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In this section of
Things to do in Cornwall, we are reviewing the wide range of
visitor attractions and the wealth of historic sites and areas of
outstanding natural beauty on the Riviera Coast that await your
discovery .
There is an excellent
range of Places to Visit on the Riviera Coast which are suitable
for all the family and many of which are all weather attractions.
We have categorised the attractions to help you find what you are
looking for and in all cases where a specific website is
available, we have provided you with a link * so that you can find
out everything you need to know about the particular attraction,
its opening times, prices and accessibility information.
Farms, Wildlife & Animal Sanctuaries
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Gardens & Historic Houses |
Industrial, Mining & Railways |
Landscapes & Heritage |
Museums & Art Galleries|
Theatre & Cinema |
Theme & Adventure Parks |
Other Attractions
So whether your passion
is for history, the arts and heritage or you would rather sample
some Cornish Cyder and then take a white knuckle ride at a theme
park, the Riviera Coast has so much to offer you. Enjoy the ride !
If you know of an
attraction that we have not reviewed, or have visited a particular
attraction and wish to feedback your experiences, please feel free
to contact us by email.
* When you use our link
to visit a particular website, please be aware that the
information provided on those sites is outside of our control and
we take no responsibility whatsoever for its content or accuracy.
Farms, Wildlife & Animal
Sanctuaries
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The
Tamar Valley Donkey Park
Gunnislake |
The
Tamar Valley Donkey Park has
loads of donkeys with lots of other animals such as guinea pigs,
chipmunks, rabbits, goats and an aviary. Children’s play area,
shop and café. |
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Porfell Animal Land
Looe |
Porfell Animal Land
with it’s
children’s farm is also an animal sanctuary, home to zebras,
snakes, porcupines, wallabies, lemurs, meerkats as well as
rabbits, guinea-pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys, and many more of
your favourite animals
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The Monkey Sanctuary
Looe |
The Monkey Sanctuary
is situated in beautiful woodlands overlooking Looe Bay and for
nearly 40 years the Victorian House & Gardens have been home to
a colony of woolly monkeys. |
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The Tortoise
Garden
Lower Sticker, St Austell |
The Tortoise Garden
is a sanctuary for the rescue, care and conservation of all
breeds of Tortoises. With over 20 years experience with these
most wonderful creatures you can guarantee a most fascinating
visit |
Gardens & Historic Houses
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Antony
Torpoint |
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 be the Georgian garden designer, Humphrey Repton. Visit
the National Collection of day lilies or take a walk in the
surrounding woods |
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Eden Project
Bodelva, St Austell |
The Eden Project is often referred to as the 8th
wonder of the World and is an internationally renowned
attraction. Based around two vast Biomes in a large crater
created by china clay mine workings, the Eden Project is a ‘must
visit’ – not one, but every year! Click the link to visit the
Eden Project website.
Liz's Review - I
visited the Eden Project with my two small boys and thought it
was a great day out, there is space for them to run around and
lots of interactive features for them to play with. A sand
pit hidden in a willow maze was our favourite. The cafe is
simple but it caters well for every taste. The children's
facilities are excellent, high chairs in abundance and wide walk
ways and slopes for the pushchair. The only negative I can offer
is that when you enter the
Biome's they
are very steep, I would advise keeping hold of your little ones. |
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Cotehele
St Dominick, Saltash
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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.The house
is set in extensive grounds with formal gardens, a heavily
planted valley below, a medieval dovecote, a stewpond and
Victorian summer house.
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Lost Gardens
of Heligan
Heligan, Mevagissey |
The Lost Gardens of Heligan can now be found !
They are near Mevagissey and consist of 80 acres of grounds with
walled gardens. The gardens were created in the 19th century
complete with follies and temples and have been the site of the
largest garden restoration project in Europe. A definite must
visit so check out the website for a comprehensive virtual tour,
opening times and prices. |
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Lamorran Gardens
St Mawes, Falmouth |
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. |
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Trebah
Trebah, Falmouth
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A Garden of rare and exotic plants, trees and
shrubs winding down to a private and secluded beach on the
Helford River.
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Trelissick
Feock, Truro |
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 and a fine Georgian stable
block.
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Glendurgan
Mawnan Smith
Falmouth
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This valley garden of great beauty was created in
the 1820s and developed over many years by the Fox family.
Running down to the tiny village of Durgan and its beach, the
garden has many fine trees and rare and exotic plants, with
outstanding spring displays of magnolias and camellias. In their
season glorious displays of wild flowers carpet the valley
slopes. The laurel maze, dating from 1833, puzzles young and
old. An original cob and thatch schoolroom has been
reconstructed. The house is privately occupied.
