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In the time of giants in the Penwith area of Cornwall, there lived a particularly troublesome giant called Bolster, who was of such enormous stature that he could stand with one foot on Carn Brae, and the other on the beacon near St Agnes, a distance of 6 miles. Read More »

Cormoran was the name given to the giant who is said to have built and lived on St Michael's Mount, he was killed by Jack the giant slayer. Read More »

This tale tells of a gentle giant who lived in Cornwall, the land of giants, and a place where they were thought responsible for many of the natural landscape features. The story appears in Traditional and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall by W. Botrell 1870. Read More »

Although this tale is very old, dating from 1665, the year of the great plague, and the year before the Great Fire of London, it is interesting because the person who performed the alleged exorcism recorded the events, and there were a number of witnesses. Although the exorcism was said to be a success her spirit is still said to wander in the local environs. Read More »

The famed Mawnan Owl Man, was seen in the church grounds and the local woods on April 17th, July 3rd 1976, and June 4th, August 2nd 1978. Read More »

A chapel, dedicated to St Michael, was built on this rock in 1409 by a hermit. Traditionally a leper is said to have taken refuge here.

The area is reputed to be haunted by a miner, he makes his presence known either by making noises within the chapel, or by a shadow that flits from rock to rock with no earthly presence to cast it. Read More »

Beyond Land's End stretching to the Isles of Scilly, the lost land of Lyonnesse is reputed to lie. The land is said to have been engulfed by the sea over 900 years ago.

According to tradition the only survivor of the sinking was a man called Trevilian, who rode a white horse before the waves. The family crest shows the image of this white horse. Read More »

Morgawr, which is old Cornish for sea monster and has been seen several times this century.

There have been many sightings since 1926 and some photographs have been taken showing a dark mass with several humps. As with many monster photographs none of the pictures are clear enough to make any snap judgements. Read More »

The Pool has a King Arthur legend, and along with Dozmary pool is supposedly the body of water from which he received Excalibur from the lady of the lake.

A high bar of shingle, called Loe bar separates the pool from the sea. Jan Tregeagle is supposed to have been tripped by demons while engaged in one of his tasks. He dropped a sack full of sand and created Loe Bar. Read More »

Dozmary Pool is associated with many legends. It is suspected of being the body of water into which Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur after King Arthur was mortally wounded. The pool is also said to be a haunt of the Lady of the Lake, guardian of Excalibur. It is also said to be bottomless and to have a tunnel connecting it to the sea. Read More »

The Jamaica Inn is supposedly haunted by two different ghosts. A ghostly sailor is reputed to sit on a wall outside the Inn. The sightings have always been in the same location. The second ghost is that of a man wearing a tricorn hat and a long coat. The apparition was seen by a pair of eye witnesses in 1970 whilst staying overnight in the inn. Read More »

A ghost ship seen off the coast, has been identified with the ship Neptune. Also a ghostly lantern light is said to haunt the shore. It is supposed to be the lantern of a woman who was shipwrecked here and lost her baby to the waves. She is constantly searching for her child. Read More »

Five circular thatched houses, within the village are supposed to have been designed to ensure that the Devil cannot hide in any corners. Each house is topped with a cross, a further deterrent to the Devil. In actuality they were built by the Reverend Jeremiah Trist for his daughters. The houses are now in private ownership. Read More »

A legend associated with this mound was reflected by archaeological findings during excavation. A druid priest was said to haunt the mound, he would offer travellers a drink from a golden cup filled with a magical brew, which could not be drained. Read More »

There are many tales to explain the origin of the spectral wild hunt, this one is from the Parish of St Germans in Cornwall. It explains how a priest with low morals became a demon huntsman.

In the medieval period the priest of the parish of St Germans was called Dando. Dando was not a figure of priestly virtue but abused his powers to enjoy earthly delights. Read More »

In a field on the outskirts of the town, chain rattling spectres have been heard on the site of the town's gibbet. Gibbets were often places associated with hauntings in the past, especially black dogs, which were seen as the spirits of the hanged. Read More »

Standing stones known as the Merry Maidens, lie Southeast of St Buryan, and are thought to date back to the Bronze Age. The circle consists of regular spaced granite stones, most under four feet in height. Read More »

Carn Gluze Long Barrow is a developed site that has seen burials over a long period of time. Early in the history of the barrow a deep shaft was built in the centre of the monument with steps leading down into it, its purpose is unclear although theories of ritual usage have been expounded. Read More »

The Dolphin Inn in Penzance has a long and interesting history, reputedly including amongst its visitors Sir Walter Raleigh and Judge Jeffries .

Judge Jeffries the notorious "Hanging Judge" is said to have held court in the dinning room, after the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion. Read More »

Castle Dore is an Iron age hillfort dating from around 200BC.  It was possibly home to Cunomonus a local king who had a son called Drustanus. The castle is also associated with the legend of Tristan and Isolde. Read More »

Men-an-Tol, consist of a holed stone (with the largest hole of any British holed stone) between two upright stones, with other fallen stones nearby. The holed stone is considered to be the remains of an entrance to a chambered tomb. The whole structure having been covered with a mound of earth. As with many of these cromlechs it is difficult to image a mound covering them at any time. Read More »

Also known as The Giants Table, Lanyon Quoit is a Neolithic burial mound dating back to 2500BC. The chambered tomb is made up of three upright granite blocks and a capstone, the covering mound has long since weathered away. Read More »

The remains of this Iron Age village dating from around 200BC, houses a 66-foot long fogou. A fogou is an underground passage, completed in stone and covered with earth. They date from the Iron Age period to the Roman occupation.

There is some speculation as to their purpose. Whether they are storage facilities, safe havens from attackers or channels for earth currents is debatable. Read More »

The Hurlers are three stone circles situated on moorland to the Northwest of Minions. The circles are aligned Southwest to Northeast and consist of low granite blocks of varying shapes and sizes. They date back to the Bronze Age period. According to legend they are reputed to be the petrified remains of men who were hurling on the Sabbath. Read More »

St Michael's Mount is a picturesque rocky island that has been described as the 'Jewel in Cornwall's crown' - perhaps a reason for its popularity with visitors. Read More »