlfred the Greatwho had acquired a few estates.William of Malmesbury,writing around 1120, says that KingAthelstanof England (924–939) fixed the boundary between English and Cornish people at the east bank of theRiver Tamar.While elements of William's story, like the burning ofExeter,have been cast in doubt by recent writersAthelstan did re-establish a separateCornish Bishopand relations between Wessex and the Cornish elite improved from the time of his rule.

EventuallyKing Edgarwas able to issue charters the width of Cornwall, and frequently sent emissaries or visited personally as seen by his appearances in theBodmin Manumissions.

Breton–Norman period

The ancientHundreds of Cornwall

One interpretation of theDomesday Bookis that by this time the native Cornish landowning class had been almost completely dispossessed and replaced by English landowners, particularlyHarold Godwinsonhimself. However, theBodmin manumissionsshow that two leading Cornish figures nominally had Saxon names, but these were both glossed with native Cornish names.In 1068,Brian of Brittanymay have been createdEarl of Cornwall,and naming evidence cited by medievalistEdith Ditmassuggests that many other post-Conquest landowners in Cornwall were Breton allies of the Normans, the Bretons being descended from Britons who had fled to what is todayBrittanyduring the early years of the Anglo-Saxon conquest.She also proposed this period for the early composition of theTristan and Iseultcycle by poets such asBéroulfrom a pre-existing shared Brittonic oral tradition.

Soon after theNorman conquestmost of the land was transferred to the new Breton–Norman aristocracy, with the lion's share going toRobert, Count of Mortain,half-brother ofKing Williamand the largest landholder in England after the king with his stronghold atTrematon Castlenear the mouth of the Tamar.

Later medieval administration and society

Subsequently, however, Norman absentee landlords became replaced by a new Cornish-Norman ruling class including scholars such asRichard Rufus of Cornwall.These families eventually became the new rulers of Cornwall, typically speakingNorman French,Breton-Cornish,Latin,and eventually English, with many becoming involved in the operation of theStannary Parliamentsystem, the Earldom and eventually theDuchy of Cornwall.TheCornish languagecontinued to be spoken and acquired a number of characteristics establishing its identity as a separate language fromBreton.

Stannary parliaments

Main article:Stannary law

Thestannary parliamentsand stannary courts were legislative and legal institutions in Cornwall and in Devon (in the Dartmoor area). The stannary courts administeredequityfor the region's tin-miners and tin mining interests, and they were also courts of record for the towns dependent on the mines. The separate and powerful government institutions available to the tin miners reflected the enormous importance of the tin industry to the English economy during the Middle Ages. Special laws for tin miners pre-date written legal codes in Britain, and ancient traditions exempted everyone connected with tin mining in Cornwall and Devon from any jurisdiction other than the stannary courts in all but the most exceptional circumstances.

Piracy and smuggling

Cornish piracy was active during the Elizabethan era on the west coast of Britain.Cornwall is well known for itswreckerswho preyed on ships passing Cornwall's rocky coastline. During the 17th and 18th centuries Cornwall was a majorsmugglingarea.

Heraldry

Main articles:Cornish heraldryandCornish corporate heraldry

In later times, Cornwall was known to theAnglo-Saxonsas "West Wales" to distinguish it from "North Wales" (the modern nation ofWales).The name appears in theAnglo-Saxon Chroniclein 891 asOn Corn walum.In theDomesday Bookit was referred to asCornualiaand in c. 1198 asCornwal.Other names for the county include alatinisationof the name asCornubia(first appears in a mid-9th-century deed purporting to be a copy of one dating from c. 705), and asCornugalliain 1086.

Physical geography

Main articles:Geography of CornwallandGeology of Cornwall

Satellite image of Cornwall

Cornwall forms the tip of the south-west peninsula of the island ofGreat Britain,and is therefore exposed to the full force of theprevailing windsthat blow in from the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is composed mainly ofresistantrocks that give rise in many places to tall cliffs. Cornwall has a border with only one other county,Devon,which is formed almost entirely by theRiver Tamar,and the remainder (to the north) by theMarsland Valley.

Coastal areas

The north and south coasts have different characteristics. The north coast on theCeltic Sea,part of the Atlantic Ocean, is more exposed and therefore has a wilder nature. TheHigh Cliff,betweenBoscastleandSt Gennys,is the highest sheer-drop cliff in Cornwall at 223 metres (732 ft).Beaches, which form an important part of the tourist industry, includeBude,Polzeath,Watergate Bay,Perranporth,Porthtowan,Fistral Beach,Newquay,St Agnes,St Ives,and on the south coastGyllyngvasebeach inFalmouthand the large beach atPraa Sandsfurther to the south-west. There are two river estuaries on the north coast:Hayle Estuaryand the estuary of theRiver Camel,which providesPadstowandRockwith a safe harbour. The seaside town ofNewlynis a popular holiday destination, as it is one of the last remaining traditional Cornish fishing ports, with views reaching over Mount's Bay.

St Michael's Mountin Marazion

The south coast, dubbed the "Cornish Riviera", is more sheltered and there are several broad estuaries offering safe anchorages, such as at Falmouth andFowey.Beaches on the south coast usually consist of coarser sand and shingle, interspersed with rocky sections ofwave-cut platform.Also on the south coast, the picturesque fishing village ofPolperro,at the mouth of the Pol River, and the fishing port ofLooeon theRiver Looeare both popular with tourists.

Inland areas

The interior of the county consists of a roughly east–west spine of infertile and exposed upland, with a series ofgraniteintrusions, such asBodmin Moor,which contains the highest land within Cornwall. From east to west, and with approximately descending altitude, these are Bodmin Moor,Hensbarrownorth ofSt Austell,Carnmenellisto the south ofCamborne,and thePenwithorLand's Endpeninsula. These intrusions are the central part of the granite outcrops that form the exposed parts of theCornubian batholithof south-west Britain, which also includesDartmoorto the east in Devon and theIsles of Scillyto the west, the latter now being partially submerged.