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Trewithin Gardens
Truro |
Elegant 18th Century house set in
extensive landscaped gardens renowned for their horticultural
importance.
Many of the flowering trees and shrubs were grown from seed sent
from Asia and are now bigger than their parent plants, having
flourished in the mild Cornish climate. No less than 25 of them
are ‘UK champions’.
The garden has level gravel paths making them
accessible for push chairs and wheel chairs.
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Industrial, Mining & Railways
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Blue Hills Tin Stream
St Agnes, Truro
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Blue Hills is a commercial concern engaged in tin
streaming and the production of tin jewellery and tinware on the
site of a group of old tin mines that closed in the late 19th
century. Blue Hills tin streaming works is located in the
Trevellas Valley on the north coast of Cornwall. The valley has
produced tin for over 4000 years with both tin streamers
extracting tin from alluvial sands and gravel and miners
tunnelling underground for ore. Visitors to Blue Hills can take
a tour around the tin streaming works and the website has a
fascinating virtual tour of the tin streaming processes and tin
smelting processes. Well worth a visit. |
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Looe Valley Railway
Looe |
The Looe Valley line links the market town of
Liskeard with the town of Looe, a working fishing port and
ancient harbour. This is an opportunity to visit one of the
Great Scenic Railways of Devon & Cornwall as the line travels
along the wooded Looe river valley offering fantastic scenery
throughout the journey.
We have provided
a link to the Looe Valley Line 'Rail Ale Trail' site which we
hope you find interesting ! Certainly it is an opportunity to
experience the beauty of the
Looe Valley and savour the delights of
traditional real ales and fine rural pubs along the way !
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Landscapes & Heritage
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King Doniert’s Stone
St Cleer
Liskeard |
Situated on Bodmin Moor, near St Cleer, is King
Doniert’s Stone, the remains of a Cornish Cross Two decorated
pieces of a 9th-century cross, with a Latin inscription
"Doniert Rogavit pro anima" meaning "Doniert asks
for prayers for his soul." This is a monument to King Doniert
who drowned in the River Fower in the 9th century.
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Polperro
Harbour
Polperro
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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.
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Restormel Castle
Lostwithiel |
Surrounded by a deep moat and perched on a high
mound, the huge circular keep of this castle, built at the turn
of the 14th century, survives in good condition. Built as a
symbol of wealth and status and once home to Edward, the Black
Prince, it offers splendid views over the surrounding
countryside. It's also a marvellous picnic spot.
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St Anthony Head
St Mawes, Falmouth
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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 |
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Truro Cathedral
Truro |
Truro Cathedral was completed in 1880 and Edward
White Benson was the first Bishop of Truro until 1883 when he
became the Archbishop of Canterbury. A Bill establishing the
Diocese of Truro was passed by Parliament in 1876. Cornwall had
its own Bishop at St Germans, near Saltash, until the towards
the end of the 10th Century after which the Cornish Diocese was
then held jointly with Devon at which point the Cornish Diocese
ceased to be a separate entity. It took over 800 for the Cornish
Diocese to be re-established at Truro. The Diocese of Truro
covers the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and the
site chosen in Truro was where the Parish Church of St Mary’s
stood. |
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Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Head, Falmouth |
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. Visit the World War II Half Moon
Battery, the Guardhouse, the Discovery Centre and the
underground tunnels. |
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St Mawes Castle
St Mawes
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This, the most perfectly preserved of Henry
VIII's coastal fortresses, was built to counter the invasion
threat from Europe in partnership with its twin, Pendennis, on
the other side of the Fal Estuary. It fell to landward attack
from Parliamentarian forces in 1646 and was not properly
refortified until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. |
Museums and Art Galleries
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The Royal Cornwall Museum
Truro |
The Royal Cornwall Museum located in Truro is Cornwall’s
oldest and most prestigious museum, famed for its
internationally important displays including a wealth of
minerals, an unwrapped mummy, Cornwall culture and a
collection of Newlyn School paintings in the Fine and
Decorative Arts gallery. The museum presents an exciting range
of changing exhibitions throughout the year together with an
extensive educational programme for all the family.
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Fowey Museum
Fowey |
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 14th century and by the French in the 15th
century and there are important 14th 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. |
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Mevagissey Museum
Mevagissey
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Mevagissey is an ancient fishing village and the name is formed
by the combination of St Meva and St Issey, first recorded as a
hamlet in 1313 although there were much earlier settlements
nearby as evidenced by the discovery two Bronze Age Burial Urns
at Portmellon. There is an impressive array of historical
artefacts in Mevagissey
Museum which is housed
in an 18th century building by the harbour,
originally used shipbuilding and itself a historical gem.
