Online advance ticket sales have now closed. There will, however, be lots of tickets for sale on the door.
Awenek is a festival you won’t want to miss! The day is your chance to get hands-on with Cornwall’s heritage and there will be a huge array of activities and demonstrations on offer. There will also be a number of timed demonstrations, re-enactments and performances taking place throughout the day, which you will find listed here too.
Date: Saturday 13th September
Time: 10–5pm
Location: Enys Gardens, St Gluvius, Penryn, TR10 9LB – What3Words: ///diplomat.ooze.quite
The festival is organised by Cornwall Heritage Trust, an independent charity which protects Cornwall’s landscapes, traditions and stories and shares them with everyone.
Awenek! 2025 is sponsored by Coodes Solicitors and part-funded by FEAST Cornwall.
Prices
On the door
Cornwall Heritage Trust and Enys Gardens members: £10
Adults (Non-members): £15
Under 18s: FREE
Re-enactors and Living History
Ancient Craft
Explore how archaeologists unlock the secrets of the distant past with Dr. James Dilley and Emma Jones. They will be demonstrating prehistoric crafts from the Stone and Bronze Ages, including bronze casting and jewellery making. Their work can be seen on display in The British Museum, Stonehenge and many other museums around the world.
Ancient Days and Ways
See how people from the past – from the Neolithic to the Early Middle Ages – might have lived. A wealth of ancient skills will be on show, including food gathering, grain grinding, making cordage from natural fibres, lighting fires and keeping secure.
Morvleydh
Experience life in the 9th century when Viking longships sailed the coast and Cornish warriors clashed with forces from Saxon Wessex. Morvleydh will be transporting its corner of the gardens back to this exciting time, showcasing life, crafts and combat as it may have been in the period.
Children under 10 can even try their hand at being warriors! Can you face Morvleydh’s ferocious shield wall?
Timed Re-enactments
10.30pm – Weapons Display
12.30pm – Archery Demonstration
2pm – Children’s Viking Battle
3.30pm – Weapons Display
The Black Company
Get a taste of life on the battlefield during the Wars Of The Roses (1455 – 1487) with weapon displays and combat re-enactments from this group of mercenary soldiers.
Timed displays at 11.45am and 2.40pm
Performances
10am Red River Singers
Based in Pool and named after the nearby river, The Red River Singers specialise in Cornish songs, including the well-known pub songs, carols, folksongs and those in the Cornish language. They are led by Hilary Coleman, Cornish bard and musician.
11am The Cornish Caretakers
Mr Rodda Rowe Rescorla and Mrs Trevaskis Trelwaney Tremayne bring to life numerous characters, creatures and inanimate objects in their quest to surf the giant wave of the Cribbar.
12noon Oll an Gwella
Oll an Gwella hail from Newquay and wow audiences with their mix of Cornish, folk, seasonal and shanty songs presented a capella with a self-deprecating humour. The group has been selected to represent Cornwall live on national ITV programmes; from the deck of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich; from the stages at the prestigious Festival Interceltique in Lorient Brittany; and from the Boardmaster’s stage in Newquay.
1pm The Cornish Caretakers
2pm Oll an Gwella
3pm Anna Anise
Anna Anise is a radiant voice in modern folk, blending melodic hooks, rich vocals, and full-bodied guitar tunings with the heritage of the Cornish language to create something truly captivating. Rooted in her Cornish identity, her latest work brings a rhythmic, lament-tinged optimism to the evolving sound of Kernewek in song.
4pm Medieval music in Cornwall
Explore the exciting world of music from the past with Henrik and Johanna.
Talks
10.30am Forgotten ferrywomen of the Fal with Elizabeth Dale ‘The Cornish Bird’ (30-45 mins)
A Cornish writer passionate about local history, Elizabeth Dale, has been publishing her blog ‘The Cornish Bird’ since 2016, and in that time she has delighted in discovering many lesser-known stories from Cornwall’s past.