Cornwall is known for its beaches (Porthcurno Beach illustrated) and rugged coastline

The intrusion of the granite into the surroundingsedimentaryrocks gave rise to extensivemetamorphismandmineralisation,and this led to Cornwall being one of the most important mining areas in Europe until the early 20th century. It is thoughttinwas mined here as early as theBronze Age,and copper, lead,zincand silver have all beenmined in Cornwall.Alteration of the granite also gave rise to extensive deposits ofChina Clay,especially in the area to the north of St Austell, and the extraction of this remains an important industry.

The uplands are surrounded by more fertile, mainlypastoralfarmland. Near the south coast, deep wooded valleys provide sheltered conditions for flora that like shade and a moist, mild climate. These areas lie mainly onDevoniansandstoneandslate.The north east of Cornwall lies onCarboniferousrocks known as theCulm Measures.In places these have been subjected to severe folding, as can be seen on the north coast nearCrackington Havenand in several other locations.

Lizard Peninsula

Main article:Lizard complex

Thegeology of the Lizard peninsulais unusual, in that it is mainland Britain's only example of anophiolite,a section of oceanic crust now found on land.Much of the peninsula consists of the dark green and redPrecambrianserpentinite,which forms spectacular cliffs, notably atKynance Cove,and carved and polished serpentine ornaments are sold in local gift shops. Thisultramafic rockalso forms a very infertile soil which covers the flat and marshy heaths of the interior of the peninsula. This is home to rare plants, such as theCornish Heath,which has been adopted as thecounty flower.

Hills and high points

Main article:List of hills of Cornwall

Settlements and transport

See also:List of settlements in Cornwall by populationandTransport in Cornwall

Truro,Cornwall's administrative centre and only city.

Cornwall's only city, and the home of thecouncil headquarters,is Truro. NearbyFalmouthis notable as a port.St Just in Penwithis the westernmost town in England, though the same claim has been made forPenzance,which is larger.St IvesandPadstoware today small vessel ports with a major tourism and leisure sector in their economies.Newquayon the north coast is another major urban settlement which is known for its beaches and is a popular surfing destination, as isBudefurther north, but Newquay is now also becoming important for its aviation-related industries.Camborneis the county's largest town and more populous than the county town Truro. Together with the neighbouring town ofRedruth,it forms the largest urban area in Cornwall, and both towns were significant as centres of the global tin mining industry in the 19th century; nearby copper mines were also very productive during that period.St Austellis also larger than Truro and was the centre of thechina clayindustry in Cornwall. Until fournew parisheswere created for the St Austell area on 1 April 2009 St Austell was the largest settlement in Cornwall.

Cornwall borders the county ofDevonat the River Tamar. Major roads between Cornwall and the rest of Great Britain are theA38which crosses the Tamar atPlymouthvia theTamar Bridgeand the town ofSaltash,theA39 road(Atlantic Highway) fromBarnstaple,passing throughNorth Cornwallto end in Falmouth, and theA30which connects Cornwall to theM5 motorwayatExeter,crosses the border south ofLaunceston,crosses Bodmin Moor and connects Bodmin, Truro, Redruth, Camborne, Hayle and Penzance.Torpoint Ferrylinks Plymouth withTorpointon the opposite side of theHamoaze.A rail bridge, theRoyal Albert Bridgebuilt byIsambard Kingdom Brunel(1859), provides the other main land transport link. The city of Plymouth, a large urban centre in south west Devon, is an important location for services such as hospitals, department stores, road and rail transport, and cultural venues, particularly for people living in east Cornwall.

CardiffandSwansea,across the Bristol Channel, have at some times in the past been connected to Cornwall by ferry, but these do not operate now.

TheIsles of Scillyare served by ferry (from Penzance) and by aeroplane, having its own airport:St Mary's Airport.There are regular flights between St Mary's andLand's End Airport,near St Just, andNewquay Airport;during the summer season, a service is also provided between St Mary's andExeter Airport,in Devon.

Ecology

Flora and fauna

See also:Flora and fauna of Cornwall

Cornwall has varied habitats including terrestrial and marine ecosystems. One noted species in decline locally is theReindeer lichen,which species has been made a priority for protection under the national UKBiodiversity Action Plan.

Thered-billed chough(Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), once commonly seen throughout Cornwall, experienced a severe decline in its population in the 20th century.

Botanists divide Cornwall and Scilly into two vice-counties: West (1) and East (2). The standard flora is byF. H. DaveyFlora of Cornwall(1909). Davey was assisted byA. O. Humeand he thanks Hume, his companion on excursions in Cornwall and Devon, and for help in the compilation of that Flora, publication of which was financed by him.

Climate

Main article:Geography of Cornwall § Climate

Cornwall has atemperateOceanic climate(Köppen climate classification:Cfb), with mild winters and cool summers. Cornwall has the mildest and one of the sunniest climates of the United Kingdom, as a result of its oceanic setting and the influence of theGulf Stream.The average annual temperature in Cornwall ranges from 11.6 °C (52.9 °F) on theIsles of Scillyto 9.8 °C (49.6 °F) in the central uplands. Winters are among the warmest in the country due to the moderating effects of the warm ocean currents, and frost and snow are very rare at the coast and are also rare in the central upland areas. Summers are, however, not as warm as in other parts of southern England.The surrounding sea and its southwesterly position mean that Cornwall's weather can be relatively changeable.

