Is Cornwall the Most Beautiful Part of England? 10 Places You Should See 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

In the far southwest of England, further than most people ever bother to go, you'll find Cornwall, a long stretch of coastline that feels almost like its own country. So it's got a bit of everything, dramatic cliffs, old mining ruins that hang over the sea on one side and then on the other you have sheltered harbours and beautiful coves. So in this video I'll take you through some of the most beautiful places to visit in Cornwall, the places that are actually worth the long journey down for. So we'll start with a tiny fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall and it's one of the most unusual harbours in Britain. Instead of sitting open to the sea like most, it's hidden inside a narrow gap in the cliffs. It twists and it doubles right back on itself, which means the waves never really get a straight run in and that's why boats have been sheltering here for hundreds of years and it's what makes this place look so different from when you arrive. So you come down in from the hills above and the whole village only reveals itself at the last minute. Oscastle has stone cottages, a stream running through the middle and then the harbour wall curving out into the rock. The village itself is small enough to see in an hour or so, but there are a couple of pubs, a few shops and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. So if you are up for walking, the coastal path from here heads north towards Tintagel, which is one of the best stretches in the whole country. Tintagel is probably the most famous spot on this list and it's because of one thing. This is where the legend says King Arthur was born, but whether you believe that or not, the setting itself genuinely earns the story. Because the castle ruins sit on a rocky headland and it looks straight out into the Atlantic, joined to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. So there is a footbridge that you can walk across and you're suspended between two cliffs with the sea way down below and on the far side you're walking through the remains of a medieval fortress with nothing but ocean stretching out in front. Now what most people don't realise is how far back the history goes here, because long before the Arthur stories, this was actually a trading settlement. Even archaeologists have found pottery from as far away as the eastern Mediterranean, which does tell you that this remote clifftop was connected to the wider world over a thousand years ago. But head down below and there you'll find Merlin's Cape, which you can walk into at low tide and the village itself has enough pubs and cafes to make an afternoon of it. So go early if you can because it does get busy and this is a place that works best when it's quiet. One of my favourites on this list is Port Isaac. It's a working fishing village on the north coast and it's about as close as Cornwall gets to a perfect postcard without trying to be one. The whole place is built in a steep valley, running down to a small harbour with whitewashed cottages all stacked up on either side and the lanes so narrow in places you can touch both halls at the same time. One of them is even called Squeezy Belly Alley, which pretty much tells you everything. So with the fishing heritage dating back all the way to the early 14th century, the port has always been deeply connected to the sea. So fishing still plays a big part in village life. Boats go out, crab and lobster come back in. So there are a couple of nice places to eat where you can eat the results within a few steps of where it landed. There isn't really a long list of things to do here. The main thing is just to walk around and explore the village itself. Whether you head down to the harbour, wander the old lanes or even walk along the Port Isaac beach. So a couple of hours here is plenty of time to see it properly and I'm pretty sure you won't regret it. And from Port Isaac head straight down around 45 minutes by car towards Holywell Bay. Now this is just outside of Newquay. It isn't a town like the last few stops. It's a huge sandy bay on Cornwall's north coast and it's backed by some of the biggest dunes in the area. So what stood out were the rocks just sitting offshore. It gives the whole beach a much more dramatic look when the surf is rough. So it's quite popular with surfers but if it's something that you want to do give this one a try. St Ives is probably the one destination that many of you would have heard of but it's also one place in Cornwall that surprises people with the light. Now I know that sounds like an odd thing to lead with but it's the reason why artists have been coming here for over a century. The town sits on a peninsula with water on three sides. So the reflection of the sand and the sea gives everything this bright clean quality you don't get elsewhere in the country. But it's why the Tate has a gallery here right above the beach. The town itself is a maze of narrow lanes running down to the harbour packed with galleries, shops that sell pasties, cafes. It's a lovely place to wander around with no plan. Every corner opens into another slice of the sea view. There's Porthmere beach which faces the