A new initiative which aims to shine a light on the unrecognised figures of Cornish history is set to unveil its first plaque this May.
Pobel a Gernow (“People of Cornwall”) celebrates the achievements of previously overlooked people who have made a significant impact on Cornish history, by installing plaques on buildings that are important to their stories.
The first plaque is set to be unveiled in Liskeard on Friday 9th May and will celebrate the achievements of Albert de Castro Glubb – a solicitor who was instrumental in rescuing and protecting a number of historic sites and ancient monuments in the 1930s. These included King Doniert’s Stone, St Keyne Well, The Hurler Stone Circles and Dupath Well to name but a few.
Albert de Castro Glubb wearing the Liskeard Mayoral Chain in 1904 (Image credit – Liskeard Old Cornwall Society)
He was the first President of the Liskeard Old Cornwall Society and was barded at the Gorsedh due to his efforts to protect heritage in his local area.
Due to the plaque being located on a busy road, the unveiling will be a small, private ceremony.
This will be filmed and shown later that day at a public talk exploring the life and achievements of de Castro Glubb and the history of some of the monuments he helped save. This will take place from 3 – 4.45pm at Liskeard Town Hall.
The talk will be given by Brian Oldham, President of Liskeard Old Cornwall Society, and Pete Herring, a Landscape Archaeologist and Historian.
The talk is open to all, and tickets are priced pay as you feel at £1, £5 and £10. All proceeds and donations will go towards the Pobel a Gernow scheme. Tea, coffee and saffron buns will be served.
Booking for the talk is currently open to members of Cornwall Heritage Trust and the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies and bards of Gorsedh Kernow. Should places still be available, booking will open to the public at 9am on Friday 25th April.
Find out more here https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/event/albert-de-castro-glubb-a-pobel-a-gernow-story-cafe/
Pobel a Gernow is a partnership initiative of Cornwall Heritage Trust, Gorsedh Kernow and the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies. It aims to extend the work undertaken by numerous Cornish town plaques schemes into a Cornwall-wide initiative and plans to install more plaques over the coming years.
All figures considered for the scheme are submitted via public nomination and if you would like to make a submission, you can do so here https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/pobel-a-gernow-plaques-scheme/
We are hosting a fun-filled activity day at Castle an Dinas on Thursday 17th April as part of our 40th anniversary celebrations. The day will include a family-friendly nature activity trail, a guided walk with an archaeologist and a beacon lighting ceremony.
Located near St Columb Major, Castle an Dinas is one of Cornwall’s largest and most impressive hillforts, dating from around the fourth to first centuries BCE. Hillforts like this are thought to have been a focus for the community, symbols of the wealt
Photo credit – Keith Larby / Cornwall Heritage Trust volunteer
Our ‘Hares on the Hillfort’ nature activity trail will run from 1–4pm. Visitors will have the chance to follow a sensory nature trail around the site’s ring ramparts and can earn a special prize for completing it. There is a £1 suggested donation per trail.
At 3pm, there will be the chance to learn more about the hillfort with our Sites Officer and Archaeologist, Dick Cole. Priced at £10 per person, this hour-long guided walk will take you on a whistle-stop tour of Castle an Dinas’ fascinating history and introduce you to the myths and legends surrounding it.
Tickets for the walk can be booked here www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/event/castle-an-dinas-hillfort-hike/
These two activities have been part-funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The day will be rounded off at 7pm with a beacon lighting ceremony. The event will see our specially commissioned mini-brazier lit by its volunteers to celebrate the time and dedication they give to the charity.
Refreshments for the public, including celebration cupcakes, will be served from 7pm for a suggested donation of £2. The official lighting will take place at 7.30pm.
Full details about these events can be found here www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/events
We have a proud tradition of beacon lighting here in Cornwall, so it was incredibly special to mark the beginning of our 40th anniversary with the first in our series of public beacon lightings. What a wonderful way to start this special year of celebrations!
Marking exactly 40 years since our small, independent charity was founded, the festivities took place on Wednesday 2nd April at Caer Bran.