Cornwall is one of the sunniest areas in the UK. It has more than 1,541 hours of sunshine per year, with the highest average of 7.6 hours of sunshine per day in July.The moist, mild air coming from the southwest brings higher amounts of rainfall than in eastern Great Britain, at 1,051 to 1,290 mm (41.4 to 50.8 in) per year. However, this is not as much as in more northern areas of the west coast.The Isles of Scilly, for example, where there are on average fewer than two days of air frost per year, is the only area in the UK to be in theHardiness zone10. The islands have, on average, less than one day of air temperature exceeding 30 °C per year and are in the AHS Heat Zone 1. Extreme temperatures in Cornwall are particularly rare; however, extreme weather in the form of storms and floods is common. Due to climate change Cornwall faces more heatwaves and severe droughts, faster coastal erosion, stronger storms and higher wind speeds as well as the possibility of more high impact flooding.

Culture

Main article:Culture of Cornwall

Language

Further information:Languages of England

See also:Languages of the United Kingdom § Cornwall

Cornish language

Main article:Cornish language

Awelcome signtoPenzance,in the English andCornishlanguages

Cornish, a member of theBrythonic branchof theCeltic language family,died out as a first language in the late 18th century. In the 20th and 21st centuries, it has beenrevivedby a small number of speakers. It is closely related to the other Brythonic languages (BretonandWelsh), and less so to theGoidelic languages.Cornish has no legal status in the UK.

There has been a revival of the language by academics and optimistic enthusiasts since the mid-19th century that gained momentum from the publication in 1904 ofHenry Jenner'sHandbook of the Cornish Language.It is a social networking community language rather than a social community group language.Cornwall Council encourages and facilitates language classes within the county, in schools and within the wider community.

In 2002, Cornish was named as a UK regional language in theEuropean Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.As a result, in 2005 its promoters received limited government funding.Several words originating in Cornish are used in the mining terminology of English, such ascostean,gossan,gunnies,kibbal,kieveandvug.

English dialect

Main articles:Cornish dialectandWest Country English

The Cornish language and culture influenced the emergence of particular pronunciations and grammar not used elsewhere in England. The Cornish dialect is spoken to varying degrees; however, someone speaking in broad Cornish may be practically unintelligible to one not accustomed to it. Cornish dialect has generally declined, as in most places it is now little more than a regional accent and grammatical differences have been eroded over time. Marked differences in vocabulary and usage still exist between the eastern and western parts of Cornwall.

Flag

Main article:Saint Piran's Flag

The flag of Cornwall

Saint Piran's Flag is the national flag and ancient banner of Cornwall,and an emblem of the Cornish people. The banner of Saint Piran is a white cross on a black background (in terms ofheraldry'sable, a cross argent'). According to legend Saint Piran adopted these colours from seeing the white tin in the black coals and ashes during his discovery of tin.The Cornish flag is an exact reverse of the formerBretonblack crossnational flagand is known by the same name "Kroaz Du".

Souvenir flags outside a Cornish café

Arts and media

See also:Media in Cornwall

Tate Gallery atSt Ives

Artwork in theBarbara HepworthMuseum in St Ives

Since the 19th century, Cornwall, with its unspoilt maritime scenery and strong light, has sustained a vibrant visual art scene of international renown. Artistic activity within Cornwall was initially centred on the art-colony ofNewlyn,most active at the turn of the 20th century. ThisNewlyn Schoolis associated with the names ofStanhope Forbes,Elizabeth Forbes,Norman GarstinandLamorna Birch.Modernist writers such asD. H. LawrenceandVirginia Woolflived in Cornwall between the wars,andBen Nicholson,the painter, having visited in the 1920s came to live in St Ives with his then wife, the sculptorBarbara Hepworth,at the outbreak of theSecond World War.They were later joined by the Russian emigrantNaum Gabo,and other artists. These includedPeter Lanyon,Terry Frost,Patrick Heron,Bryan WynterandRoger Hilton.St Ives also houses the Leach Pottery, whereBernard Leach,and his followers championed Japanese inspired studio pottery.Much of this modernist work can be seen inTate St Ives.The Newlyn Society andPenwith Society of Artscontinue to be active, and contemporary visual art is documented in a dedicated online journal.

Local television programmes are provided byBBC South West&ITV West Country.Radio programmes are produced byBBC Radio Cornwallin Truro for the entire county,Heart West,Source FMfor the Falmouth and Penryn areas,Coast FMfor west Cornwall,Radio St Austell Bayfor the St Austell area,NCB Radiofor north Cornwall &Pirate FM.

Music

Main article:Music of Cornwall

Cornwall has afolk musictradition that has survived into the present and is well known for its unusual folk survivals such asMummers Plays,theFurry DanceinHelstonplayed by the famousHelston Town Band,andObby OssinPadstow.

Newlynis home to a food and music festivalthat hosts live music, cooking demonstrations, and displays of locally caught fish.

As in other former mining districts of Britain, male voice choirs andbrass bands,such asBrass on the Grassconcerts during the summer atConstantine,are still very popular in Cornwall. Cornwall also has around 40 brass bands, including the six-times National Champions of Great Britain, Camborne Youth Band, and the bands ofLannerand St Dennis.

Cornish players are regular participants in inter-Celtic festivals, and Cornwall itself has several inter-Celtic festivals such asPerranporth's Lowender Peran folk festival.

Contemporary musicianRichard D. James(also known as Aphex Twin) grew up in Cornwall, as didLuke VibertandAlex Parks,winner ofFame Academy2003.Roger Taylor,the drummer from the bandQueenwas also raised in the county, and currently lives not far fromFalmouth.The American singer-songwriterTori Amosnow resides predominantly in North Cornwall not far from Bude with her family.Thelutenist,composer and festival directorBen Salfieldlives in Truro.Mick FleetwoodofFleetwood Macwas born inRedruth.

Literature

Cornwall's rich heritage and dramatic landscape have inspired numerous writers.

Fiction

See also:PoldarkandWinston Graham

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch,author of many novels and works of literary criticism, lived in Fowey: his novels are mainly set in Cornwall.Daphne du Maurierlived atMenabillynear Fowey and many of her novels had Cornish settings:The Loving Spirit,Jamaica Inn,Rebecca,Frenchman's Creek,The King's General(partially),My Cousin Rachel,The House on the StrandandRule Britannia.She is also noted for writingVanishing Cornwall.Cornwall provided the inspiration forThe Birds,one of her terrifying series of short stories, made famous as a film byAlfred Hitchcock.

