MUSEUMS IN CORNWALL
Index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 
 Click here for more information

see also:   Art Galleries in Cornwall

Cornwall's climate and its scenery, not least its spectacular coastal scenery, and historic towns and villages attract a large number of visitors to the county. Many of the towns have their own museums an some places such as Looe have two. Not only are these of great interest locally, to resident or visitor alike, but collectively they hold a great repository of of Cornish artifacts and Cornish history.

The initial aim of this page is to allow the student or browser of Cornish history a ready means of locating individual museums. We hope, as time and other resources allow, to complete the gazeteer to include all the museums in the county (in similar fashion to our "Mills of Dorset" page). Later we hope, with the co-operation of the museums involved, to create a "virtual" "Museum of Cornwall". Whatever your interest, your comments would be very much appreciated.

THIS PAGE IS SHORTLY TO BE REPLACED BY A DYNAMIC PAGE BASED ON A DATABASE WHICH WILL MAKE IT MUCH EASIER TO USE AND LINK TO MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE WEST COUNTRY.

. . . . . . . . . . . . THIS MESSAGE IS PARTICULARLY FOR YOU IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN ANY MUSEUM IN CORNWALL IN ANY WAY . . . . . . . . . . . .

We will consider this page to be somewhere about where we envisage when it works along similar lines to the Devons' Museums site;-

CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT

BibliographyBy LocationBy NameDiscuss this Page
GazeteerHits on this PageLegalsLinksLocallyTime-Line
Classified

Communications
  Goonhilly Earth satellite Station Lizard Peninsula
  Porthcurno Telegraph Museum Porthcurno
  Lizard Wireless Station Lizard Peninsula
County Museum
  Royal Cornwall Museum Truro
Maritime Museums
  Cornwall Maritime Museum Falmouth
  Cotehele Quay Museum Cotehele Quay
  Living From the Sea Museum Looe
  Lizard Lighthouse Lizard Peninsula
  National Maritime Museum Cornwall Falmouth
  Padstow Museum Padstow
  Pendeen Lighthouse Pendeen
  Shipwreck, Rescue & Heriatge Centre Charlestown
  Trinity House National Lighthouse Centre Penzance
Mining
  Blue Hills Cornish Tin Experience St Agnes
  Camborne School of Mines Geological Museum & Gallery Camborne
  Cornish Mines & Engines (Pool) Pool
  Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen
  King Edward Mine Troon
  Levant Steam Engine Trewellard
  Poldark Mine Wendron
  Tolgus Tin Portreath
  Trevithick Cottage Penponds
  Wheal Martyn (China Clay) Carthew
Miscellaneous
  British Cycling Museum Penzance
  Cornwall Geological Museum Penzance
  St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre St Austell
Railway
  Launceston Steam Railway
Religion
  Wesley Cottage Trewint
Town Museums
  Bodmin Museum Bodmin
  Lawrence House Museum Launceston
  Liskeard & District Museum Liskeard
  Mevagissey Museum Mevagissey
  Old Guild Hall Museum Looe
  St Agnes Museum St Agnes
  St Ives Museum St Ives
  Wayside Folk Museum Zennor
Witchcraft
  The Museum Of Witchcraft Boscastle

BibliographyBy LocationClassifiedDiscuss this Page
GazeteerHits on this PageLegalsLinksLocallyTime-Line
By Name

Blue Hills Cornish Tin Experience St Agnes
Bodmin Museum Bodmin
British Cycling Museum Camelford
Bude Stratton Museum Bude
Camborne School of Mines Geological Museum & Gallery Pool
Cornish Mines & Engines (Pool) Pool
Cornwall Geological Museum Penzance
Cornwall Maritime Museum Falmouth
Cotehele Quay Museum Cotehele Quay
Crystal Cave Boscastle
Daphne Dumauriers Smugglers At Jamaica Inn Bolventor
Duke Of Cornwalls Light Infantry Military Museum Bodmin
Geevor Tin Mine Pendeen
Goonhilly Earth Satellite Station Lizard Peninsula
King Edward Mine Troon
Lawrence House Museum Launceston
Levant Steam Engine Trewellard
Liskeard & District Museum Liskeard
Living From the Sea Museum Looe
Lizard Lighthouse Lizard Peninsula
Lizard Wireless Station Lizard Peninsula
Look 3d Boscastle
Mevagissey Museum Mevagissey
National Maritime Museum Cornwall Falmouth
Old Guild Hall Museum Looe
Padstow Museum Padstow
Pendeen Lighthouse Pendeen
Poldark Mine Wendron
Porthcurno Telegraph Museum Porthcurno
Potters Museum Of Curiosity Bolventor
Royal Cornwall Musem Truro
Shipwreck, Rescue & Heriatge Centre Charlestown
St Agnes Museum St Agnes
St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre St Austell
St Ives Museum St Ives
The Museum Of Witchcraft Boscastle
Tolgus Tin Portreath
Trevithick Cottage Penponds
Trinity House National Lighthouse Centre Penzance
Wayside Folk Museum Zennor
Wesley Cottage Trewint
Wheal Martyn Carthew

