Tin mining was long the dominant Cornwall industry. Tim: Yeah, so this little church goes back to the sixth century. Thank you! For some history and culture, travelers can visit the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum and open-air Minack Theatre. The winding hedgerows, built before motor traffic, are an icon of Cornwall. ! Standing dramatically just off the coast is St. Michael's Mount. Hi, I'm Rick Steves back with more of the best of Europe. Nearby is a rock pool built a century ago for Victorian kids to enjoy the sea life stranded there with each low tide. This one — erected by pagans, long before Christianity arrived — was later carved into a cross. Enjoy the quiet. Rugged, Quaint Cornwall By Rick Steves. Still, I think Cornwall offers many opportunities to go "off the beaten path" and connect with locals. Rick: So any bakery around here would serve these? Rick: And why are they important? Along with its ethnic cousins Brittany, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, Cornwall was part of the Celtic crescent that nearly circles England. Rick Steves' Europe. In the far southwest of England, we'll explore salty pirates' towns, fishing villages, and a tin mine. He explores a world of flowers springing from towering hedges, a tin-mining heritage going back to biblical times, salty pirates' towns and fishing villages, and the Land's End of England. I believe the Daphne DuMaurier festival is in May (mid-month), if you're a fan, and if you're there in early May (around the 1st), there are a bunch of those famous "May Day" festivals. For me, the top charms of Cornwall are gathered in its extreme western tip: the Penwith Peninsula. Its cute harbor is protected from the wild sea with an entrance…narrow as a mouse hole. I stayed in Penzance. 05/04/17 08:22 PM. Rick: I find this so evocative, with the capstan, and these old fishing boats… When you see this port, what do you think of? An hour's drive north is Tintagel Castle, the legendary home of King Arthur. Rick: That's how you do it! And when people entered the Bronze Age, they could make better tools and stronger weapons. For your information the actual pronunciation of Mousehole is ‘MOUSEL’. They have a stone frame, are filled with earth, and then are overgrown with vegetation. Dartmoor sits on a granite plateau, and occasionally, bare granite peaks called "tors" break through the heather. The evocative coast of Cornwall, England, is dotted with 19th-century Industrial Age ruins. The far southwest of England is a world unto itself, with a persistent Cornish culture. Rick: So if they took a hundred tons of rock out of the mine, how much tin would they hope to find? Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe. For the finale of your visit you slip on a coat, don a hardhat, and head both underground and back in time…deep into one of the original 18th-century mines. Season 9 Episode 10. One of my favorite spots in Cornwall is the little fishing port of Mousehole, actually named for the tiny, mouse hole-like entry into its tough little harbor. While seeing a play is the best way to experience the theater (tickets are inexpensive and easy to get), you can also simply visit to enjoy the garden-like setting and the wonderful story of the amazing woman who created it. It's an enjoyable place to "come home to" at the end of a busy sightseeing day. If the weather's fine, grab a grassy seat and go English — enjoy a cream tea, picnic style. Steven is correct that Rick's "Best of" titles are condensed and abbreviated from the larger Rick Steves titles. This time we're enjoying both historic and natural highlights — just hanging out on the southeast coast of England. It has a rugged appeal that makes it a favorite among English holiday goers. These days the town the town handles its flood of summer tourists and day-trippers beautifully. He only books by the day, rather than by the hour. Rick: That's a lot of cream! 16781 posts. WE will be driving from Bath to Cornwall. On the rocky peninsula at the southwest tip of England is a gorgeous slice of Britain: Cornwall. There's also a cliff-hanging coffeehouse (accessible only with admission). The miners brought in tons and tons of raw ore, which was put into big drums like this, which would then tumble, and with the help of metal balls like this, it would break the ore into smaller and smaller pebbles. Miner: Here we are; we're in a section of the tunnels that's 250 years old, approximately. Enjoying the meditative view, I like to ponder how this small island has had an impact far beyond its shores. Stone circles hosted ritual gatherings and functioned as celestial calendars. The service [at Mackerel Sky Seafood Restaurant] is friendly, and the atmosphere is casual and fun. England's Cornwall. I like the idea of taking the train as far as Exeter and then hiring the car , On the trips that I have made to Cornwall , I picked up the car at Heathrow and drove , but I made a number of stops along the way , thus breaking up the drive . Then, after they laid cables, in 1870, it took nine minutes. I mean, 200 years ago for the miners and today? Anne is quite a mystery for us, because she leads a very private life. Video / Cornwall, England: St. Michael's Mount and Penzance; Facebook; Twitter; Pinterest; Email; Share. If they missed it, they would possibly starve. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. For us travelers. The seaside trail broadens to a promenade as it passes Penzance — long the leading port of the peninsula. Filming our Cornwall episode in southwest England, we enjoyed a play at the amazing Minack Theatre. The Cornish people spoke their own language, which thrived for centuries. Dartmoor gives you a chance to be alone with England's history, jaded sheep, stately wild ponies, and seemingly endless moors. Even if you're not into heavy metal, this unique look at tin mining is fascinating. The PBS series Poldark shows the heyday of Cornwall ‘s tin-mining industry. St Michael’s Mount and Penzance . The far southwest of England is a world unto itself, with a persistent Cornish culture. Tim picked us up at our hotel in Bath. WE have about 4-5 days. The Cornish people spoke their own language, which thrived for centuries. Rocky, remote, and romantic, the ruins, while scant, are strikingly situated. A lot of it was destroyed then by the Spanish Armada in 1595. This evocative coast is dotted with 19th-century Industrial Age ruins. Thank you for helping us improve PBS Video. While they may look soft, they're hard as rock. This tranquil, forgotten stone circle is reachable only by a scenic stroll across a moor — making it a great sampling of what Dartmoor is all about: as much about the journey as about the destination. If I were to do the trip over again, I would have stayed someplace further north. That's all he needed. Rick Steves England, the complete guide, ... Portsmouth, Dartmoor, Cornwall, Oxford, Blackpool, and some of North Yorkshire), you could opt for getting both Rick Steves England and Rick Steves Scotland. 16781 posts. Copy a link to this video to your clipboard. Rick: It's just, you come out the mine, and you're going to eat, and you're hungry? I'm glad Tim's doing the driving. You can get some fast-travel timing ideas from Rick's South England tour itinerary, but allow more time, if you have it. Stone-slab "clapper" bridges — some medieval and some even ancient — remind hikers that for thousands of years, humans have trod these same paths and forded these same streams. He showed us many villages, towns and moors before dropping us at our base for the night - Port Issac. Exploring it, you'll gain an appreciation for the simple yet noble life of miners. Tim: Pasty, yeah. And today, the last mine to close is now open to visitors — dedicated to telling the miners’ story. That tour didn't have time (or maybe a small enough vehicle) for some spots of possible interest like Mousehole or the Minack Theatre. Thanks for joining us. We are Doc Martin fans and this is where it is filmed. Its "capstan," or winch, still hauls a few tough little boats up the cobbled landing. You've just tried to add this video to My List. Tim offers the perfect mix of expertise and teaching, enjoyable company, and great driving. Rick explores salty pirates' towns and Dartmoor National Park. For us travelers. Walking all or even part of the South West Coast Path, you'll enjoy memorable moments around every corner. Imagine the work involved in quarrying and then shipping slabs of granite from this tiny bay. We can remove the first video in the list to add this one. You can imagine them quietly beaching their boats by moonlight. Rick: Even under the sea if necessary. We'll enjoy a sublime beach, chase blennies in a Victorian rock pool, and then dine on bigger fish. Hiking the Penwith Peninsula can be like exploring an open-air archaeological museum. And for our main course, it's hake, lobster, and haddock — all locally caught. He explores a world of flowers springing from towering hedges, a tin-mining heritage going back to biblical times, salty pirates' towns and fishing villages, and the Land's End of England. The rugged beauty of the hotels and guesthouses that Rick lists in Cornwall just. Scant, are filled with earth, and this little port was its hub then are overgrown vegetation. 'D be a great take out meal for a thousand years, the last tin mine close. 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