Remains ofTintagel Castle,reputedlyKing Arthur's birthplace

Conan Doyle'sThe Adventure of the Devil's FootfeaturingSherlock Holmesis set in Cornwall.Winston Graham's seriesPoldark,Kate Tremayne'sAdam Lovedayseries,Susan Cooper's novelsOver Sea, Under StoneandGreenwitch,andMary Wesley'sThe Camomile Lawnare all set in Cornwall. Writing under the pseudonym of Alexander Kent,Douglas Reemansets parts of hisRichard Bolithoand Adam Bolitho series in the Cornwall of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries, particularly in Falmouth.Gilbert K. Chestertonplaced the action of many of his stories there.

Medieval Cornwall is the setting of the trilogy byMonica Furlong,Wise Child,JuniperandColman,as well as part of Charles Kingsley'sHereward the Wake.

Hammond Innes's novel,The Killer Mine;Charles de Lint's novelThe Little Country;and Chapters 24–25 ofJ. K. Rowling'sHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowstake place in Cornwall (Shell Cottage, on the beach outside the fictional village of Tinworth).

David Cornwell, who wrote espionage novels under the nameJohn le Carré,lived and worked in Cornwall.Nobel Prize-winningnovelistWilliam Goldingwas born inSt Columb Minorin 1911, and returned to live near Truro from 1985 until his death in 1993.D. H. Lawrencespent a short time living in Cornwall.Rosamunde Pilchergrew up in Cornwall, and several of her books take place there.

St. Michael's Mountin Cornwall (under the fictional name of Mount Polbearne) is the setting of the Little Beach Street Bakery series byJenny Colgan,who spent holidays in Cornwall as a child.The book series includesLittle Beach Street Bakery(2014),Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery(2015),Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery(2016), andSunrise by the Sea(2021).

In thePaddington Bearnovels byMichael Bondthe title character is said to have landed at an unspecified port in Cornwall having travelled in alifeboataboard acargo shipfrom darkestPeru.From here he travels toLondonon a train and eventually arrives atPaddington Station.

Enid Blyton's 1953 novelFive Go Down to the Sea(the twelfth book inThe Famous Fiveseries) is set in Cornwall, near the fictional coastal village of Tremannon.

Poetry

"FOR THE FALLEN" plaque withthe Rumpspromontory beyond

The latePoet LaureateSir John Betjemanwas famously fond of Cornwall and it featured prominently in his poetry. He is buried in the churchyard atSt Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick. Charles Causley,the poet, was born in Launceston and is perhaps the best known of Cornish poets.Jack Clemoand the scholarA. L. Rowsewere also notable Cornishmen known for their poetry; The Rev.R. S. Hawkerof Morwenstow wrote some poetry which was very popular in the Victorian period.The Scottish poetW. S. Grahamlived in West Cornwall from 1944 until his death in 1986.

The poetLaurence Binyonwrote "For the Fallen" (first published in 1914) while sitting on the cliffs betweenPentire Pointand The Rumps and a stone plaque was erected in 2001 to commemorate the fact. The plaque bears the inscription "FOR THE FALLEN / Composed on these cliffs, 1914". The plaque also bears below this the fourth stanza (sometimes referred to as"The Ode") of the poem:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them

Other literary works

Cornwall produced a substantial number ofpassion playssuch as theOrdinaliaduring the Middle Ages. Many are still extant, and provide valuable information about the Cornish language. See alsoCornish literature

Colin Wilson,a prolific writer who is best known for his debut workThe Outsider(1956) and forThe Mind Parasites(1967), lived inGorran Haven,a small village on the southern Cornish coast. The writerD. M. Thomaswas born in Redruth but lived and worked in Australia and the United States before returning to his native Cornwall. He has written novels, poetry, and other works, including translations from Russian.

Thomas Hardy's dramaThe Queen of Cornwall(1923) is a version of the Tristan story; the second act ofRichard Wagner's operaTristan und Isoldetakes place in Cornwall, as doGilbert and Sullivan's operettasThe Pirates of PenzanceandRuddigore.

Clara Vyvyanwas the author of various books about many aspects of Cornish life such asOur Cornwall.She once wrote: "The Loneliness of Cornwall is a loneliness unchanged by the presence of men, its freedoms a freedom inexpressible by description or epitaph. Your cannot say Cornwall is this or that. Your cannot describe it in a word or visualise it in a second. You may know the country from east to west and sea to sea, but if you close your eyes and think about it no clear-cut image rises before you. In this quality of changefulness have we possibly surprised the secret of Cornwall's wild spirit—in this intimacy the essence of its charm? Cornwall!". A level ofTomb Raider: Legend,a game dealing with Arthurian Legend, takes place in Cornwall at a museum above King Arthur's tomb. The adventure gameThe Lost Crownis set in the fictional town of Saxton, which uses the Cornish settlements of Polperro, Talland and Looe as its model.

The fairy taleJack the Giant Killertakes place in Cornwall.

The Mousehole Cat,a children's book written byAntonia Barberand illustrated byNicola Bayley,is set in the Cornish villageMouseholeand based on the legend ofTom Bawcockand the continuing tradition ofTom Bawcock's Eve.

Sports

Main article:Sport in Cornwall

Cornish wrestling

The main sports played in Cornwall arerugby,footballandcricket.Athletes from Truro have done well inOlympicandCommonwealth Gamesfencing, winning several medals.Surfingis popular, particularly with tourists, thousands of whom take to the water throughout the summer months. Some towns and villages have bowling clubs, and a wide variety of British sports are played throughout Cornwall. Cornwall is also one of the fewplacesin England whereshintyis played; theEnglish Shinty Associationis based inPenryn.