BibliographyBy NameClassifiedDiscuss this PageGazeteer
Hits on this PageLegalsLinksLocallyTime-Line
By Location

Bodmin Bodmin Museum
Bodmin Duke Of Cornwalls Light Infantry Military Museum
Bolventor Daphne Dumauriers Smugglers At Jamaica Inn
Bolventor Potters Museum Of Curiosity
Boscastle Crystal Cave
Boscastle Look 3d
Boscastle The Museum Of Witchcraft
Camborne Camborne School of Mines Geological Museum & Gallery
Camelford British Cycling Museum
Carthew Wheal Martyn
Charlestown Shipwreck, rescue & Heriatge Centre
Cotehele Quay Cotehele Quay Museum
Falmouth Cornwall Maritime Museum
Falmouth National Maritime Museum Cornwall
Launceston Lawrence House Museum
Liskeard Liskeard & District Museum
West Street, Liskeard
Lizard Peninsula Goonhilly Earth Satellite Station
Lizard Peninsula Lizard Lighthouse
Lizard Peninsula Lizard Wireless Station
Looe Old Guild Hall Museum
  Living From the Sea Museum
Lostwithiel Lostwithiel Museum
Megavissey Megavissey Museum
Padstow Padstow Museum
Pendeen Geevor Tin Mine
Pendeen Pendeen Lighthouse
Penponds Trevithick Cottage
Penzance Cornwall Geological Museum
Penzance Trinity House National Lighthouse Centre
Pool Cornish Mines & Engines (Pool)
Porthcurno Porthcurno Telegraph Museum
Portreath Tolgus Tin
St Agnes St Agnes Museum
St Agnes Blue Hills Cornish Tin Experience
St Austell St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre
St Ives St Ives Museum
St Keyne Magnificent Music Machines Museum
Trewellard Levant Steam Engine
Trewint Wesley Cottage
Troon King Edward Mine
Truro Royal Cornwall Museum
Wendron Poldark Mine
Zennor Wayside Folk Museum

BibliographyBy LocationBy NameClassified
Discuss this PageHits on this PageLegalsLinksLocally
Time-Line
Gazeteer

BLUE HILLS CORNISH TIN EXPERIENCE   St Agnes
Handle the heavy tin stones. Watch them being crushed under Cornish tin stamps and processed to a rich black tin concentrate. See the brilliant white metal we have smelted in our furnace. Tin giftware and jewellery for sale, cast here from beautiful refined Blue Hills Tin.

BRITISH CYCLING MUSEUM   Camelford
Our Museum, the nation's foremost museum of cycling history, is housed in an old Victorian Railway Station. It opened for the first time to the public on the April 17th, 1992 following years of amassing cycling memorabilia as a hobby; over 400 examples of cycles; old cycle repair workshop; over 1000 cycling medals, fobs and badges from 1881; extensive library of books; the first cycle oil lamp and window displays of gas, candle, battery and oil lighting; gallery of framed cycling pictures; displays of ceramic cycling items and models of cycling; a history of cycling from 1818.

BUDE STRATTON MUSEUM   Bude
Canal related displays in the museum show the planning, building and working era of the Bude Canal, and include a working model of an incline plane. Photographs and text also show the decline of the canal and the present-day state of much of its course, the first two miles of which are in usable order.

CAMBOURNE SCHOOL OF MINES GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM & GALLERY   Camborne
Displays of rocks and minerals from all over the world - colourful and interesting as well as educational. Added to this a backdrop of pictures (changed every month) by artists living or working in Cornwall, a coffee corner and a shop, making a worthwhile visit for all the family.