This multi-period hilltop site near Penzance was purchased by Cornwall Heritage Trust in February 2022 and removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in November 2024, thanks to our successful interventions. Our charity was founded in 1985 to address concerns that far too many of Cornwall’s historic places were at risk and Caer Bran’s story shows just how important that mission remains today.
The celebration saw the lighting of a specially commissioned mini-brazier, which was designed and constructed by Cornwall-based blacksmith James Taylor.
The brazier was lit by our charity’s President, Col. Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE.
The festivities also involved children from Trythall Community Primary School. Led by Merv and Alison Davey, they paraded over the ancient monument with lanterns created in a special workshop with our Education and Outreach Manager, Caroline.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Caer Bran to begin our celebrations to mark 40 years of protecting Cornwall’s heritage.
We are also incredibly grateful to our dedicated volunteers, Trythall Community Primary School, Col. Sir Edward Bolitho and Merv and Alison Davey for helping make this event such a success.
The event was the first in a series of beacon lightings taking place this spring and summer at each of the 16 historic sites in our care. Several are public events alongside some smaller, private ceremonies hosted in conjunction with some of our heritage partner organisations.
The dates for the public beacon lightings are…
Thursday 17th April from 7pm
Castle an Dinas, near St Columb Major
The event will see our mini-brazier lit by our volunteers to celebrate the time and dedication they so generously give to our charity.
Thursday 8th May from 4.30pm
Tregonning Hill, near Helston
This event will mark both our 40th anniversary and the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
We will also be hosting a free exhibition from 3pm in nearby Balwest Sunday School on this day.
This will explore the lives of those brave men of Germoe who are commemorated on the tall granite cross at the summit of Tregonning Hill as well as the experiences of those on the Home Front in the local area. It will also celebrate the lives of the four members of the crew who died on board the Bristol Beaufort bomber that crashed in the larger quarry adjacent to the hillfort in 1941.
Friday 16th May from 10.15am
St Cleer Holy Well and Cross, near Liskeard
This event will see our mini-brazier lit as part of our annual Well Dressing Ceremony.
The well dressing will involve the children from St Cleer Primary School and the local community. The blessing of the well will take place in Cornish and English, with short prayers by the local Curate and singing.
Wednesday 28th May from 4pm
Treffry Viaduct, near St Austell
This event will see our mini-brazier lit by the Friends of Luxulyan Valley.
Friday 20th June from 7.30pm
Sancreed Beacon, near Penzance
The event will see our mini-brazier lit to culminate the end of its journey around our historic sites. This will be used to light the 12-foot tall brazier, which sits permanently at the site, as part of our annual Midsummer Beacon Lighting.
You don’t need to be members, it’s completely free to attend and there’s no need to book. Just come along and enjoy!
Full details of these events can be found here https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/series/beacon-lighting/
Get your cameras at the ready! It’s time for our 40th Anniversary Photography Competition.
Cornwall Heritage Trust cares for 16 historic sites across Cornwall, from Caer Bran – a multi-period hilltop site – in the far west to Dupath Well – the largest and most impressive well house in Cornwall – in the east. They cover a broad spectrum of history too, from Neolithic remains such as Tregiffian Burial Chamber near Penzance, to the 19th-century Treffry Viaduct near Luxulyan. All of these sites are free to visit for everyone all year round.
We are inviting people to submit entries which capture their favourite features and views of these places, and there is a host of prizes on offer for the winners and runners-up.
Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO, Cathy Woolcock said: “Seeing the photos come in for this annual competition is always such a joy. It’s a real insight into the places our community values, and it’s so exciting for our historic sites to be this year’s focus. This is a great opportunity for people to get outside and discover everything from windswept hillforts and ancient standing stones to a medieval dovecote tucked between suburban houses. We hope you enjoy exploring and can’t wait to see your entries.”
The competition is free to enter and 12 winners will be selected to feature in the charity’s official 2026 calendar. Each winner will also receive a calendar as a prize.
In addition, there will be prizes for the top 3 winners:
1st Prize – £50
2nd Prize – A bottle of Camel Valley ‘Cornwall’ Brut Sparkling Wine
3rd Prize – Cornwall Heritage Trust 2 Adult Family Membership
The closing date for entries is Monday 7th July 2025.
The competition is sponsored by Cornish Cottage Holidays.