TheCornwall County Cricket Clubplays as one of theminor counties of English cricket.

Truro, and all of the towns and some villages havefootballclubs belonging to theCornwall County Football Association,and some clubs have teams competing higher within theEnglish football league pyramid.Of these, the highest ranked — by two flights — isTruro City F.C.,who will be playing in theNational League Southin the 2023–24 season.Other notable Cornish teams includeMousehole A.F.C.,Helston Athletic F.C.,andFalmouth Town F.C.

Rugby football

Main articles:Rugby union in CornwallandRugby league in Cornwall

Viewed as an "important identifier of ethnic affiliation",rugby unionhas become a sport strongly tied to notions of Cornishness.and since the 20th century,rugby unionhas emerged as one of the most popular spectator and team sports in Cornwall (perhaps the most popular), with professional Cornish rugby footballers being described as a "formidable force","naturally independent, both in thought and deed, yet paradoxically staunch English patriots whose top players have represented England with pride and passion".

In 1985, sports journalistAlan Gibsonmade a direct connection between the love of rugby in Cornwall and the ancient parish games of hurling and wrestling that existed for centuries before rugby officially began.Among Cornwall's native sports are a distinctive form of Celtic wrestling related toBretonwrestling, andCornish hurling,a kind of mediaeval football played with a silver ball (distinct fromIrish Hurling).Cornish Wrestlingis Cornwall's oldest sport and as Cornwall's native tradition it has travelled the world to places likeVictoria, AustraliaandGrass Valley, Californiafollowing the miners andgold rushes.Cornish hurling now takes place atSt. Columb Major,St Ives,and less frequently atBodmin.

Inrugby league,Cornwall R.L.F.C.,founded in 2021, will represent the county in the professional league system. The semi-pro club will start in the third tierRFL League 1.At an amateur level, the county is represented byCornish Rebels.

Surfing and watersports

The worldpilot gigrowing championships take place annually in theIsles of Scilly.

Cornwall's north coast is known as a centre forsurfing.

Due to its long coastline, various maritime sports are popular in Cornwall, notably sailing andsurfing.International events in both are held in Cornwall. Cornwall hosted the Inter-CelticWatersportsFestival in 2006. Surfing in particular is very popular, as locations such asBudeandNewquayoffer some of the best surf in the UK.Pilot gigrowing has been popular for many years and the World championships takes place annually on theIsles of Scilly.On 2 September 2007, 300 surfers atPolzeathbeach set a new world record for the highest number of surfers riding the same wave as part of the Global Surf Challenge and part of a project called Earthwave to raise awareness aboutglobal warming.

Fencing

As its population is comparatively small, and largely rural, Cornwall's contribution to British nationalsport in the United Kingdomhas been limited;the county's greatest successes have come in fencing. In 2014, half of the men's GB team fenced for Truro Fencing Club, and 3 Truro fencers appeared at the 2012 Olympics.

Cuisine

Main article:Cornish cuisine

Cornwall has a strong culinary heritage. Surrounded on three sides by the sea amid fertile fishing grounds, Cornwall naturally has fresh seafood readily available;Newlynis the largest fishing port in the UK by value of fish landed, and is known for its wide range of restaurants.Television chefRick Steinhas long operated a fish restaurant inPadstowfor this reason, andJamie Oliverchose to open his second restaurant,Fifteen,inWatergate BaynearNewquay.MasterChefhost and founder of Smiths of Smithfield,John Torode,in 2007 purchased Seiners inPerranporth.One famous local fish dish isStargazy pie,a fish-based pie in which the heads of the fish stick through the piecrust, as though "star-gazing". The pie is cooked as part of traditional celebrations forTom Bawcock's Eve,but is not generally eaten at any other time.

A Cornishpasty

Cornwall is perhaps best known though for itspasties,a savoury dish made with pastry. Today's pasties usually contain a filling of beef steak, onion, potato andswedewith salt and white pepper, but historically pasties had a variety of different fillings. "Turmut, 'tates and mate" (i.e. "Turnip, potatoes and meat", turnip being the Cornish and Scottish term for swede, itself an abbreviation of 'Swedish Turnip', the British term forrutabaga) describes a filling once very common. For instance, the licky pasty contained mostly leeks, and the herb pasty contained watercress, parsley, and shallots.Pasties are often locally referred to asoggies.Historically, pasties were also often made with sweet fillings such as jam, apple and blackberry, plums or cherries. The wet climate and relatively poor soil of Cornwall make it unsuitable for growing many arable crops. However, it is ideal for growing the rich grass required for dairying, leading to the production of Cornwall's other famous export,clotted cream.This forms the basis for many local specialities including Cornishfudgeand Cornishice cream.Cornish clotted cream hasProtected Geographical Statusunder EU law,and cannot be made anywhere else. Its principal manufacturer isA. E. Rodda & Sonof Scorrier.

Local cakes and desserts includeSaffron cake,Cornish heavy (hevva) cake,Cornish fairingsbiscuits, figgy 'obbin,Cream teaand whortleberry pie.

There are also many types of beers brewed in Cornwall—those produced bySharp's Brewery,Skinner's Brewery,Keltek Brewery andSt Austell Breweryare the best known—includingstouts,alesand other beer types. There is some small scale production of wine,meadandcider.

Politics and administration

Main article:Politics of Cornwall

Cornish national identity

Further information:Cornish nationalism

The percentage of respondents who gave "Cornish" as an answer to the National Identity question in the 2011 census

Cornwall is recognised by Cornish and Celtic political groups as one of six Celtic nations, alongsideBrittany,Ireland, theIsle of Man,Scotland and Wales.(TheIsle of Man Governmentand theWelsh Governmentalso recogniseAsturiasandGalicia.) Cornwall is represented, as one of the Celtic nations, at theFestival Interceltique de Lorient,an annual celebration of Celtic culture held in Brittany.