CORNISH MINES & ENGINES (POOL)   Pool
Discover the secrets of the dramatic Cornish landscape, at Pool, just off the A30. With the expert guidance of local people, see how these engine houses functioned, for pumping the mines dry or for winding men and materials out of the depths. Richard Trevithick, the famous Cornish engineer applied high pressure steam to engines, allowing mining to take place at even greater depths, technology which was then exported all over the world. At Pool you can see Michell's 1887 winder, which now operates under electrical power, but originally raised ore and miners from 1600ft below surface. Across the main road at Taylor's Shaft, its chimney with E P A L written down the side is the massive pumping engine with a 90 inch single cylinder and 52 ton beam. This is now the site of the Cornwall Industrial Discovery Centre. There are displays, and a specialist shop run by friendly staff.

CORNWALL GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM   Penzance
Entirely devoted to the Earth Sciences with stunning mineral and intriguing fossil displays. Witness the violent geological processes that have shaped our planet's surface over the last four billion years. Plus unique gifts, educational material & books in our shop.

CORNWALL MARITIME MUSEUM   Falmouth
Displays about Cornwall and the sea; the Falmouth Packet Service; Ship models; Artefacts; Paintings; Shipbuilding; Navigation; Wrecks; Lifesaving and a database of Cornish-built vessels from 1786 to 1914.

COTEHELE QUAY MUSEUM   Cotehele Quay
The Shamrock: Tamar river sailing barge, built 1899, restored in 1970s. Ketch rig, 37 tonnes, 57 ft length. Small quayside museum tells story of Shamrock, & trade on West Country rivers & coast. (Branch of National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, & National Trust)

DUKE OF CORNWALL'S LIGHT INFANTRY MILITARY MUSEUM   Bodmin
Displays cover history of the Regiment (32 & 46 Foot) from 1702 until 1959. An important collection of military small arms since mid-18C, uniforms, pictures and artefacts. Library and Archives.

GEEVOR TIN MINE   Pendeen
Geevor Tin Mine, the last working mine in West Penwith and now a mining museum, provides you with a unique opportunity to experience the history of this traditional Cornish industry. Geevor Tin Mine sits on the breath-taking West Penwith coast in an area rich with natural beauty and historic interest. Expert guides, an under-ground tour, displays of original mining machinery and a fascinating museum bring the past to life. With a well-stocked shop, and restaurant serving home-made Cornish fare, at Geevor you experience more than a mine.

GOONHILLY SATELLITE EARTH STATION   Lizard Peninsula
Goonhilly, situated near Helston on the beautiful Lizard Peninsula, is the largest satellite earth station in the world. With the ability to transmit to every corner of the globe via space, and through undersea fibre optic cables, Goonhilly simultaneously handles millions of international phone calls, emails, and television broadcasts.

KING EDWARD MINE   Troon
King Edward Mine was built as a training mine for the students at Camborne School of Mines and lies at Troon just South of Camborne. It is a complete miniature mine with an underground training mine, a miniature processing plant, a lecture theatre and the remains of all the other surface buildings of a mine at the turn of the 19th Century. The mine is still used by Camborne School of Mines to train students, but part of the site is no longer required. For many years volunteers have been restoring the Mill, which still contains the last working Californian stamps in Britain, together with working examples of round frames, rag frames and a Cornish buddle.

LAUNCESTON STEAM RAILWAY  
Launceston Steam Railway runs through the beautiful Kensey valley from Launceston to the hamlet of New Mills. The narrow gauge locomotives were built in Victorian times and are among the oldest in regular use. The railway terminus (close to the ancient walled town of Launceston) also provides a buffet, book and gift shop and a transport museum. Trains run at frequent intervals from 11am - 4.30pm. tel: 01566 775665

LEVANT STEAM ENGINE   Trewellard
In its tiny engine house perched on the cliff edge, the famous Levant beam engine is steaming again after sixty idle years. The sight, sounds and smells of this 160-year-old engine conjure up the feel of Cornwall�s industrial past. Half a mile along the cliff is Geevor mine (not NT) and a mining museum. A short underground tour takes the visitor from the miners� dry to the main engine shaft via a spiral staircase.

LIZARD LIGHTHOUSE   Lizard Peninsula
Mainland Britain's most southerley lighthouse, first built in 1751. An unforettable visit to the engine room and the top of the lighthouse tower.

LIZARD WIRELESS STATION   Lizard Peninsula
Built in 1900 by Guglielmo Marconi to operate a ship-to-shore wireless telegraphy business to help fund his experiments in long distance signals. It is the oldest purpose-built radio station in the world and continued as a ship-to-shore station until the First World War when Land's End Radio Station was constructed. Purchased in 1995 by the National Trust in a poor state, the Trust restored it to its original form.

