Throughout the Mediaeval period, Mousehole was the major port in Mount's Bay and it had a number of fairs and markets. In the 14th century, its fishing fleet was ten times the size of that of either Penzance or Newlyn. Up until the 12th Century, the village was known as Porth Enys which translates to something along the lines of "Island Port", referring to St Clement's Isle. In the 13th century, the name Mousehole (pronounced "mouzel") began to be used as well - the exact origin is unknown and various theories have been put forward including a possible Cornish name of "Moweshayle". The most well-known candidate is the cave known as "The Mousehole" which does look very much like a mouse hole from a cartoon, but made by a very large mouse! Unsurprisingly, the cave was put to good use by smugglers.
When you reach Little Keigwin, the building to the right is Keigwin House, the oldest building in the town, which dates from the 14th Century. Just before Tide's Reach, on the left, is a plaque dedicated to Dolly Pentreath, one of the last to speak the Cornish Language.
During the Anglo-Spanish War in 1595, five Spanish Galleys carrying several hundred men landed at Point Spaniard, just outside Mousehole. The English Troops stationed there fled leaving the town unprotected. Some of the local people fled up the hill to the church in Paul. The Spaniards killed any men that remained, raped the women, looted the town and then burned it to the ground. The only building left standing which has survived until today is Keigwin House (formerly the Keigwin Arms), named after its owner who was killed there. After burning down Mousehole and Newlyn, the Spaniards followed the locals up the hill and burned Paul too.
Mousehole harbour would have originally been built as a dry-stone granite construction using boulders from the beach or nearby moors stacked on their edges. Letters from the 1760s talk of repairs to the harbour involving floating the boulders into place using casks as buoys. It was rebuilt and extended in the 19th century. During this period, the stone for the quay faces was dressed, creating square blocks which were set in mortar. This was typically backfilled with rubble although older quay structures may sometimes have been incorporated within the backfill.
The Mousehole Bird Hospital, located on Raginnis Hill, was founded in 1928 by two sisters from the village. It became famous in 1967 after the Torrey Canyon disaster where the resulting oil spill was disastrous to seabirds and over 8000 birds were treated in the Mousehole Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is now a registered charity, and is still run solely on voluntary contributions. Visitors are welcomed and admission is free.
On a rough November night in 1907, the Thames barge "Baltic" was on its way to Newlyn with a cargo of cement, but it ran aground on St Clement's Isle on its approach to the harbour. Mousehole fishermen rescued the crew and the captain's wife and daughter by lifting a crabbing boat by hand over the baulks that closed Mousehole harbour to winter seas and then rowing it out to the stranded ship. The ship was later salvaged and one of the crew settled in Mousehole and married the Harbourmaster's daughter.
On your way, you pass the old Coastguard lookout on Penzer point which was used to alert the lifeboat based on Penlee point at the other side of Mousehole.
In December 1981, a new ship - The Union Star - had just been launched in Denmark and was on its way to Ireland, having first made an unauthorised stop on the east coast of England to pick up the captain's wife and her two daughters. Near the south coast of Cornwall, the ship's engines failed and in hurricane-force winds, the ship was blown across Mounts Bay towards the rocks of Boscowen Cove.
Mousehole's Penlee lifeboat was launched with a crew of 8 and in breakers of over 60ft, attempted to pull alongside the coaster, being dropped on top of it by the waves on one occasion. After several attempts, the crew managed to pull alongside the vessel and get the captain's family and one crew member off the ship. As the lifeboat attempted to rescue the remaining crew, it foundered. There were no survivors from either vessel.
Within a day of the disaster, enough people from Mousehole had volunteered to form a new lifeboat crew. The lifeboat now operates out of Newlyn Harbour but is still known as the Penlee lifeboat.
The Kemyel Crease nature reserve is unusual and unmissable due to its huge conifers which form a coastal landmark. These were fast-growing salt-resistant Monterey Pine and Monterey Cypress that were planted in Victorian times to act as windbreaks as the cliff edges were used for growing bulbs and potatoes. These were planted in tiny terraced fields known as "quillets" which were hedged with fuchsia. The reserve contains over 100 of these tiny fields and was purchased by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust in 1974.
The thick tree cover limits what can grow beneath the canopy but the damp conditions are good for fungi. An unusual one known as an Earth Star is reported to grow here. This starts off as an unremarkable-looking brown ball and then the outer layer splits off and peels back to form a star shape, eventually folding underneath like starfish legs. These support a central globe which puffs out spores when drips of rain hit it.
As the conifers eventually die off, they are being replaced with native broadleaf trees which are able to support a more diverse range of wildlife. The Monterey Cypress, in particular, has quite a long life span so this process will be fairly gradual.