Atlantic. Also on the other side it's more sheltered and calm. More for swimming and laying about on the beach. But one honest warning St Ives is obviously popular and extremely busy in the summer. But if you do come in May or September you might get a lot of joy. And the train ride there is one of the prettiest short rides in the country. Now this destination might surprise you but this is where you come to understand what Cornwall actually was before the tourists arrived. The whole stretch of coast was tin and copper. Mining country. And at Pendine you've got Evoque. One of the largest preserved mine sites in Britain. And now it's a museum you can walk right through. It only closed in 1990 which is far more recent than most people would assume. That's why it doesn't feel like a dusty exhibition. The helmets are still on the pegs. The machinery is still where the miners left it. And the changing rooms look like the ship just ended. So you can go underground into one of the old tunnels as well which gives you a real sense of the conditions that these men worked in. Cramped, wet and often out under the seabed itself. So it's well worth a visit. And together with Pendine you have Bottleach. It's probably the most photographed mine site in Cornwall. Once you see it you'll understand why. Two old engine houses sit halfway down the cliff face right above the sea. They're called the crowns and they look like they shouldn't be able to stay up there at all. The tunnels from these mines ran out underneath the Atlantic. The miners walked down and then out working half a mile beneath the seabed whether it was in heat and darkness. And they could hear the waves dragging boulders across the rock above their heads. So knowing that while you're standing looking at changes the whole thing. It's all National Trust land now and you're free to walk around. The path takes you down close to the engine houses and the coast in both directions. The whole stretch is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of what's happened here. So go towards the end of the day if you can. The light coming off the sea behind those engine houses is the reason why many people keep coming back. Just off the coast at Merseyre sits one of the most striking sites in Cornwall, St Michael's Mount. So it's a tidal island with a medieval castle on top and the way you get there is what makes it special. At low tide stone causeway appears out of the water and you simply walk across. Come back a few hours later and it's gone. Swallowed by the sea and you're getting a boat instead. So the island has been lived on for centuries. There was a monastery here long before the castle and the same family has occupied it since the 1600s. So you can climb up through the terrace gardens to the top and the views back across Mounts Bay are exactly worth the walk on its own. Merseyre itself is just a little town on the shore facing it and a lovely spot to base yourself. So check the tide times before you go and it generally determines whether you walk or sail. At the end of the day half the fun is timing it right. Next up is St Moores and this sits on the Roseland peninsula across the water from Falmouth on Cornwall's south coast. So it's much quieter, a more sheltered part of the county and this side faces into a huge natural harbour rather than out the Atlantic. So the water here is calm, full of boats rather than any surfing. The village curves around the waterfront with a row of pubs and cafes. So there's plenty of sailing here, decent food and people who are happy just to sit outside watching the boats come and go. One attraction you can visit sits above the village, St Moores Castle built by Henry VIII to help defend this part of Cornwall from attacks. It's small, very well preserved and worth visiting mainly for the views. And from the castle you get a great look back across the water and the surrounding coastline. Now I have to say the nicest way to arrive here is the ferry from Falmouth. It takes about 20 minutes and coming in from the sea is a far better introduction than the long drive round. Now if you're already visiting the Eden Project I'd definitely carry on because it's only a 20 minute ride away and it's another picturesque port full of cozy places, charming cafes, art galleries and shops all built around the mouth. What I like most about it is that you can easily combine the town with the coast because you can also walk from the centre to Ready Money Cove and this is a small sheltered beach that's tucked between the cliffs and just above it is St Catherine's Castle. So this was a tiny fort built by Henry VIII and this was to protect the harbour. Free to visit and though there isn't much of the castle left the views back across the water make the walk worth doing. So this is a wonderful traditional Cornish harbour town and one you should not miss. And there you have it folks that was Cornwall. You have enough interesting places to visit. It's not every single place in the region but it should get you started. Stay tuned for next year because I will be showcasing a lot more different locations in Cornwall so don't forget to watch out for that one. For more videos check out the playlist below and I will... Thanks for watching and I'll see you all on the next one.