Places to visit Cornish Riviera

Antony is a superb early 18th-century mansion, home to the Carew family for 600 years and set in parkland and fine gardens laid out by the Georgian garden designer, Humphrey Repton. Visit the National Collection of Daylilies or take a walk in the surrounding woods. Antony was used as a film set for Walt Disney's version of 'Alice in Wonderland' directed by Tim Burton. Please check the website for opening times and dates.

A National Trust property, Cotehele is a medieval house built between 1485 and 1627. Home of the Edgcumbe family for centuries, it is crammed with historical features and was the setting for the filming of ‘Twelfth Night’ in 1996. There are an abundance of tapestries and a large collection of oak furniture and a very impressive display of arms and armour in the Great Hall as you enter the property. The house is set in extensive grounds with formal gardens, a heavily planted valley below, a medieval dovecote, a stewpond and Victorian summer house.

Situated on the Roseland Peninsula with extensive views of St Anthony's Head and the lighthouse, the gardens enjoy a favoured microclimate.  With a large collection of Rhododendrons and Azaleas, the design for the garden has blended English, Japanese and Mediterranean ideas and concepts.

Beautifully positioned at the head of the Fal estuary, the estate commands panoramic views over the area and has extensive park and woodland walks beside the river. At its heart is the garden, which has year-round colour, with the display of spring blossom being particularly delightful. The house is not open, but there is an art and craft gallery, shop, plants for sale, restaurant, café, a fine Georgian stable block and a Water Tower.

Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary with it’s children’s farm is also an animal sanctuary and zoo. It is home to zebras, ostriches, snakes, porcupines, wallabies, lemurs, meerkats as well as rabbits, guinea-pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys, and many more of your favourite animals. 2010 saw the opening of 'African Plains and Maasai Village' where you can experience Africa in the heart of Cornwall.

Polperro is a 13th century Conservation fishing village situated on the south east coast of Cornwall. Unspoilt by progress, there are countless historic houses and buildings of interest in the village. Couch's House for example dates from 1595 and in the 19th century was lived in by Dr. Jonathan Couch, physician, naturalist and collector of fossils. Visit the Polperro Heritage Museum which is open every day from March to October and packed with interesting artefacts and displays of the life and customs of Polperro through the centuries including the exploits of the many smugglers that used the harbour to land their contraband. The Shell House is a uniquely decorated cottage and is one of the many memorable sights which make Polperro so popular with artists and photographers alike. There is a Model Village and a wide variety of charming pubs and restaurants, and the cliff top walks to Looe and Polruan offer stunning sea and coastal views.

At the southernmost tip of the Roseland peninsula, St Anthony Head overlooks the spectacular entrance to one of the world's largest natural harbours - Carrick Roads and the Fal estuary. The starting point for a number of excellent coastal and sheltered creekside walks, the Head also bears newly revealed remains of a century of defensive fortifications

Pendennis and its sister, St Mawes Castle, face each other across the mouth of the River Fal. Constructed between 1540-45, they are the Cornish end of a chain of castles built by Henry VIII on the south coast. In 1598, during Elizabeth I's reign, a new type of defensive wall was added around the original fort. Strengthened again prior to the Civil War, Pendennis was host to the future Charles II in 1646. It was re-armed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, seeing action during World War II and you can experience the interactive exhibition which allows you to witness the sights and sounds of battle and relive an enemy attack on a Second World War observation post. Visit the World War II Half Moon Battery, the Guardhouse, the  Discovery Centre and the underground tunnels. Pendennis is in the care of English Heritage and has regular events throughout the season from music, to ghost tours and also carols at Christmas.

Fowey with it’s natural sheltered harbour has been an important port since Roman times and dates back to the Iron Age. The Fowey Museum, set in an historic part of the town, is well worth a visit for anyone interested in history and archaeology. The local history includes attacks by the Spanish in the 14^th century and by the French in the 15^th century and there are important 14^th century defensive ‘Blockhouses’ at the entrance to the harbour structures between which hung a chain that prevented attacking ships entering the harbour. The museum presents visitors with an array of important artefacts which bring alive the Town’s seafaring history and tell of the visits by Cook, Drake, Raleigh and Frobisher, all important figures in the naval history of England. The museum is open from Easter until mid-October during Monday to Friday from 10.30am to 5.00pm. For more details visit: http://www.museumsincornwall.org.uk/museums/fowey-museum