Interesting Facts About Cornwall You Probably Didn’t Know
Cornwall is one of the most beloved places in the UK for stays, but there are so many things about Cornwall that not a lot of people know and are very interesting to learn about before your next visit. Some of these facts will even make you rethink what you know about the Cornish seaside county, Cornwall has so much history and so much of it is unknown, so here are 8 facts you probably didn’t know about Cornwall.
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Cornish pasties were originally created for the cornish tin miners to take to work. They needed a substantial and nourishing snack to keep their energy up throughout their long working hours.
The large crusts were added so that the cornish miners had something to hold and once they had eaten the rest of the pastie, they would throw the crust away. This is because of all the harmful and poisonous chemicals that were involved in tin mining, the large crust meant that the pasties wouldn’t get contaminated.
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Three sides of the beautiful southern county are covered by clear blue oceans which means that the county has the longest coastlines in the whole of the UK, the coast has actually been measured to be a colossal 1,086km, which doesn’t even include the coasts of the isle of scilly. The gorgeous Cornish coastline is the perfect setting for romantic walks, breathing in the sea air and taking in the astonishing scenery.
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The Eden Project is a “global garden” with plants from all over the globe. Because of this, Cornwall is home to the largest collection of species found in the British isles. Plants have been collected from all around the world and are kept in two huge biomes, which activate the exact temperature that the plants need to survive.
The larger biome mimics a rainforest and the smaller biome recreates the gorgeous mediterranean. This means that even in the colder months, the plants are in an area with temperatures of over 28 degrees.
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One of the lesser-known facts about Cornwall is that it has its own language, Kernewek. The language comes from celtic origin but it sadly began its decline in the18th and 19th century.
Most reports say that the last person who spoke Kernewek as a first language died in 1777 and was a lady named Dolly Pentreath, however, there are some claims that the last native speaker didn’t die until much more recently in 1914. Although, in recent years, schools have begun teaching the language in hopes of a Kernewek revival.
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You may not realise quite how vast the aquatic animals that habitat the area are. Of course they have crustaceans and small common fish, but the waters also house larger animals such as Bottlenose Dolphins, Grey Seals, Basking Sharks, and Whale Sharks, which sound extremely intimidating, but they only actually eat plankton. Recently a Blue Shark even took a trip to the harbour in St Ives, although some experts believe that the shark may have just got lost.
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Surfing is obviously one of the most popular activities in Cornwall, and with the stunning crystal clear waters, we can see why. However, a lot of people don’t realise just how striking the waves can become, especially on Fistral Beach, which is located on the Newquay coastline. During winter storms, the waves can reach breathtaking heights of around 30ft, definitely not for the faint hearted, but these waves are a surfer's dream.
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The cornish flag is known as St Piran’s flag or “Baner Peran” in Kernewek, it is a black flag with a white cross through centre and a lot of of Cornish people use it to symbolise their identity. Whilst the exact date the flag was created is unknown, the earliest reports of the flag being used date back to 1188, when the flag was being used in crusades.
It was then accredited to Saint Piran who was a 5th century Cornish patron saint. Many locals celebrate this flag and some even have stickers of the flag on their cars and fly the flag on masts in their gardens.
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Clearly with a coastline of over 1,000km you would expect Cornwall to have a huge amount of beaches, but over 300 is astounding. Cornwall has beaches that are suited for everyone, if you are wanting to have a whimsical picnic on the beach then visiting one of the beautiful secluded coves is a must.
If you are on a fun filled family holiday, then the long golden sandy beaches are perfect and the pebbled beaches can act as a great setting for a seashell pirate treasure hunt.
There are also many different dog friendly beaches so you don’t have to leave your furry friend behind. The majority of the beaches also have highly qualified lifeguards so you can relax whilst your children have fun and of course you can’t forget about the iconic surfing beaches, some of which offer surfing lessons, you can find out more about that here.