MEVAGISSEY MUSEUM   Mevagissey
The collection, housed in a boatbuilder's workshop of 1745, is mainly of local domestic and agricultural items, but includes builders' half-models, an "Armada" chest and other artefacts from the local fishing and maritime community.

NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM CORNWALL   Falmouth

Housed in an award winning building on the Falmouth harbour-side, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall transports you into the world of small boats and Cornish maritime history. Hands on interactive displays, sailing model boats, full size craft from the national small boat collection and windows looking under the ocean. Whether or not the sea is in your blood you are guaranteed to be entertained, educated and inspired.

PADSTOW MUSEUM   Padstow
General collection includes features on the local lifeboat, ship-building, shipwrecks, rescues and a collection of shipwright's tools.

PENDEEN LIGHTHOUSE   Pendeen
This lonely lighthouse is set on one of the most dangerous and dramatic stretches of coastline in Britain. In the days of sailing ships and unsophisticated navigational equipment, many vessels foundered on the rocks, but today, thanks to the constant source of light from Pendeen, wrecks are a rarity.

POLDARK MINE   Wendron
A genuine Cornish tin mine re-opened as a fascinating family attraction. Take a trip underground (children under four at guide's discretion). There are craft shops and workshops. There is a children's play area, amusements, gold panning, ten-pin bowling and a chance to participate in crafts such as pottery, candle-making and ceramics. Dogs on leads welcome on site, but not down mine.
Site:       Underground Tour:  

PORTHCURNO TELEGRAPH MUSEUM
Porthcurno was the site of the landfall of the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable in 1970. During World War II, the communications centre here was moved into bomb-proof underground tunnels. The former installation is now the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum with exhibitions on communications from Victorian times to the present day.

SHIPWRECK, RESCUE & HERITAGE CENTRE   Charlestown
Located in a historic china clay building, we offer visitors an insight into the history of Charlestown and shipwrecks. We have the largest exhibition of artifacts recovered by divers, on public display in the UK. Walk through underground tunnels where clay trucks were pushed out to the ships in the port.

ST AGNES MUSEUM   St Agnes
The collective memory of a community and a delightful introduction to a Cornish parish. From Tin Mining to Turtles, Fishing to Folklore. a visit to this free museum will appeal to all ages. Pick up your free colour guide to the Trevaunance Trail and experience Cornwall's Atlantic coast, at its best.

ST AUSTELL BREWERY VISITOR CENTRE   St Austell
Tours of a traditional brewery follow the brewing process from start to finish.

THE ROYAL CORNWALL MUSEUM   Truro
The Royal Institution of Cornwall (founded in 1818) moved to the River Street site in 1819. The museum features collections that depict Cornish history from the earliest times, the Rashleigh mineral collection, pottery, including work by Bernard Leach, and natural history exhibits. The art gallery includes paintings by the well-known Cornish artist John Opie. There are also visiting exhibitions throughout the year.

THE ST IVES MUSEUM   St Ives
This unique museum contains many varied collections relating to the life and times of the town and county; Art; Blacksmith; Boat Building; Cornish Kitchen; Crysede; Farming; Fire Brigade; Fishing; Flags; Geology; Hain Steamship Company; Lifeboat; Lighthouses; Mining; Models; Photographs; Police; Railway; Rooks of TrelawnePhotographic Exhibition; Shipwrecks; Toys; Victorian Clothes; Wartime Memorabilia and much more.

TOLGUS TIN   Portreath
On the B3300, Redruth to Portreath road at the Cornish Goldcentre. A unique and important part of Cornwall's history, the only remaining tin streaming mill in the Duchy of Cornwall, now rescued by the Trevithick Trust in partnership with Cornish Goldsmiths. Its importance can be gauged from the fact that this site is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Open every day excepting Christmas Day.
 

TREVITHICK COTTAGE   Penponds
Tucked away in the village of Penponds near Camborne was the childhood home Richard Trevithick (1771-1833),one of the most briliant engineers of his time, described as "mercurial, erratic and inspired".

TRINITY HOUSE NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE CENTRE   Penzance
The job of the lighthouse keeper has gone, replaced by automation, but stories of the life are told through the items previously found in daily use, evident throughout the museum. The collection includes lamps, clocks, furniture, uniforms, fog-horns, engines and some major optics removed from lighthouses. Situated in the former buoy store, 300 metres from the harbour car park.