Phil Pascoe, Regional Owner Experience Manager for Cornish Cottage Holidays, said: “We are extremely proud to be supporting Cornwall Heritage Trust’s annual photography contest this year. The competition always provides a unique perspective of Cornwall from aspiring photographers and professionals alike, giving individuals the opportunity to showcase their superb skills. The work Cornwall Heritage Trust does is so important in ensuring the future of some of Cornwall’s most iconic and historic sites, and this means so much to our local team to make sure these sites live on for future generations to enjoy and learn about.”
Members of the teams from Cornish Cottage Holidays and Cornwall Heritage Trust
Cathy continued: “As a small, independent charity, our business sponsors make a huge difference to our work and we’re hugely grateful to Cornish Cottage Holidays for its support.”
The competition is part of the charity’s 40th anniversary. Taking place from April 2025 – March 2026, this milestone is set to be marked with a wealth of events, initiatives and campaigns to celebrate the successes of the last four decades, raise awareness about the continued importance of the charity’s work and ensure that it can keep growing for the next 40 years and many more to come.
Full details of the competition can be found at https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/photographycompetition
In the latest of our special on-site Cornish Story Cafés, we welcomed Carolyn Kennett – a specialist in prehistoric astronomy and the historic cultural significance of the night sky – to reveal the astronomical and archaeological secrets of the Hurler Stone Circles.
This line of three early Bronze Age stone circles is one of the best examples of ceremonial standing stones in the southwest and is one of the historic sites cared for by our charity.
Carolyn, who is also Cornwall Heritage Trust’s Project Manager, has a deep passion for the ancient landscapes of Britain, and her work brings together archaeology, history, and astronomy, shedding light on how our ancestors understood and marked time through the movements of the Sun, Moon, and stars.
She shared her expert knowledge with visitors, guiding them through the ancient landscape with detailed insight into the layouts of and possible uses for the monument, its relation to features in the sky and the surrounding archaeological context of Bodmin Moor.
Two sold-out walks offered an overview of the dating and excavations of the site, from Ralegh Radford’s excavation in the 1930s to more recent works which Carolyn herself was involved with. Discoveries at this recent dig included the uncovering of a stone ‘pathway’ which appeared to link two of the circles.
We want to thank Carolyn for sharing her expertise on this mysterious site and the latest research into its purpose, alignment and connection to the sky, as well as to everyone who came along!
We know how popular this Story Cafe was, and if you couldn’t make it, weren’t able to get a ticket or want to watch it again, a full recording of the tour is available to watch here.
Cornwall Heritage Trust’s Climate Action Young Rangers have been recognised at the Cornwall Heritage Awards, taking home the coveted top prize in the ‘Heritage Heroes’ category.
It was a night of celebrations for the small, independent charity, which also saw its wellbeing ‘Lowena Project’ and ‘Spend a Penny’ mobile toilet facility shortlisted for awards in collaboration and innovation.
Hosted by Cornwall Council, these annual awards recognise the very best projects, collaborations, initiatives and teams from more than 70 heritage organisations all over Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. These include museums, art galleries, castles, mines, historic properties, industrial heritage sites, archives and community museums.
Cornwall Heritage Trust’s Young Rangers environmental programme was launched just over a year ago to enable young people to take action over the current climate emergency and develop their skills in countryside management. This group of young people work on the charity’s historic sites to improve their ecology and biodiversity, with activities including building and monitoring bird and mammal boxes, scything and building Cornish hedging.
The project is supported by English Heritage’s national youth engagement programme, Shout Out Loud.
The award was collected by Cornwall Heritage Trust Countryside Ranger Apprentice James, who is looking forward to presenting it to the team when they next meet in April.
The Young Rangers have also recently been recognised on a national stage, with the project showcased as an example of excellence at the recent ‘Gateways into Heritage’ 2025 conference.
Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO, Cathy Woolcock said: “The passion and dedication of our Young Rangers is so inspiring and we’re absolutely thrilled that their hard work has been recognised in this way. They are out on our sites, whatever the weather, doing their bit for Cornwall’s historic landscapes and we are hugely grateful for the help they give. We couldn’t be more proud!”
