"Not just Cornish pasties" Cornwall by rexvaughan

Cornwall Travel Guide: 1,650 reviews and 4,126 photos

Beautiful views all around

Cornwall is a different part of the UK from the rest as far as I can determine. Its economy has suffered in the past century and decades leaving it one of the poorer areas in England. This is not evident to the visitor as what we see are quaint little cities, magnificent seaside views and beaches and lovely moors. Historically it was a thriving mining area with tin, copper and clay for chinaware in abundance. This industry is virtually gone now as the result of depletion of resources and mechanization. I read that even the fishing industry has declined due to EU regulations. I have no idea how this works. Now one of the major industries is tourism with about 5 million people (mostly from the UK) a year visiting its beaches, gardens, surfing sites and wooded vallelys.

Small but packed

An espaliered pear tree at Heligan Gardens

The area of Cornwall is only about 3500 square miles and the population is pretty well dispersed throughout as the 500,000+ population is spread pretty evenly among the 6 districts or areas of the county. Truro is the "county seat" with a population of just over 20,000. The population is also pretty English (about 97%) with few minorities. The population also tends to be older due to the migration of the young for greener grass and the growing popularity of Cornwall as a retirement destination. Having said all that, the people we encountered were all pretty bright and cheery and very helpful.

What is a 'goon'?

Many villages must be in meadows

One of the things that struck me as odd was the number of towns, particularly in the area surrounding Newquay, with the word "goon" in their name. Of course I had to look it up (thank you Mr. Google) and found it means meadow. So Gwyrgoon would mean green meadow. Evidently Cornwall, like a host of other locales, is seeing efforts to preserve and revive the ancient Cornish/Celtic language.

It is a truly wonderful place to visit, as all those 5 million Brits attest. Seems to be something here for everyone.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Compact, not much traffic, small cities
Cons:Narrow roads, driving on the left for non-UKers is strange
In a nutshell:Rich variety of activites and sites for all ages & interests

Last visit to Cornwall: Sep 2007
Intro Written Oct 25, 2007
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Reviews (10)

Family History sources Off The Beaten Path (2)

If you have any interest in Cornwall family histories and genaeology, there are two places in Truro that will be of... more travel advice

St. Agnes Museum Off The Beaten Path (2)

One of the purposes of our trip was to see if we could find information about my wife's family. Research by some other... more travel advice

Reading in preparation for a visit - Cornwall

Reading in preparation for a visit Favorites (1)

Since returning home from Cornwall, my wife has read and I am reading 'A Cornish Childhood' by the distinguished... more travel advice

Good English food Restaurants (4)

We sort of stumbled onto this restaurant as it was just around the corner from our b & b. It is cheerful in a medieval... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Good Newquay B & B
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Comments (6)

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Bwana_Brown Mar 14, 2009 at 6:05 PM

Rex, thank you for this very enjoyable page on your experiences & thoughts about Cornwall. I've been many times (even met Geoff and Mary on one trip!) and my wife leaves on Monday for a month in Truro with family. It is a beautiful little part of England!
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scottishvisitor Nov 14, 2007 at 1:22 PM

Nice to see you found more info on your wife's family in Cornwall - Ah driving on the wrong side of the road is natural for me!!
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Dabs Nov 13, 2007 at 8:35 PM

Sorry to hear the pasties weren't up to snuff, trust me, when they are good, they are a delightful snack! But it sounds like you had quite a few heavenly desserts!!!
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deecat Nov 13, 2007 at 2:24 PM

Rex, I'm still smiling about you having to drive in Cornwall...when my daughter lived in London, she hated driving. Loved your info about geneaology, Vt. Meet, restaurants, and Lost Gardens of Heligan.
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nhcram Nov 3, 2007 at 12:26 AM

Looks like you had a fabulous time here in Cornwall Rex.
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sue_stone Nov 2, 2007 at 5:25 AM

Glad to see you spent most of your time in Cornwall eating!! ; )