Mevagissey
Museum will show you all about life in the village through the
ages and is well worth a visit between Easter and the end of
October.
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Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling & Fishing
Polperro |
The Polperro Heritage Museum of
Smuggling and Fishing is located right by the side of Polperro
Harbour, housed in a building that was once a Pilchard Factory,
one of three that existed in Polperro for the processing and
barrelling of pilchards for export. The museum, which is open
every day between March and October has a remarkable array of
exhibits depicting life from the 18th & 19th
centuries when smuggling and pilchard fishing thrived in
Polperro, itself a Conservation village oozing with history. |
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Charlestown, St Austell |
With such an important maritime history, it is no surprise that
Cornwall has got some excellent Maritime museums, not least the
Charlestown Shipwreck and Heritage Centre, near St Austell. The
Charlestown Shipwreck & Heritage Centre
has
the largest private collection of shipwreck and historical
artefacts on public display in Europe. The centre is located in
a historic china clay building on the waterfront and houses
many varied exhibitions which reflect village life in
Charlestown, shipwrecks and the China Clay industry. As well as
showing maritime exhibits dating back to 1715, the centre also
has a large collection of underwater diving equipment used for
seeking treasure. |
Theatre & Cinema
Theatre
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Falmouth Arts
Centre
Falmouth |
Falmouth Arts Centre presents
a lively and diverse programme embracing both the performing and
the visual arts. Its cinema programme attracts significant
audiences, as do a range of live events including theatre,
music, dance and a variety of talks and lectures. In addition
the Society owns a large, diverse collection of photographs,
maps and other articles associated with the history of Falmouth
and surrounding areas over the past 250 years. Please use our
website link to find out more about the Falmouth Arts Centre or
for tickets and events information, call the Box Office on 01326
212300 between
10 am and 2 pm, Mondays to Saturdays, and from
half an hour before each evening performance. |
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Princess
Pavilion
Falmouth |
The Princess Pavilion offers an
all year round venue for theatre and live music. A multi-purpose
hall, Princess Pavilion provides formal theatre seating for 370
and a standing capacity of up to 600 for concerts. The nature
and style of events on offer varies tremendously and in April
2006, the programme included rock, folk, a wind orchestra and
The Army Presentation Team ! Check out the website to see What’s
On when you are in Cornwall. Princess Pavilion has a café and
bar for 150 people with entertainment in the bar throughout the
summer. Also in the summer, you can enjoy band concerts in the
gardens. For tickets and event information, you can call the Box
Office on Monday – Friday, 9am-1pm (and during the evenings of
events) on 01326 211222 or email
princesspavilion@carrickleisure.org.uk |
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Helford Theatre and
Stage Company Trucco
Truro |
In 2002, Truro gained a new
theatre, the Helford Theatre, a brand new 300-seated venue
situated on the Truro College site. The theatre has its own
resident theatre company, ‘Stage Company Trucco’, made up of
final year students on the BTEC National Diploma in Performing
Arts course. The Box Office can be reached by calling 01872
262466 and the website shows current and future productions. |
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Sterts Theatre
Liskeard |
Sterts Theatre is an outdoor moorland venue with
a 400 seat open air amphitheatre (with canvas roof !) situated
at Upton Cross between Liskeard and Launceston on the edge of
Bodmin Moor. In addition to enjoying live theatre and music at
Sterts, you can enjoy a family picnic or a meal at the Sterts
Bistro and Bar. Since it started in1982, Sterts has developed
into a significant rural arts centre, renowned for promoting the
very best in drama, music and dance as well as painting,
sculpture and crafts at the Sterts Gallery. Sterts is a
non-profit making charity. Tickets for Sterts performances can
be purchased by calling the Box Office on
01579 362382 or by emailing
sterts@btinternet.com
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Hall For
Cornwall
Truro |
Hall for Cornwall was
built in 1846 to house the Town Hall, magistrates and stannary
courts, police offices (and cells) and the fire brigade. In 1991
the Hall, which was in a state of advanced decay, was leased to
a group to create a professional theatre. The redevelopment of
the Hall was completed in 1997 and today Hall for Cornwall in
Truro attracts around 150,000 theatre-goers each year. Rambert
Dance Company and The Royal Shakespeare Company are amongst
those companies that have graced the stage of the Hall for
Cornwall and 2006 appearances include The Zutons and The English
Touring Opera. Tickets can be purchased by calling 01872 262466
between 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. |
Cinema
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Falmouth Arts
Centre
Falmouth |
Falmouth Arts Centre presents
a lively and diverse programme embracing both the performing and
the visual arts. Its cinema programme attracts significant
audiences, as do a range of live events including theatre,
music, dance and a variety of talks and lectures. In addition
the Society owns a large, diverse collection of photographs,
maps and other articles associated with the history of Falmouth
and surrounding areas over the past 250 years. Please use our
website link to find out more about the Falmouth Arts Centre or
for tickets and events information, call the Box Office on 01326
212300 between
10 am and 2 pm, Mondays to Saturdays, and from
half an hour before each evening performance. |
Theme & Adventure Parks
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Bens
Play World
St Austell |
Bens Play World is a huge soft play centre, a great alternative for
those days when the weather is not on your side. The facilities
cater for toddlers right through to older children. There are
lots of different areas to this centre including a fabulous
pirate section with rope bridges and remote-control pirate
ships. A mega-slide dominates the main play area with different
sections running alongside it, such as spooky maze and the death
slide.