In this talk, she introduces us to a wonderful group of feisty female characters, all with connections to the Fal Estuary and all now faded into obscurity. Their stories, ordinary and extraordinary, help to illustrate why she finds Cornish history so endlessly fascinating and exciting.
11.30am The Piskie Trap with Keith Wallis (20-30 mins)
Keith Wallis is host of the Piskie Trap, a podcast series that explores folklore and local history from across Cornwall. Alongside the series, he regularly delivers talks on topics from Cornish folklore, and collaborates with local folklorists, historians, writers and storytellers to help preserve and promote Cornish folklore, traditions and heritage. You can join Keith for one of his talks here at Awenek.
1pm Buried at the crossroads with Elizabeth Dale ‘The Cornish Bird’ (30-45 mins)
Cornish writer, Elizabeth Dale discusses her first book, which looks at the history and superstitions of crossroads burials in Cornwall. Discover the inspiration behind the book, how her research came together and hear extracts selected by the author.
3pm The Piskie Trap with Keith Wallis (20-30 mins)
3.30pm Sustainable Beekeeping and the Cornish Native Bee with Rodger Dewhurst from Gwenen Apiaries, Portreath (1 hour)
Rodger and his wife Carol have spent their lives sustainably breeding and studying the Cornish Black Bee. Learn about the many fascinating discoveries they’ve made about this hardy, productive and indigenous bee.
Tours
2pm Enys House Guided Tour
2pm Foraging Tour around the gardens with Devon and Cornwall Bushcraft CIC
Traditional crafts and skills
The Cornish Blacksmiths Collective CIC
Get hands-on with traditional blacksmithing and make your own hand-forged item with the Cornish Blacksmiths Collective.
Cornwall Rural Education and Skills Trust CIO (CREST)
See endangered, traditional landscape skills in action and learn how CREST is rescuing lost knowledge and sharing it with our communities.
Resilient Orchards Cornwall CIC
Learn how to press apples with the organisation that supports communities to develop and maintain diverse and resilient orchards.
Cornwall Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers
Explore the traditional skills of hand weaving and spinning with the enthusiastic craftspeople helping keep these arts alive.
Devon and Cornwall Bushcraft CIC
Step back in time and experience the ancient arts of flint knapping, slate carving and wood carving. Try your hand at crafting your own tools and artefacts whilst gaining insight into prehistoric skills and the resourcefulness of early humans.
They will also host a foraging tour at 2pm.
Debbie Rudolph Heritage Textiles
Try your hand at weaving and spinning alongside a sustainably minded Heritage Textile Designer-Maker with a bold approach to creating unique textiles, using traditional techniques with contemporary values.
Angela Firth – Bojorrow Baskets
See a professional basket maker from the Lizard Peninsula in action, creating contemporary and traditional baskets using willow grown on the Bojorrow withy beds.
Amy Cooper Ceramics
Create your very own nature tile with an award-winning and highly experienced Cornish ceramicist. You’ll be guided through the magical process of impressing plants into clay to create unique artworks which celebrate the wild side of Enys Gardens and Cornwall’s rugged landscape.
Arthur’s Woodturning
Arthur handcrafts anything to do with wood turning, from pens to bowls to spinning tops and serving boards. See this traditional craft in action.
Cornish Wreath Maker
Bringing the beauty of Cornwall to your home with bespoke wreaths made from homegrown flowers and foliage together with sustainably forage seaweed, grasses, seed heads, cones and berries. Wreaths will be available to purchase, and you can also have a go at making one yourself.
KM’s Cornish Tin Mines
Experience the charm of Cornwall through KM’s Metalwork, beautifully crafted in the form of our iconic Cornish Engine Houses. From unique keyrings and money boxes to striking clocks and bespoke commissions, each piece is handmade with passion and precision.
Heidi.Mabbott.Studio Stone Letter Carving
Take a closer look at this heritage craft, which, using repurposed stone, will result in a bespoke sign that could last for centuries!