On Boxing Day of 1977, a trawler - The Conqueror - ran aground in a severe winter storm on the rocks of Penzer Point. The ship remained on the rocks for a year, during which its cargo of frozen mackerel would have been unmistakable from the coast path! Eventually the boat was washed off the rocks by another storm and since it had been holed when it ran aground, it sank just offshore.
There are excellent views across the bay to the lighthouse from the top and from the end of the Carn Du headland. A small path leads onto the headland from the coast path but is not recommended in wet or windy weather.
The Tater Du lighthouse was built in 1965 after a Spanish coaster capsized in 1963 with the loss of 11 lives, following a campaign from the Newlyn and Mousehole Fishermen's Association to prevent further disasters. From its construction, the lighthouse was designed to be fully automatic, being controlled remotely from the Trinity House depot in Penzance. The lighthouse also had a fog horn, but this was turned off in 2012.
In the 1800s, the son of a large stonemasonry company in London travelled the length of the country searching for accessible granite quarry sites. He finally settled on Lamorna Cove and the quarry on the eastern side of the cove opened in 1849, with quarries on the other side of the cove and in the nearby hamlet of Sheffield also being worked in the late Victorian period, with the last finally closing in 1911. Granite was blasted and then chipped into shape by hand; the ringing noise from the hand-held chisels was reported as being incessant and deafening. The blocks were then loaded onto boats via a metal two-tier metal pier which extended into the sea on the east side of the cove.
Lamorna granite was used in many Victorian engineering projects including the Wolf Rock and Longships lighthouses, Dover Admiralty Pier and breakwaters of Portland and Alderney. A number of iconic parts of London such as The Embankment and New Scotland Yard are also built from it.
The return route is the path to the right, just past the signpost.
You may want to explore Lamorna Cove first (along the path to the left, across the bridge and in front of the cottages).
To continue the walk, follow the path from the junction to a public footpath sign then up through the quarries for about half a mile until it emerges onto another path with a signpost in front of a cottage.
The quay at Lamorna Cove was built in the 1850s. It was badly damaged in 2006 and was then smashed apart in the 2014 storm.
Harbour walls created from mortared square blocks of granite during the Victorian period very quickly become unstable when the mortar between them is eroded by the sea. The large square blocks are particularly susceptible to the hydraulic lifting effect of the sea and the receding waves can suck loose blocks out of the harbour wall.
The previous old-fashioned way of building drystone harbour walls from unshaped boulders stacked on their edges did not suffer this problem, as the hydraulic pressure would be released through the gaps between the stones and the narrow, rounded bottom of each one did not present the sea much surface area to lift against.
The first record of the settlement of Kemyel Wartha is from 1284 as Magna Kemyel (a Latin version of "Greater Kemyel") - a subdivision of Kemyel manor. The Cornish version of the name uses the word wartha (meaning "upper") so this is more along the lines of "Higher Kemyel".
There are over four hundred complete stone crosses in Cornwall and at least another two hundred fragments.
A number of mediaeval crosses have been found built into walls, used as animal rubbing posts, gateposts and stream crossings. Many were rescued and moved into churchyards during Victorian times. A number were also moved from their roadside locations into churchyards.
The Ramblers Association and National Farmers Union suggest some "dos and don'ts" for walkers which we've collated with some info from the local Countryside Access Team.
Do
Don't
Small farms such as this supply milk to Rodda's for their Cornish Clotted Cream.
The Rodda family started making clotted cream in their farmhouse kitchen in Scorrier in 1890, which was initially just sold locally. A breakthrough came in the 1920s when William Rodda developed a technique for preserving the cream in glass jars and this allowed it to be transported to London. Department stores such as Harrods and Fortnum & Mason soon made large orders, but as the Roddas only had 12 cows on their farm, they began buying cream from local farms to supplement their own herd. By the 1930s, the demand had further increased and production was being scaled up, despite the lack of electricity and water on the farm at this point. Although there have been advances in production equipment, food hygiene and packaging, and Rodda's clotted cream is now sold all over the world, the business model hasn't fundamentally changed and cream from local farms is still brought to Scorrier. The milk used in the cream comes only from Cornwall and the farms that supply Rodda's with their cream also need to meet high welfare standards.
The first record of a settlement of Kemyel Crease is from 1283. It is based on the Cornish word cres, meaning "middle".
Orchid flowers can sometimes be seen in the grass here
The orchids are one of the largest families of plants with over 28,000 recorded species, many of which live in the tropics. It is thought that the first orchids evolved somewhere between 80 and 100 million years ago. The word "orchid" comes from the Greek word for testicle on account of the shape of the plant's tuber. Consequently, in mediaeval times, the plant was known as bollockwort.