Cornish Pasties Are Very Practical
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Cornish pasties were originally created for the cornish tin miners to take to work. They needed a substantial and nourishing snack to keep their energy up throughout their long working hours.
The large crusts were added so that the cornish miners had something to hold and once they had eaten the rest of the pastie, they would throw the crust away. This is because of all the harmful and poisonous chemicals that were involved in tin mining, the large crust meant that the pasties wouldn’t get contaminated.
Cornwall Has The Longest Coastline In The Country
Image source
Three sides of the beautiful southern county are covered by clear blue oceans which means that the county has the longest coastlines in the whole of the UK, the coast has actually been measured to be a colossal 1,086km, which doesn’t even include the coasts of the isle of scilly. The gorgeous Cornish coastline is the perfect setting for romantic walks, breathing in the sea air and taking in the astonishing scenery.
Cornwall Has The Largest Selection Of Plant Species In The UK
Image source
The Eden Project is a “global garden” with plants from all over the globe. Because of this, Cornwall is home to the largest collection of species found in the British isles. Plants have been collected from all around the world and are kept in two huge biomes, which activate the exact temperature that the plants need to survive.
The larger biome mimics a rainforest and the smaller biome recreates the gorgeous mediterranean. This means that even in the colder months, the plants are in an area with temperatures of over 28 degrees.
Cornwall Has A Native Language
Image source
One of the lesser-known facts about Cornwall is that it has its own language, Kernewek. The language comes from celtic origin but it sadly began its decline in the18th and 19th century.
Most reports say that the last person who spoke Kernewek as a first language died in 1777 and was a lady named Dolly Pentreath, however, there are some claims that the last native speaker didn’t die until much more recently in 1914. Although, in recent years, schools have begun teaching the language in hopes of a Kernewek revival.
Some Cornish Waters Are Shark Infested
Image source
You may not realise quite how vast the aquatic animals that habitat the area are. Of course they have crustaceans and small common fish, but the waters also house larger animals such as Bottlenose Dolphins, Grey Seals, Basking Sharks, and Whale Sharks, which sound extremely intimidating, but they only actually eat plankton. Recently a Blue Shark even took a trip to the harbour in St Ives, although some experts believe that the shark may have just got lost.
Waves Reach Unbelievable Heights
Image source
Surfing is obviously one of the most popular activities in Cornwall, and with the stunning crystal clear waters, we can see why. However, a lot of people don’t realise just how striking the waves can become, especially on Fistral Beach, which is located on the Newquay coastline. During winter storms, the waves can reach breathtaking heights of around 30ft, definitely not for the faint hearted, but these waves are a surfer's dream.
There Is A Cornish Flag
Image source
The cornish flag is known as St Piran’s flag or “Baner Peran” in Kernewek, it is a black flag with a white cross through centre and a lot of of Cornish people use it to symbolise their identity. Whilst the exact date the flag was created is unknown, the earliest reports of the flag being used date back to 1188, when the flag was being used in crusades.
It was then accredited to Saint Piran who was a 5th century Cornish patron saint. Many locals celebrate this flag and some even have stickers of the flag on their cars and fly the flag on masts in their gardens.
Cornwall Has Over 300 Beaches
Image source
Clearly with a coastline of over 1,000km you would expect Cornwall to have a huge amount of beaches, but over 300 is astounding. Cornwall has beaches that are suited for everyone, if you are wanting to have a whimsical picnic on the beach then visiting one of the beautiful secluded coves is a must.
If you are on a fun filled family holiday, then the long golden sandy beaches are perfect and the pebbled beaches can act as a great setting for a seashell pirate treasure hunt.
There are also many different dog friendly beaches so you don’t have to leave your furry friend behind. The majority of the beaches also have highly qualified lifeguards so you can relax whilst your children have fun and of course you can’t forget about the iconic surfing beaches, some of which offer surfing lessons, you can find out more about that here. 