Storytelling and Song
Story Republic
Cornwall’s beloved team of tale-telling troubadours cut quite a dash dressed in their Sunday best, brandishing suitcases and performing poems. Their repertoire includes new Cornish stories and poems inspired by Looe, Polperro, Liskeard and Redruth, as well as the Clay villages and St Just. These are intermingled with poems by Charles Causley of grumbling kings, fighting pasties and the sisterly competition for a Cornishman!
Cobweb Tours with music from Nancothan
Come and join Will and Hetty from Cobweb Tours around their campfire and explore the lives of miners and bal maidens during Cornwall’s industrial heyday.
In the morning, they will be joined by local musicians Nancothan singing their captivating songs about Cornish women.
Mazed
Experience piskey mischief with Mazed, a project about Cornish folk tales which tells them in ways old and new. Meet the wonderful string puppet of Cornish folklorist Enys Tregarthen, and hear a tale or two that she told.
Multivax
Join Jasper the Dragon and Ramblefast as they tell stories, play games and help you learn the odd Cornish phrase or two!
Meet the museums and heritage organisations
Cornwall Heritage Trust
Discover more about Awenek’s organisers, the independent charity protecting Cornwall’s heritage for one and all.
Founded in 1985, the charity protects and offers universal free access to 18 of Cornwall’s most iconic and important historic sites, hosts a wide-reaching programme of wellbeing, education and community workshops, activities and events at these places and provides grants enabling visits to museums and historic monuments across Cornwall.
Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek
Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek aims to revive, promote, and sustain the Cornish language as a vibrant part of Cornwall’s culture. They’ll be hosting a range of fun-filled interactive activities to introduce you to the wonderful world of Kernewek.
Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery
Discover the Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery, Cornwall’s largest museum of cultural history and stories about the life and people of Cornwall. Having recently undergone a major refurbishment, it is home to over one million objects which can help us uncover how the Cornwall we know today came to be.
Truro and Penwith College
Learn more about how heritage and archaeology could be your future. The college’s offering ranges from its History, Heritage and Culture Foundation Degree to FdSc Archaeology.
Kresen Kernow
Find out more about Kresen Kernow (‘Cornwall Centre’), home to the world’s largest collection of documents, books, maps and photographs related to Cornwall’s history. Activities will include the chance to try on a wealth of historic outfits.
Penlee House Gallery and Museum
Take a closer look at Penlee House Gallery and Museum, the perfect place to discover the art of West Cornwall, including the works of the Newlyn School and Lamorna artists. The museum covers local history, from amazing archaeological finds to fabulous ceramics, and social history.
Mor Media
Discover Mor Media, a dynamic cultural organisation based in Cornwall whose mission is to break down social, cultural, and economic barriers by providing media education and creative opportunities — particularly for hard-to-reach and marginalised groups.
Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site
Shaped during a period of intense industrial activity, the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site is testimony to one of the greatest periods of economic, technological and social development Britain has ever known. Explore this internationally important landscape with their team.
CASPN
Learn more about the charitable trust which aims to protect, preserve and promote Cornwall’s ancient sites.
The Ladder
Learn more about this space for stories opening August 2025. Located in the former Redruth Library, it includes performance spaces, workspaces and studios supporting artists and makers in the creative industries.
The Poly
Find out more about this live arts venue, arts cinema, galleries, community pottery and makers guild in a beautiful historic venue in the heart of Falmouth, Cornwall.
The Trevithick Society
Richard Trevithick, the son of a mining captain and born in the mining heartland of Cornwall, was an early pioneer of steam-powered road and rail transport. Learn more about the society which celebrates this engineering trailblazer and encourages interest in Cornwall’s industrial heritage.
PK Porthcurno – Museum of Global Communications
PK Porthcurno – Museum of Global Communications invites you to step inside and discover how this small valley in Cornwall became the most important communications hub in the world.