If you are aged between 16 – 20 and would like to find out more about becoming part of the Cornwall Heritage Trust Young Ranger team, head here https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/support-us/volunteer/climate-action-youth-group-young-rangers-project/
Founded in 1985, Cornwall Heritage Trust rescues and protects some of Cornwall’s most important historic sites, runs a wide-reaching heritage education and engagement programme and provides grants which enable schoolchildren and community groups to visit museums and historic places.
The win comes ahead of the charity’s 40th anniversary. Taking place from April 2025 – March 2026, this milestone will be marked with a wealth of high-profile events, initiatives and campaigns to celebrate the successes of the last four decades, raise awareness about the continued importance of the charity’s work and ensure that it can keep growing for the next 40 years and many more to come.
Cornwall Council is planning to transfer five historic places into the care of our independent charity, Cornwall Heritage Trust.
They are East Pentire Head, Warbstow Bury, Minions Heritage Centre, the Prince of Wales Engine House and Castle an Dinas (Penwith). The transfers are set to take place over the next 12 months.
Warbstow Bury (Photo credit – 3deep Media)
Founded in 1985, Cornwall Heritage Trust protects some of Cornwall’s most important historic sites from Caer Bran in the far west to Dupath Well in the east.
Cathy Woolcock, Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO said: “Our charity has been protecting historic landscapes and monuments across Cornwall for the last 40 years. We have a strong track record of giving these special places the archaeological and land management expertise they need and have helped save a number from the Heritage at Risk Register. Whilst the transfers have not been finalised, we look forward to hopefully welcoming these ‘new’ sites into our care soon.”
Castle an Dinas, Penwith (Photo credit – 3deep Media)
East Pentire Head (Photo credit – 3deep Media)
Jon Mitchell, Environment Manager at Cornwall Council, said: “We’re delighted that Cornwall Heritage Trust has agreed to take on these sites so they can be preserved for future generations.”
“Cornwall Council recognises that assets and services are better managed and delivered at a local or specialist level. The Trust has expertise and experience managing heritage assets and will be able to apply for different funding streams that the Council would not be eligible for. These transfers will help safeguard these assets and ensure they are given the specialist care required.”
The Prince of Wales Engine House (Photo credit – 3deep Media)
Minions Heritage Centre (Photo credit – 3deep Media)
Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Tim Hannigan for the latest in our Story Café lecture series. Tim gave an insightful talk on travel writing and the evolving image of Cornwall.
Tim explored how Cornwall’s public image has transformed over time – from being viewed as a “backward” and “desolate” land to the Cornish Riviera it is often portrayed as today. He highlighted how many of the qualities Cornwall now takes pride in were influenced by the writings of past visitors. These outsiders’ perceptions helped shape Cornwall’s identity, contributing to the development of its modern-day character.
Tim was born in Penzance and grew up on the north coast of Penwith. He is an academic with a research specialism in modern and contemporary travel literature and the author of several narrative history and travel books, including A Brief History of Indonesia, The Travel Writing Tribe and, most recently, The Granite Kingdom: A Cornish Journey.
Thank you to Tim for delivering a brilliant talk that encompassed a huge range of Cornish history, culture and places as well as to everyone who came along!
A recording of the talk is available to watch below.
One of Cornwall’s most enigmatic sites that has been subject to archaeological speculation for decades, King Arthur’s Hall, has finally yielded up many of its secrets.
In 2022, Cornwall Heritage Trust supported Cornwall National Landscape’s ‘A Monumental Improvement’ project with a grant to help with the excavation of King Arthur’s Hall near St Breward. In January 2025, Pete Herring, an archaeologist and expert on Cornwall’s historic landscape, spoke to a packed Lanhydrock Memorial Hall about the findings.
Pete is a Landscape Archaeologist who worked for Cornwall Archaeological Unit for over 20 years and Historic England for over 10, but always returns to Bodmin Moor, which he has explored and researched since the 1970s.
His talk featured an overview of King Arthur’s Hall as a site, its archaeology, dating and suggestions for its historical use, as well as its context in Bodmin Moor. With the results of the optically stimulated luminescence dating having recently been revealed, the team of archaeologists has been able to place the Scheduled Monument in its Neolithic setting.