Cornwall Council consider Cornwall's unique cultural heritage and distinctiveness to be one of the area's major assets. They see Cornwall's language, landscape, Celtic identity, political history, patterns of settlement, maritime tradition, industrial heritage, and non-conformist tradition, to be among the features making up its "distinctive" culture.However, it is uncertain exactly how many of the people living in Cornwall consider themselves to be Cornish; results from different surveys (including the national census) have varied. In the2001 census,7 per cent of people in Cornwall identified themselves as Cornish, rather than British or English. However, activists have argued that this underestimated the true number as there was no explicit "Cornish" option included in the official census form.Subsequent surveys have suggested that as many as 44 per cent identify as Cornish.Many people in Cornwall say that this issue would be resolved if a Cornish option became available on the census.The question and content recommendations for the2011 censusprovided an explanation of the process of selecting an ethnic identity which is relevant to the understanding of the often quoted figure of 37,000 who claimed Cornish identity.The2021 censusfound that 17% of people in Cornwall identified as being Cornish (89,000), with 14% of people in Cornwall identifying as Cornish-only (80,000).Again there was no tick-box provided, and "Cornish" had to be written-in as "Other".

On 24 April 2014 it was announced that Cornish people have been granted minority status under theEuropeanFramework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Local politics

See also:List of electoral divisions and wards in Cornwall

Cornwall Council's headquarters inTruro

From the 2010 general election, Cornwall has had six parliamentary constituencies.

Theceremonial countyof Cornwall is made up of two local government districts; mainland Cornwall, governed byCornwall Council,and theIsles of Scilly.Cornwall Council, formerlyCornwall County Counciluntil 2009, is aunitary authoritybased atLys KernowinTruro.The Isles of Scilly are governed by thesui generisCouncil of the Isles of Scillybased inHugh Town,and have been administered by their own unitary authority since 1890. They are grouped with Cornwall for other administrative purposes, such as theNational Health ServiceandDevon and Cornwall Police.The county's Crown Courtis based at the Courts of Justice in Truro. Magistrates' Courts are found in Truro (but at a different location to the Crown Court) and atBodmin.

Cornwall County Council was established in 1889 under theLocal Government Act 1888,and theLocal Government Act 1972reorganised the county's second tier of administration with the formation of six district councils:Caradon,Carrick,Kerrier,North Cornwall,Penwith,andRestormel.In 2009,structural changes to local government in Englandresulted in the abolition of the six district councils and turned Cornwall Council into a unitary authority. While projected to streamline services, cutred tapeand save around £17 million a year, the reorganisation was met with wide opposition, with a poll in 2008 showing 89% disapproval from Cornish residents.

Thefirst electionsfor the unitary authority were held on 4 June 2009. At themost recent council election in 2021,theConservative Partywon 47 of the 87 seats. Also elected were 16independentcouncillors, 13Liberal Democrats,five from theLabour Party,five fromMebyon Kernowand oneGreen Partyrepresentative. Before the creation of the unitary council, the former county council had 82 seats, the majority of which were held by the Liberal Democrats, elected at the2005 county council elections.The six former districts had a total of 249 council seats, and the groups with greatest numbers of councillors were Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Independents.

Parliament and national politics

Main article:List of parliamentary constituencies in Cornwall

Until 1832, Cornwall was represented by 44Members of Parliament(MPs) in theHouse of Commons—more than any other county—reflecting the importance of tin mining to the Crown.Most of the increase in numbers of MPs came between 1529 and 1584 after which there was no change until theReform Act 1832,which enacted widespread changes to the country'selectoral systemand reduced Cornwall's number of MPs to 14. This was reduced further in subsequentboundary commissionreviews to better reflect Cornwall's population. The county is currently divided intosix county constituencies.

TheLiberal Partyand its successor, the Liberal Democrats, have traditionally been popular in Cornwall; the Liberals won every Cornish seat in1906andJanuary 1910,and again in1929despite the party finishing third nationally. The Liberal Democrats won every seat in the county in2005,but lost seats to the Conservatives in2010before being wiped out in2015.The Conservatives won all six Cornish seats in 2015,2017and2019.Following expectation of a Conservative defeat at the2024 general election,Cornwall was considered a three-party battleground.The Conservatives lost all six seats and the county is currently represented by four Labour and two Liberal Democrat MPs.

Although Cornwall does not have a designated government department, in 2007 whileLeader of the OppositionDavid Cameron created a Shadow Secretary of State for Cornwall. The position was not made into a formal UK Cabinet position when Cameron entered government following the2010 United Kingdom general election

UK general election results in Cornwall

Party		Votes (%)
		2010	2015	2017	2019	2024
	Labour	24,257(8.6%)	36,235(12.3%)	83,968(26.7%)	74,392(23.1%)	77,517(26.3%)
	Conservative	115,016(40.9%)	127,079(43.1%)	152,428(48.4%)	173,117(53.7%)	76,817(26.1%)
	Liberal Democrat	117,307(41.8%)	66,056(22.4%)	73,875(23.5%)	62,169(19.3%)	73,691(25.0%)
	Reform	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	48,574(16.5%)
	Green	3,573(1.3%)	17,241(5.8%)	3,218(1.0%)	7,139(2.2%)	13,778(4.7%)
	UKIP	13,763(4.9%)	40,785(13.8%)	897(0.3%)	n/a	111(0.0%)
	Others	6,965(2.5%)	7,432(2.5%)	323(0.1%)	5,262(1.6%)	3,740(1.3%)
Total		280,881	294,828	314,709	322,079	294,228

Devolution movement

Main article:Cornish devolution

Cornish nationalists have organised into two political parties:Mebyon Kernow,formed in 1951, and theCornish Nationalist Party.In addition to the political parties, there are various interest groups such as theRevived Cornish Stannary Parliamentand theCeltic League.The Cornish Constitutional Convention was formed in 2000 as a cross-party organisation including representatives from the private, public and voluntary sectors to campaign for the creation of aCornish Assembly,along the lines of theNational Assembly for Wales,Northern Ireland Assemblyand theScottish Parliament.Between 5 March 2000 and December 2001, the campaign collected the signatures of 41,650 Cornish residents endorsing the call for a devolved assembly, along with 8,896 signatories from outside Cornwall. The resulting petition was presented to the Prime Minister,Tony Blair.