Cornwall National Landscape
Cornwall National Landscape is unique – it is the only protected landscape that has 12 separate sections totalling almost a third of Cornwall, an area bigger than Dartmoor National Park. Find out more about this incredible place and enjoy their Drolla storytelling bench, crafted by renowned Cornish metal sculptors Thrussells.
Federation of Old Cornwall Societies
Discover the Old Cornwall movement, which is dedicated to researching, recording, and promoting Cornish history, heritage and culture. They have been safeguarding Cornish culture since 1920, and there are now 40 Societies all across the Duchy, which are coordinated by the Federation.
Cornwall Archaeological Society (CAS)
Learn more about the excavations, surveys, site clearance, free lectures, walks and training days hosted by Cornwall Archaeological Society. The society aims to undertake and foster archaeological research in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and to disseminate knowledge of Cornish Archaeology by publication or other means.
Geevor Tin Mine
Geevor Tin Mine, on the rugged cliffs of the Tin Coast in West Cornwall, is a stunning place to discover the story of Cornwall’s tin and copper mining at this incredible World Heritage Site. Take a closer look at rock samples, photos, tools and clothes from Cornwall’s mining past.
Wheal Martyn Clay Works
Learn more about Wheal Martyn, the UK’s only china clay museum, set in two Victorian Clay Works, which includes a Scheduled Ancient Monument, exhibitions and gallery, cafe and working waterwheels.
Historic Environment Record
Explore the wealth of archaeological information about Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly on offer through the record’s digital mapping system.
Sports
Cornish Wrestling Association
See Cornwall’s very own martial art in action, learn about this fun-filled traditional sport from the experts and have a go yourself.
Cornwall Shinty Club
Cornwall Shinty Club is reviving one of Cornwall’s oldest and most exciting traditional sports. Shinty is a fast-paced, mixed-gender Gaelic stick game – a Celtic cousin to hurling, and ancestor to both hockey and golf.
Once hugely popular in Cornwall until the 1920s, it was even said that Cornish teams were champions of the sport. Join the team and have a go!
Hands-on heritage activities
Meet the Cornwall Heritage Trust Ranger Team
Watch ancient cooking, sample Iron Age autumn honey bread and have a go at grinding wheat on a rotary quern.
You can also discover how our team cares for our 18 historic sites across Cornwall to increase biodiversity, improve public access and protect historic monuments.
An Virva – Cornwall Heritage Trust’s brand-new heritage hub
Dive into the incredible world of Cornwall’s unique and distinct heritage and discover its landscapes, stories, traditions and people.
A dive into Glasney College
Step back over 750 years into the past to explore the incredible history of Penryn’s Glasney College – Cornwall’s most important centre of learning, which, for nearly 300 years, promoted and protected the Cornish language and culture.
Design your own fish tile, make a pilgrim badge and learn how to roll beeswax candles just like our medieval ancestors would have done.
Cher’s Funky Faces
Get your face adorned with Cornish-inspired designs. Creating smiles on children and the bigger kids in life!
Food and drink
Ann’s Pasties
Nothing says Cornwall like a pasty. Based in Porthleven, Helston and The Lizard Village, Ann’s suppliers are all based within 10 miles of their HQ and are deeply connected to the land, our history and the rich farming heritage of Cornwall
They will be serving up steak, cheese and vegan handmade pasties, which are also available to pre-order, priced at £5.50 and £3.95. Pre-orders will close at 9am on Friday 5th September.
Helford Hog Roast and Kerra’s Catering
Using the finest of local ingredients, the team will be serving up a delicious hog roast, jumbo sausages and chips.
Espresso Cornwall
A small family business, providing locally roasted Cornish Coffee, St Piran’s Tea and Hot Chocolate, with a selection of homemade bakes and authentic Sicilian Cannoli.
Miss Marple’s Ice Cream
An established independent local business based in Cornwall serving award-winning Roskilly’s organic Cornish ice cream in a choice of traditional waffle cones or tubs.