Cornish clotted cream is described as having a "nutty, cooked milk" flavour and now has a Protected Designation of Origin (it must be made with milk from Cornwall). The unique, slightly yellow colour is due to the high carotene levels in the grass in Cornwall.
Traditionally, clotted cream was created by straining fresh cow's milk and letting it stand in a shallow pan in a cool place for several hours to allow the cream to rise to the surface. It was then heated, either over hot cinders or in a water bath, before a slow cooling. The clots that had formed on the top were then skimmed off with a long-handled cream-skimmer.
Clotted cream is similar to Kaymak (or Kajmak), a delicacy that is made throughout the Middle East, Southeast Europe, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Turkey. It is possible that it was introduced to Cornwall by Phoenician traders who ventured to the area in search of tin.
Kemyel Drea is thought to be on the site of the original settlement of Kemyel which was recorded in 1185 as Chemiel. The name is based on a Cornish word yel which means "fertile upland". The settlement was later subdivided into Kemyel Wartha (higher), Kemyel Nessa (second), Kemyel Crease (middle) and Kemyel Pella (further) and this one where Drea is a version of tre (meaning farmstead).
Note that the kissing gates each have latches. Close the latches as well as the gates as you go through to prevent inquisitive animals getting stuck in the gates.
The inland footpath between Mousehole and Lamorna Cove was used at the start of the 20th Century for the daily postal delivery route from Penzance. After walking through Newlyn and Mousehole, the postman would walk through the three farms, crossing 15 stiles and then descend the quarry road to Lamorna Cove before climbing the valley to Lamorna village where a hut was provided for him to dry out and eat his mid-day meal before continuing on his rounds through Castellack and back to Penzance.
Most of the fields here contain a standing granite stone somewhere in the centre of the field. Their locations suggest that they are scratching posts for itchy cows rather than a prehistoric configuration.
In pre-industrial times, cattle were allowed to roam over quite large areas and could therefore find a suitable tree to relieve an itch. In the Victorian period, farming became more intensive and cattle were moved into enclosed fields. It was quickly discovered that an itchy cow could wreak havoc with walls and fences so dedicated rubbing stones were positioned in the centre of some fields to minimise cow damage. In some cases, new stones were quarried specifically for the purpose and others, existing prehistoric standing stones or even Celtic crosses were unceremoniously re-used.
The long headland in the distance is the Lizard which forms the other side of Mounts Bay.
The name Lizard comes from the Cornish lysardh which literally means "high court" but could also be interpreted as "fortress". It is possibly a reference to the high cliffs along the coast and maybe also that it is a peninsula. Much of the rock making up the peninsula is known as "serpentine" but this is thought to be a coincidence; the name is thought to be based on the appearance of the rock and not a reference to the place name.
In 2007, a 17th Century shipwreck was discovered in the English Channel, roughly 40 miles off Mount's Bay. The gold and silver coins salvaged from the wreck were valued at half a billion US dollars, making it possibly the highest financial value of any shipwreck yet discovered. The wreck lies just outside UK territorial waters, and so the US-based salvage company was able to claim the find for themselves.
Swallows are known by the name "barn swallow" due to their preference for nesting in man-made structures open to the elements such as stables or under bridges. Before these were available, swallows used to nest in caves and on cliff faces but they now nest almost exclusively on man-made structures. In the case of barns, these are conveniently located near insects associated with livestock. They may also be using presence of humans to help keep predators away.
A 17th Century bodkin (blunt needle) made from silver was found in the field here and is now in the British Museum. These were used as hair pins and the outer end has a large needle eye that was used to tie a pearl suspended on a silver wire for extra glam.
Bowjy is a Cornish word meaning cow shed and Raginnis is likely from the Cornish a-rag enys which literally means "in front of the island". St Clement's Isle is quite close and generally thought to be the one in question although there is also a really nice view across Mount's Bay to St Michael's Mount from here.
Penwith is thought to be the last part of Cornwall where the Cornish language was spoken. The language was still in common use in this part of Cornwall at the start of the 18th Century and Dolly Pentreath claimed it was the only language that she spoke until the age of 20. By the end of the 18th Century, it had pretty much died out. Dolly Pentreath was the last recorded speaker and she died in 1777 but it's likely that other less famous speakers outlived her. In 1778, a letter written in Cornish with an English translation was received from a fishermen in Mousehole. The letter stated that he knew of five people who could speak Cornish within Mousehole. There are also accounts of a man from Marazion who spoke Cornish and survived into the 1790s.
