Cornwall (pop. 570,305) is the most southwesterly unitary authority (local government area) in England. Millions of tourists enjoy its warm climate and beautiful coastal scenery. Tourism is the main industry. It also has an important agricultural and horticultural economy. The mild climate helps the early ripening of basic food crops and flowers. Cornwall has its own historic culture and character. Many large Cornish estates belong to the eldest son of the reigning monarch. They form a large part of the Duchy of Cornwall.
People and government
Customs and language.
Cornwall’s rugged coast has given rise to many legends of shipwrecks, pirates, and mermaids. Other legends relate to Celtic saints or to King Arthur.
Cornwall has its own Celtic language, called Cornish or Kernewek. It is closely related to the Welsh and Breton languages. The last native speakers of Cornish died in the 1700’s, but interest in it has revived in recent years. At the annual Gorsedd, the Grand Bard presents awards for poetry and songs in Cornish.
Recreation.
Cornwall’s mild climate and range of landscapes make it ideal for outdoor recreation. Sea sports, including surfing, sea kayaking, swimming, and sailing, are popular among residents and visitors. Cornwall has good fishing facilities, both in fresh water and more particularly in the sea. Hikers follow scenic trails along the coast and countryside.
Cornwall has its own version of the Celtic game of hurling. A game takes place at St. Columb Major, near the town of Wadebridge, on Shrove Tuesday and the Saturday 11 days later.
Local government.
The authority council provides some public services throughout the authority. The Isles of Scilly are a separate unitary authority with all local government powers within its boundaries (see Scilly, Isles of). Cornwall and Devon are covered by a single police force, which has its headquarters at Exeter in Devon. The crown court meets at Truro.
Economy
Agriculture and fishing.
Agriculture is an important part of the Cornish economy. Most of the farms are small, and specialize in dairy and beef cattle. Pigs and poultry are kept in large numbers. Farmers in the north and east of the authority grow some cereal crops. Market gardening is important in southern Cornwall. Newlyn is the authority’s main center for fishing.
Mining and quarrying.
Tin mining, once important, declined after World War I (1914-1918), because of competition from overseas. But new interest grew in Cornish tin mines from the 1960’s until the 1980’s, when falling prices caused mine closures. China clay is quarried, mainly in the St. Austell area. Quarries near Penryn produce granite, used in many public buildings.
Tourism
is one of the authority’s leading industries. Newquay is the largest resort. Charming beach villages—including Bude, Gorran Haven, Perranporth, St. Ives, and Sennen—line Cornwall’s rugged coast. Museums and historic castles and mining sites are also popular with tourists. The Eden Project, a huge garden and educational center near St. Austell, features one of the world’s largest indoor rainforests.
Manufacturing.
Many of Cornwall’s manufactures are linked with the other local industries—agriculture, fishing, mining and quarrying, and tourism. The Camborne-Redruth industrial area exports mining and quarrying equipment to all parts of the world. Falmouth has a large ship-repairing yard. Boats are built in many Cornish yards, nets are made in Porthleven, sails at Falmouth and Penryn, and surfboards at Newquay.
Transportation and communication.
The main road from London, the A30, enters Cornwall near Launceston and runs to Land’s End. Two other major roads, the A39 in the north of the authority and the A38 in the south, connect Cornwall with Devon. In the south, a road crosses the Tamar Bridge to connect Cornwall with Devon. A main railway line from London runs along the authority, terminating at Penzance, with branch lines to coastal resorts. Newquay airport has flights to and from London’s Heathrow Airport. A satellite communications station at Goonhilly, on the Lizard peninsula, transmits television programs from the United Kingdom to many parts of the world. The terminals of the transatlantic telephone and telegraph cables are at Porthcurno, near Land’s End. BBC Radio Cornwall operates from Truro, and Pirate FM, a commercial station, broadcasts from Redruth. Several towns have weekly papers that also publish internet editions. Internet and mobile phone usage are nearly universal in Cornwall.
Land
Location and size.
Cornwall is a peninsula at the extreme tip of England. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest and the English Channel to the south. To the east, Devon and the unitary authority of Plymouth form Cornwall’s only land border. It contains the most southerly point on the mainland of the United Kingdom (the Lizard), and the most westerly point on the mainland of England (Land’s End). Cornwall’s coastline is 360 miles (580 kilometers) long.
Land features.
The most prominent natural features inland are four large outcrops of granite. These are areas of gaunt moorland and steep hills. They are Bodmin Moor, in east Cornwall; Hensbarrow to the west; the area around Camborne-Redruth; and the Land’s End peninsula. These areas are rich in minerals.
The lowlands are mainly agricultural and horticultural areas, except the Lizard peninsula, which is moorland. Much of the south coast is an area of rolling hills, fields, and woodlands, with picturesque coves (bays). The north coast is mainly a stretch of tall cliffs. At their base lie many fine beaches. The two highest Cornish hills are Brown Willy, 1,375 feet (419 meters), and Rough Tor, 1,312 feet (400 meters), both on Bodmin Moor.
Most Cornish rivers flow south to the sea. An exception is the River Camel, which enters the Atlantic at Padstow. The authority’s rivers include the Tamar, the Looe, the Fowey, the Fal, and the Helford. The Fal estuary, at Falmouth, is one of the world’s largest natural harbors.
Climate.
The weather is moderated considerably by the warm Gulf Stream current. The average February temperature is about 46 °F (8 °C). The average August temperature is about 61 °F (16 °C). The rainfall in Cornwall averages about 45 inches (1,140 millimeters) a year.
History
The Celtic peoples of Britain were isolated in the remote western regions by the invading Anglo-Saxons from A.D. 400. The legendary King Arthur is believed to have been a Celtic leader of this period. The Christian Cornish people maintained their own culture and had little to do with the pagan English at first. But gradually, they took more part in national life, though they continued to use their own language until the 1700’s.
It was probably mining for tin and copper that established Cornwall’s importance. The metals were worked more than 2,000 years ago, but deep mining did not develop until the 1700’s. Cornwall then produced many famous engineers and scientists. Richard Trevithick invented the steam locomotive. Sir Humphry Davy invented the miner’s safety lamp, and Henry Trengrouse designed a rocket life-saving apparatus.
Famous people associated with Cornwall include the painter John Opie, the writers Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and Daphne du Maurier, the poet Charles Causley, the rock musician Mick Fleetwood, and the historian A. L. Rowse.