WAYSIDE FOLK MUSEUM   Zennor
A unique private museum opened in 1935, covering all aspects of life in Zennor and the surrounding area from 3,000 BC to the 1930s. Exhibits include Waterwheels, Millhouse, Wheelwright's, Blacksmith's, a Miller's cottage with kitchen and parlour, tin mining, fishing, domestic life and archaeology and a Children's Museum Quiz Trail.

WESLEY COTTAGE   Trewint
John Welsey, founder of the Methodist movement, stayed at the cottage of stonemason Digory Isbell who, reading about the Shunamite woman who built a Prophet's Chamber for a man of God in his Bible, took the passage to contain a divine command and started building a two storey extension at the back of the house for the use of Wesley and his preachers when they were in the area. Restored in 1950, the cottage is open to the public as a Methodist museum and place of Pilgrimage.

WHEAL MARTYN   Carthew
The story of China clay is fascinating. In the 18th century prestigious porcelain companies competed to produce the finest china. Companies like Wedgewood have been buying China clay from Cornwall since the 18th century making tableware fit for royalty. Today the processing of China clay is Cornwall's largest industry. Set within the 26 acre site of two former 19th century china clay works, Wheal Martyn takes you through the story of China clay production from 1800 to the present day. There's plenty of variety for all the family, in the form of three trails.

BibliographyBy LocationBy NameClassified
Discuss this PageGazeteerHits on this PageLegalsLinks
Locally
Time-Line

This time-line has been generated for this page from our general time-line
which you can view by clicking here or on the dates in the left-hand column.

To view links to related pages, click here

1992.Apr.17British Cycling Museum opens at Camelford in Cornwall
BAAAGEAE BAAAGBHZ BAAAGBIC

Year   Word/Phrase    
BibliographyBy LocationBy NameClassified
Discuss this PageGazeteerHits on this PageLegalsLocally
Time-Line
Links

Links to Other Pages on This Site

Cornwall
  Tin Mining
  Tin Mines
 

Links to Other Sites

. . . . . the inclusion of these links to other sites is for the interest and convenience of visitors to this site only and does not imply any endorsement of the products or services offered by the individuals or organisations involved nor the accuracy of the information contained therein . . . . .

 

BibliographyBy LocationBy NameClassified
Discuss this PageGazeteerHits on this PageLegalsLinks
Time-Line
Locally

Links to Other Pages on this Site

 

By LocationBy NameClassifiedDiscuss this PageGazeteer
Hits on this PageLegalsLinksLocallyTime-Line
Bibliography

Recommend a Book for this Page

 


BibliographyBy LocationBy NameClassified
Discuss this PageGazeteerLegalsLinksLocallyTime-Line
Hits on this Page
Hits on this page since December 6th

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

current year: previous year:

 Home Page  Useful National Web Links  Back: Display Previous Frame  Show Page Title Bar  Resize Window: 800x600 Resize Window: 1024x768
 
Links

 Click here for more information

 Close this Menu Panel
ALPHABETICAL
SITE INDEX
Select ;-

Aa-Az   Ba-Bz   Ca-Cz   Da-Dz   Ea-Ez   Fa-Fz   Ga-Gz   Ha-Hz   Ia-Iz   Ja-Jz   Ka-Kz   La-Lz   Ma-Mz   Na-Nz   Oa-Oz   Pa-Pz   Qa-Qz   Ra-Rz   Sa-Sz   Ta-Tz   Ua-Uz   Va-Vz   Wa-Wz   Ya-Yz   
SW COUNTIES
BibliographyBy LocationBy NameClassifiedGazeteer
Hits on this PageLegalsLinksLocallyTime-Line
Discuss this Page

No messages posted on this page

Only Members of the Site can post messages in this section. Signing in is easy from our Home Page.

BibliographyBy LocationBy NameClassified
Discuss this PageGazeteerHits on this PageLinksLocally
Time-Line
Legals

DISCLAIMER: Whilst we endeavour to ensure the content of this site is correct, we cannot undertake that information you find here, is, or will remain accurate and complete. We do not warrant that any information contained on this site is fit for any purpose. If you wish to place reliance on any such information you must check its accuracy by some other means before doing so.

MEMBERS get aditional features on our pages and will soon be able to interact with the site and add their views and informastion. Sign up, from the Home-Page, is simple and involves typing in your email address and a password of your choice.

If you are in any way connected with any location or interested in the subject mentioned on this page and have an hour or two a month to spare, we would welcome you as a local moderator - please email the webmaster by CLICKING HERE.

Privacy Policy

last updated on
Copyright © 2000-2003 swukink.com
page ref: BAAAGBGL

Commercial Building / Office building|