Emergency services

• Devon and Cornwall Police
• Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
• South Western Ambulance Service
• Cornwall Air Ambulance
• HM Coastguard
• Cornwall Search & Rescue Team
• British Transport Police

Economy

Main article:Economy of Cornwall

Falmouth Docks is the major port of Cornwall, and one of the largestnatural harboursin the world

TheEden Projectnear St Austell, Cornwall's largest tourist attraction in terms of visitor numbers

Cornwall is one of the poorest parts of the United Kingdom in terms of per capita GDP and average household incomes. At the same time, parts of the county, especially on the coast, have high house prices, driven up by demand from relatively wealthy retired people and second-home owners.TheGVAper head was 65% of the UK average for 2004.The GDP per head for Cornwall and theIsles of Scillywas 79.2% of the EU-27 average for 2004, the UK per head average was 123.0%.In 2011, the latest available figures, Cornwall's (including the Isles of Scilly) measure of wealth was 64% of the European average per capita.

Historicallymining of tin(and later also of copper) was important in the Cornish economy. The first reference to this appears to be by Pytheas:see above.Julius Caesarwas the last classical writer to mention thetintrade, which appears to have declined during the Roman occupation.The tin trade revived in the Middle Ages and its importance to the Kings of England resulted in certain privileges being granted to the tinners; theCornish rebellion of 1497is attributed to grievances of the tin miners.In the mid-19th century, however, the tin trade again fell into decline. Otherprimary sectorindustriesthat have declined since the 1960s includechina clayproduction, fishing and farming.

Today, the Cornish economy depends heavily on its tourist industry, which makes up around a quarter of the economy. The official measures of deprivation and poverty at district and 'sub-ward' level show that there is great variation in poverty and prosperity in Cornwall with some areas among the poorest in England and others among the top half in prosperity. For example, the ranking of 32,482 sub-wards in England in the index of multiple deprivation (2006) ranged from 819th (part of Penzance East) to 30,899th (part of Saltash Burraton in Caradon), where the lower number represents the greater deprivation.

Cornwall was one of two UK areas designated as 'less developed regions' by theEuropean Union,which, prior toBrexit,meant the area qualified for EU Cohesion Policy grants.It was grantedObjective 1status by theEuropean Commissionfor 2000 to 2006,followed by further rounds of funding known as 'Convergence Funding' from 2007 to 2013and 'Growth Programme' for 2014 to 2020.

Tourism

The cliffs at Bedruthan

Cornwall has a tourism-based seasonal economy which is estimated to contribute up to24% of Cornwall's gross domestic product.In 2011 tourism brought £1.85 billion into the Cornish economy.Cornwall's unique culture, spectacular landscape and mild climate make it a popular tourist destination, despite being somewhat distant from the United Kingdom's main centres of population. Surrounded on three sides by theEnglish ChannelandCeltic Sea,Cornwall has many miles of beaches and cliffs; theSouth West Coast Pathfollows a complete circuit of both coasts. Other tourist attractions include moorland, country gardens, museums, historic and prehistoric sites, and wooded valleys. Five million tourists visit Cornwall each year, mostly drawn from within the UK.Visitors to Cornwall are served by the airport atNewquay,whilst private jets, charters and helicopters are also served byPerranporthairfield; nightsleeper and daily rail services run between Cornwall, London and other regions of the UK.

Newquay andPorthtowanare popular destinations for surfers. In recent years, theEden ProjectnearSt Austellhas been a major financial success, drawing one in eight of Cornwall's visitors in 2004.

In the summer of 2018, due to the recognition of its beaches and weather through social media and the marketing of travel companies, Cornwall received about 20 per cent more visitors than the usual 4.5 million figure. The sudden rise and demand of tourism in Cornwall caused multiple traffic and safety issues in coastal areas.

In October 2021, Cornwall was longlisted for theUK City of Culture2025, but failed to make the March 2022 shortlist.

Fishing

Tin mines between Camborne and Redruth,c. 1890

Other industries includefishing,although this has been significantly re-structured by EU fishing policies (as of 2010the Southwest Handline Fishermen's Association has started to revive the fishing industry).

Agriculture

Agriculture, once an important part of the Cornish economy, has declined significantly relative to other industries. However, there is still a strong dairy industry, with products such as Cornishclotted cream.

Mining

Main article:Mining in Cornwall

See also:Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape

Levant Minein St Just Mining District

Mining of tin and copper was also an industry, but today the derelict mine workings survive only as aWorld Heritage Site.However, theCamborne School of Mines,which was relocated toPenrynin 2004, is still a world centre of excellence in the field of mining and applied geologyand the grant of World Heritage status has attracted funding for conservation and heritage tourism.China clayextraction has also been an important industry in the St Austell area, but this sector has been in decline, and this, coupled with increased mechanisation, has led to a decrease in employment in this sector, although the industry still employs around 2,133 people in Cornwall, and generates over £80 million to the local economy.

In March 2016, a Canadian company, Strongbow Exploration, had acquired, from administration, a 100% interest in theSouth Croftytin mine and the associated mineral rights in Cornwall with the aim of reopening the mine and bringing it back to full production.Work is currently ongoing to build a water filtration plant in order to dewater the mine.

Internet

Cornwall is the landing point for twenty-two of the world's fastest high-speed undersea and transatlantic fibre optic cables, making Cornwall an important hub within Europe's Internet infrastructure.TheSuperfast Cornwallproject completed in 2015,and saw 95% of Cornish houses and businesses connected to a fibre-based broadband network, with over 90% of properties able to connect with speeds above 24 Mbit/s.

