Driving Tour of West Cornwalls Ancient Roads

West Cornwall has more history per mile than almost anywhere else in Britain. On this self-guided audio driving tour, you’ll trace the deep roots of Kernow, a Celtic kingdom with its own language, legends, and hard-won identity. You’ll make your way through coastal villages, prehistoric monuments, and the ruins of an industry that once powered the world. The tour starts at Penzance – a working port that gave the world both a famous opera and Humphry Davy, the scientist who discovered laughing gas and its possible use as an anaesthetic. You’ll drive through Poldark country at Porthgwarra Cove and arrive at Land’s End, where legend says a drowned kingdom called Lyonesse once stretched toward the Isles of Scilly. The tour ends at Lanyon Quoit, a Neolithic chambered tomb on the open West Penwith moorland, with wide views across the peninsula.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   Pass by

   Marvel at this extraordinary tidal island rising dramatically from the waters of Mount's Bay, crowned by a medieval monastery and fortress that has served as castle, priory, and family home across eight centuries. Explore the cobbled harbour village at its base and discover how this iconic silhouette shifts shape with every change of light, tide, and angle.

2. 2

   Mousehole

   Pass by

   Drive through this impossibly charming fishing village, its granite cottages clustered tightly around one of Cornwall's most picturesque harbours. Hear the beloved story of the Mousehole Cat, the local legend that has made this tiny village known to generations of children far beyond the Cornish coast.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   Pass by

   Gaze at this remarkably well-preserved Bronze Age stone circle, nineteen granite blocks standing in near-perfect formation on the open West Penwith landscape. Discover the Christian folk story bolted onto this ancient monument centuries too late, and consider the far older rituals that drew people to this windswept field long before Cornwall had a name.

4. 4

   Minack Theatre

   Pass by

   Marvel at this breathtaking open-air theatre carved into the granite clifftop above the Atlantic, one of the most dramatic performance venues anywhere in the world. Explore the terraced seating hewn from the rock and enjoy the staggering views across the sea that form the backdrop to every performance staged here.

5. 5

   Land's End

   Pass by

   Stare at the westernmost tip of mainland Britain, where the Atlantic crashes against the cliffs and the horizon stretches toward the Isles of Scilly and the drowned kingdom of Lyonesse beyond. Enjoy one of the most photogenic and elemental landscapes in Britain, where the sheer scale of the ocean makes the rest of the world feel very far away.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   Pass by

   Admire these iconic clifftop engine houses, perched on the very edge of the Atlantic in one of the most dramatic industrial landscapes in Europe. Explore the ruins of a tin and copper mining operation that once extended its shafts far beneath the seabed, its pumping engines audible above the sound of the waves.

7. 7

   Men-an-tol

   Pass by

   Drive past this mysterious Bronze Age monument, three ancient granite stones arranged in a unique formation with a perfectly holed centre stone that has puzzled archaeologists and enchanted visitors for centuries. Discover the extraordinary folklore surrounding this enigmatic site, where locals once passed sick children through the hole in the hope of a cure.

8. 8

   Lanyon Quoit

   Pass by

   Marvel at this striking Neolithic chambered tomb, a massive granite capstone balanced on three upright stones that have stood on the open West Penwith moorland for over 4,000 years. Enjoy the wide, sweeping views across the peninsula and reflect on the ancient civilisation that hauled these vast stones into place long before the first written word.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.