On the other side is a cafe that caters for children, e.g. burgers
and chips, but also offers a healthier jacket potato. A very
tiring day out that the kids will love, mine did!
There is free parking and a secure locker room for your valuables.
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Dobwalls Adventure Park
Dobwalls, Liskeard
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Established
35 years ago and today has many attractions for all the family
including the
Krazee Kavern and Rattlesnake Ranch
indoor play areas
‘Supa-Karts’ and much much more
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World in Miniature
Goonhaven, Truro
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Long established as one of Cornwall's leading
attractions, World in Miniature has entertainment and
attractions for the whole family including ‘Batflyer’ thrill
ride, soft play area, a maze, Jurassic Adventure Park and much
more. |
Other Attractions
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Cornish Cyder Farm
Penhallow, Truro
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The Cornish Cyder Farm near Truro is set in 16
acres of apple orchards and is a unique opportunity to see how
scrumpy, cider and other fruit products are made. Producing over
40 varieties of delicious fruit products, The Cornish Cyder Farm
is Cornwall's sole distillery and the first in the county for
over 300 years. You can take a tour of the press house, bottlery,
jam kitchen, cider museum, distillery and cellars as well as
seeing how the products are made. There is also a pottery, a
shop and a restaurant at the attraction and tractor rides make
this an interesting day out for all the family. Open throughout
most of the year but check out the website for details.
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Paul Corin’s Magnificent Music Machines
Liskeard |
Paul Corin’s Magnificent Music Machines is a
delightfully eccentric museum created on the back of one man's
love for music boxes. Located in a peaceful setting by the Looe
Valley Line near the village St Keyne, Paul Corin’s Magnificent
Music Machines is a unique exhibition of mechanical organs from
the 19th and early 20th centuries. The many working exhibits
include Belgian Café Organs, a Mortier 84 key Orchestrion, a
DeCap 92 key Jazz Organ and a Wurlitzer pipe organ to name but a
few. Whether you want to take a wonderfully nostalgic trip down
memory lane or find out for the first time how dance music was
made and enjoyed in the Victorian era, this exhibition has
something for both young and old to enjoy. There is a lovely
picnic area by the river and dogs on leads with well behaved
owners are welcome ! |
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The World of Model Railways
Mevagissey |
The World of Model Railways
in Mevagissey is a great place to visit. There are a number of
model railway exhibitions and an excellent model shop. The main
exhibition has over thirty 00 gauge trains which travel through
a wide range of landscapes and the childrens' 'Junior Junction'
exhibition has Thomas The Tank engine and friends! The Garden
Railway (indoors !)gives you a chance to operate the trains
yourself and to dream about transforming your garden into a
large scale model railway. For full details of opening times
throughout the year, visit their website by clicking the link
provided. |
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St Austell Brewery
St
Austell |
St Austell Brewery has been
brewing beer in Cornwall for over 150 years and today remain a
significant independent family brewery. Their wide range of real
ales are renowned and you will undoubtedly come across their
beers when you visit a Cornish pub or two anywhere in Cornwall.
If you visit the St Austell Brewery you can take a guided
brewery tour, indulge in sampling sessions and have a wander
around the Visitor Centre and Licensed Shop . Tours available
twice daily at 11.00am and 2.30pm and it is advisable to book by
calling 01726 66022. Visit the St Austell Brewery website for
lots of relevant information and if you wish, take a virtual
tour before you visit the brewery itself |
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