Aerospace

The county's newest industry is aviation:Newquay Airportis the home of a growing business park with Enterprise Zone status, known as Aerohub. Also a space launch facility,Spaceport Cornwall,has been established at Newquay, in partnership with Goonhilly satellite tracking station near Helston in south Cornwall.

Demographics

Main articles:Demographics of CornwallandList of settlements in Cornwall by population

See also:Cornish diaspora

Graph showing Cornwall's population from 1800 to 2000

Cornwall's population was 537,400 in the2011 census,with a population density of 144 people per square kilometre, ranking it 40th and 41st, respectively,among the 47 counties of England. Cornwall's population was 95.7%White Britishand has a relatively high rate of population growth. At 11.2% in the 1980s and 5.3% in the 1990s, it had the fifth-highest population growth rate of the counties of England.The natural change has been a small population decline, and the population increase is due to inward migration into Cornwall.According to the 1991 census, the population was 469,800.

Cornwall has a relatively high retired population, with 22.9% of pensionable age, compared with 20.3% for the United Kingdom as a whole.This may be due partly to Cornwall's rural and coastal geography increasing its popularity as a retirement location, and partly to outward migration of younger residents to more economically diverse areas.

Education

See also:List of schools in Cornwall

Falmouth University,Penryn

Landewednack Primary School

Over 10,000 students attend Cornwall's two universities,Falmouth Universityand theUniversity of Exeter(includingCamborne School of Mines). Falmouth University is a specialistpublic universityfor the creative industries and arts, while the University Of Exeter has two campuses in Cornwall, Truro andPenryn,the latter shared with Falmouth. Penryn campus is home to educational departments such as the rapidly growing Centre for Ecology andConservation(CEC), the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), and theInstitute of Cornish Studies.

Cornwall has a comprehensive education system, with 31 state and eight independent secondary schools. There are three further education colleges:Truro and Penwith College,Cornwall CollegeandCallywith Collegewhich opened in September 2017. The Isles of Scilly only has one school, while the former Restormel district has the highest school population, and school year sizes are around 200, with none above 270. Before the introduction of comprehensive schools there were a number of grammar schools and secondary modern schools, e.g. the schools that later becameSir James Smith's SchoolandWadebridge School.There are also primary schools in many villages and towns: e.g.St Mabyn Church of England Primary School.

See also

• Christianity in Cornwall
• Index of Cornwall-related articles
• Outline of Cornwall– overview of the wide range of topics covered by this subject
• Tamar Valley AONB
• Duchy of Cornwall

Sources

• Clegg, David (2005).Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly: the complete guide(2nd ed.). Leicester: Matador.ISBN1-904744-99-0.
• Halliday, Frank Ernest(1959).A History of Cornwall.London: Gerald Duckworth.ISBN0-7551-0817-5.A second edition was published in 2001 by the House of Stratus, Thirsk: the original text new illustrations and an afterword by Halliday's son
• Payton, Philip(2004).Cornwall: A History(2nd ed.). Fowey: Cornwall Editions Ltd.ISBN1-904880-00-2.

Further reading

• Balchin, W. G. V. (1954).Cornwall: an illustrated essay on the history of the landscape (The Making of the English Landscape).London: Hodder and Stoughton.
• Berry, Claude (1949).Cornwall (TheCounty Books series).London: Robert Hale.
• Berry, Claude (1963).Portrait of Cornwall (ThePortrait of (book series)).London: Robert Hale.
• Boase, George Clement;Courtney, William Prideaux(1874–1882).Bibliotheca Cornubiensis: a catalogue of the writings, both manuscript and printed, of Cornishmen, and of works relating to the county of Cornwall, with biographical memoranda and copious literary references.London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer. 3 vols.
• du Maurier, Daphne(1967).Vanishing Cornwall.London: Doubleday.(illustrated edition Published by Victor Gollancz, London, 1981,ISBN0-575-02844-0,photographs by Christian Browning)
• Ellis, Peter Berresford(1974).The Cornish Language and its Literature.London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Books.ISBN0-7100-7928-1.(Available online onGoogle Books).
• Graves, Alfred Perceval(1928).The Celtic Song Book: Being Representative Folk Songs of the Six Celtic Nations.London: Ernest Benn.(Available online onDigital Book Index)
• Koch, John T. (2006).Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia.London: ABC-CLIO.ISBN1-85109-440-7.(Available online onGoogle Books).
• Payton, Philip(1996).Cornwall.Fowey: Alexander Associates.ISBN1-899526-60-9.
• Stoyle, Mark (2001)."BBC – History – The Cornish: A Neglected Nation?".BBC History website.BBC.Retrieved25 May2009.
• Stansfield-Cudworth, R. E. (2009).Political Elites in South-West England, 1450–1500: Politics, Governance, and the Wars of the Roses.Lewiston, New York:Edwin Mellen Press.ISBN978-0-77344-714-1.
• Stansfield-Cudworth, R. E. (2013), "The Duchy of Cornwall and the Wars of the Roses: Patronage, Politics, and Power, 1453–1502",Cornish Studies,2nd Series,21:104–50,doi:10.17613/r6pf-3e17
• Stoyle, Mark (2002).West Britons: Cornish Identities and the Early Modern British State.Exeter: University of Exeter Press.ISBN0-85989-688-9.
• Williams, Michael, ed. (1973).My Cornwall.St Teath: Bossiney Books.ISBN0-85989-688-9.(eleven chapters by various hands, including three previously published essays)

External links

• "Cornwall (England)".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 7 (11th ed.). 1911.
• The History of Parliament: the House of Commons – Cornwall, County, 1386 to 1831
• Online books,and library resourcesin your libraryandin other librariesabout Cornwall