Thank you to everyone who attended and helped with the running of this talk. A huge thank you to Pete who gave us a brilliant insight into Cornish archaeology and the Neolithic world.
A recording of the talk is available to watch below.
We’ve been shortlisted for three awards for excellence in innovation, collaboration and volunteering at the annual Cornwall Heritage Awards.
One of only a handful to be selected, we’ve been shortlisted for the collaboration award for our wellbeing ‘Lowena Project’; the innovation award for our ‘Spend a Penny’ facility; and the ‘Heritage Hero’ award for our climate action ‘Young Rangers’ group.
Hosted by Cornwall Council, these annual awards recognise the very best projects, collaborations, initiatives and teams from more than 70 heritage organisations all over Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. These include museums, art galleries, castles, mines, historic properties, industrial heritage sites, archives and community museums.
Our CEO, Cathy Woolcock said: “We are lucky to have an incredible heritage sector here in Cornwall, so it’s such an honour to see our charitable work recognised in these highly competitive fields. It’s particularly special with our 40th anniversary just around the corner and a testament to how important our work to protect Cornwall’s at-risk historic places remains today!”
The winners of all categories will be announced in March 2025.
Founded in 1985, Cornwall Heritage Trust rescues and protects some of Cornwall’s most important historic sites, runs a wide-reaching heritage education and engagement programme and provides grants which enable schoolchildren and community groups to visit museums and historic places.
The shortlisting comes ahead of the charity’s 40th anniversary. Taking place from April 2025 – March 2026, this milestone will be marked with a wealth of high-profile events, initiatives and campaigns to celebrate the successes of the last four decades, raise awareness about the continued importance of the charity’s work and ensure that it can keep growing for the next 40 years and many more to come.
We have launched a new business initiative as we prepare to celebrate 40 years of protecting Cornwall’s heritage.
Our charity’s 40th Anniversary ‘Heritage Hero Scheme’ is now being launched to offer businesses the opportunity to be part of these celebrations and help us build on on legacy for the future and continue our work.
From April 2025 – March 2026, we will be marking our 40th anniversary with a wealth of high-profile events, initiatives and campaigns to celebrate the successes of the last four decades, raise awareness about the continued importance of our work and ensure that we can keep growing for the next 40 years and many more to come.
The new scheme has several different sponsorship options available to suit all business budgets, ranging from supporting high-profile events such as our annual heritage festival to sponsoring one of the historic sites in our care.
Fundraising and Business Partnerships Officer, Antonia Mullaly said: “As a charity, we partner with businesses that are rooted in Cornwall and take pride in their connection and support for our shared heritage. We are incredibly grateful to those who already support us and hope that this new scheme will encourage even more businesses to get involved with our work whilst also building their brand reputation and awareness.”
Founded in 1985, Cornwall Heritage Trust protects some of Cornwall’s most important historic sites, runs a wide-reaching heritage education and engagement programme and provides grants which enable schoolchildren and community groups to visit museums and historic places.
We enjoy the support of over 11,000 members across Cornwall and the South West and are one of the fastest-growing charities in Cornwall.
To discuss these business partnership opportunities, please contact Antonia at antonia@cornwallheritagetrust.org or call 01209 707008.
This November, Dr Joanna Mattingly took a packed-out Tresillian village hall on a deep dive into Cornish Christmas traditions for a festive edition of our Cornish Story Cafes.
Dr Mattingly is a visual historian with an interest in medieval Cornish churches and folklore. She is the author of Churches of Cornwall and editor of Stratton Churchwardens’ Accounts 1512-1578.
Entitled ‘Merrie Cornwall’, Dr Mattingly’s talk was a wonderful guide from Medieval to modern-day Christmas in Cornwall, from the tradition of the Lord of Misrule to St George’s plays. It was wonderful to learn the unique ways the festive season is celebrated here.
With mulled wine and mince pies in hand, guests thoroughly enjoyed Dr Mattingly’s insight, which was dotted with humour and backed by countless resources.
Thank you to Dr Mattingly for taking us on a fantastic festive journey from Zennor to St Neot and everywhere in between!
We know how popular this Story Cafe was, and if you couldn’t make it, weren’t able to get a ticket or want to watch it again, a full recording of the talk is available to watch here.
