The Landscapes of Cornwall

Beaches

Famed for its beaches and rugged coastline, stretching for almost 300 miles, Cornwall has an area of about 3,550 sq. km. (1,370 sq. miles) of which over 25% (958 sq. km.) are designated as areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has a population of about 500,000 (2001 Census data) - of which only about 10% would deem themselves as 'Cornish', the remainder largely made up of visitors settling here to take advantage of the climate and slower pace of living. Chief holiday resorts are Newquay; St. Ives; Falmouth; Mevagissey; Padstow; Fowey; Looe; Polperro and Bude.

The Coastal Footpath

With the use of modern Global Positioning Systems (GPS), the coastline of Cornwall has been updated to 296.2 miles (476.6 kilometres) from the former reported figure of 258 miles. In fact Cornwall makes up almost 47% of the whole South West Coast Path!
The views encountered are frequently simply stunning and no book or film can do them justice. Why not follow some of the stages yourselves? The walks detailed on this website began in 2000 and certain stages were walked in reverse to accomodate safe, secure parking for our vehicle(s). For details of those stages, with points of interest, photographs, along with a short description and an approximate timescale please choose your coast and follow the relevant hyperlinks.

Geology

Cornwall is a peninsula situated at the south-western most tip of Britain, opposite the peninsula of Brittany in France. It forms part of the 'Atlantic Arc' of six Celtic countries - Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Isle of Man, Eire and Scotland. Its rugged landscape bears a greater resemblance to that of its Celtic neighbours than to the rolling hills of Devon and the rest of England. This is largely due to similarities in the geology of these areas.

Photo Gallery

Cornwall in Focus has walked the Cornish coast from Bude to Plymouth taking photographs along the way. Sit back and enjoy a digital journey around the 296 miles of the Cornish Coast. Conversely explore the ancient monuments of West Penwith, the Isles of Scilly and Bodmin Moor. Take a virtual walk along the Mineral Tramways or the Great Flat Lode.
A section is being developed to explore and photograph inland Cornwall, whilst other pages display the flavour of Cornwall's various festivals and feast days.

The Climate

The climate is mild due to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream - indeed palm trees are relatively common in the gardens of south and west Cornwall and sub-tropical plants can be seen growing quite happily at the Abbey Gardens of the Scillonian island of Tresco. The moderating influence of the sea also means that Cornish winters are rarely severe and hot summer days are often cooled by gentle sea breezes.

The People

Major industries are farming; fishing; and until recently mining for copper and tin. There is currently a concerted drive by the people; local government officers and local Members of Parliament of Cornwall to attract new industries and technologies to replace the loss of mining and the drastic reductions in fishing 'quotas'. Truro is the capital and only city of Cornwall and is situated at the head of the River Fal. The main towns are Penzance; Camborne; Redruth; Falmouth; St. Austell; Bodmin; Liskeard and Launceston.