The Cornish language (Kernewek) is a Brythonic Celtic language closely related to Welsh. The last native speakers of the language are thought to have died by the end of the 18th Century and the language was classified as extinct. A revival movement started in the late 19th century initially as a result of antiquarian and academic interest. A number of orthographic systems came into use until a Standard Written Form was agreed in 2008. In 2009, UNESCO changed its classification of Cornish from "extinct" to "critically endangered". At the start of the 21st Century, Cornish became the fastest growing language in Europe with the number of Cornish speakers increasing from 300 in 2000 to an estimated 3,000 in 2012. In 2015, Cornwall Council estimated there were about 5,000 people with basic conversational ability and around 300-400 fluent speakers who used the language regularly.
Clover is a native plant and a member of the legume (pea and bean) family. It is also sown as a fodder crop and as "green manure" as it improves soil fertility. The two most common species are known simply as white clover and red clover, based on the colour of their flowers, with the latter generally being a slightly larger plant. Red clover leaves also have a white V shape.
After the Norman conquest in 1066, St Michael's Mount became the possession of the monks of Mont St Michel in Normandy. In the 12th Century they built the church and priory on the island. The original building was destroyed in an earthquake in 1275 and rebuilt in the 14th Century. When Henry V went to war with France, the priory was seized and the French monks evicted, ending the connection with Mont St Michel. After improvements to the harbour in 1727, the mount flourished as a sea port with 53 houses and 3 pubs recorded in 1811. The mount was given to the National Trust in 1954 but the St Aubyn family retained a 999 year lease to inhabit the castle.
Mousehole is home to the infamous Star Gazy Pie.
Stargazy pie is a pastry-based fish pie which, by tradition, is filled with whole pilchards. The pilchards are stuffed with a mixture of bacon, parsley, onions, cider and breadcrumbs. Boiled eggs and bacon are used to cover the pilchards, which are cooked with their heads sticking out of the pastry (hence the name). This allows the oils, released during cooking, to flow back into the pie, keeping the pie moist.
According to legend, the first stargazy pie was made one Christmas in the 16th century, when Tom Bawcock saved the starving villagers of Mousehole by taking his boat out in storm-force winds to bring home a huge catch. Where the starving villagers got the eggs, bacon, pastry and other ingredients from isn't explained in legend, but nevertheless, Tom Bawcock's Eve is still celebrated in Mousehole every December 23 with a lantern parade.
Mousehole's now world-famous Christmas lights were started in 1963 by a local artist, who put a string of bulbs along the quays to brighten things up for Christmas. This caught the imagination of the village and two local carpenters made frames for increasingly elaborate displays including a serpent protruding from the water in the harbour. Many of their designs are still featured although the physical frames have been replaced a number of times due to the beating they take from the violent winter weather and saltwater. On December 19th each year, Mousehole's Christmas lights are dimmed for an hour in memory of those lost in the Penlee lifeboat tragedy.
In the 1880s, Newlyn, according to Wikipedia, "had a number of things guaranteed to attract artists: fantastic light, cheap living, and the availability of inexpensive models"! A colony of artists known as The Newlyn School formed here and painted outdoor scenes from the fishing villages.
In this period, Lamorna also became popular with artists from the Newlyn School, in particular Samuel John Birch who settled in Lamorna in 1892 and became known as Lamorna Birch. A secondary colony subsequently formed around Lamorna. The Lamorna Arts Festival was launched in 2009 to celebrate the original Lamorna Colony and today's Lamorna art community.
The white flowers along the coast in July and August which resemble a more compact version of cow parsley are the delightfully-named sea carrot. Unlike cow parsley, the flowers start off pink and become white as they open and sometimes have a single dark red flower in the centre. It's best to avoid touching the leaves of the sea carrot as they can make skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light which can result in blistering caused by extreme sunburn.
The sea carrot is technically the same species as a wild carrot, from which the carrot was domesticated, but is shorter, stouter and more splayed-out than a wild carrot. The two converge the further north and east that you go in Britain: West Cornwall is therefore the pinnacle of sea carrot evolution.
Pineapple weed is related to chamomile and is consequently also known as false chamomile. Unlike chamomile, it doesn't have white flowers - its flowers consisting of little yellow balls are therefore quite distinctive. Even more so is the fruity pineapple-like scent when is trodden on or squeezed.
Pineapple weed was introduced into the UK in the late 19th Century but is now widely naturalised. One reason it has been so successful is that it is able to colonise poor soils on waste ground including cracks between paving and consequently one of its common names is "street weed". In the rural environment it's often encountered near gateways or tracks through fields where the ground has been disturbed by tractors.
Pineapple weed leaves and flowers can be eaten in salads or dried to make tea. The flower heads can also be used to make a syrup by first infusing the flower heads in simmering water then straining off the liquid and adding sugar to this.
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