Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly

By Annya Strydom

The name Cornwall comes from Cornovii, meaning hill dwellers, and Waelas, meaning strangers. The first Stone Age tools that were found here date to 4,500 BC. Near the town of Redruth the remains of a Stone Age settlement can still be seen. A shift in the landscape across the land bridge from Europe brought the early settlers to Cornwall. There are several burial chambers throughout Cornwall from this period. All over Cornwall there is evidence of ancient sites and settlements. It was in the New Stone Age or Neolithic period that settlements such as the one on Carn Brea started to be fortified and hedges were built to begin farming. This is a remarkable guide to everything there is to see and do, the culture, the history, where to stay, the restaurants, the walks, bike trips, beaches, and much more. During medieval and early modern times Cornwall was recognized as a separate country and the Cornish people even had their own language. As Cornwall was a natural fort surrounded on all but one side by ocean, the position of a separate country seemed natural. The people and the culture were different from the rest of England, the language spoken was Brythonic. For many years it was a forgotten language but of late it has been reintroduced by some of the older Cornish folk. Cornwall has a very mild climate compared to the rest of Britain. This is mainly due to the fact that it is so far south and also due to the influence of the easterly edge of the Gulf Stream. The coastal areas are especially mild. The fact that Cornwall does have milder weather than other areas of Britain means it is an ideal tourist destination at all times of year. If you are touring Cornwall and visiting St Ives or Penzance, a visit to some of the ancient sites is a must, Cornwall literally has hundreds of ancient sites and monuments. King Doniert's Stone is two pieces of a decorative Celtic cross of the 9th century. The inscription on it commemorates the King of Cornwall who died in 875. King Dungarth died by drowning in the river Fowey. Then there is the Portal Dolmen. It is a rare monument, dating from 3500-2600 BC. They were often reused in the Bronze Age for cremations. This monument is still pleasing to look at, with seven slabs of granite still remaining and a massive capstone said to weigh around 10.5 tons. And then there are the castles. Pendennis Castle was built by Henry VIII. Restormel Castle is on the Fowey River near Lostwithiel. The castle is Norman and noted for its unusual circular design. Built in the early 1700ís, Antony House is a beautiful mansion with a fabulous collection of furniture, paintings, and rich textiles. The grounds meander down to the Lynher estuary. There are formal gardens, topiaries and a knot garden. Lanhydrock stands majestically on 890 acres. Some parts of the house date from 1620; the others are Victorian. The house is a listed building, meaning it is of special architectural or of historical interest. Around the house, there are beautiful formal gardens and in the back is a woodland of trees and shrubs. The Isles of Scilly are 28 miles off the coast of Land's End in Cornwall. Land's End is the southwestern tip of England. The Islands form a golden archipelago and consist of five inhabited islands and numerous others that are not. The entire population of the islands is around 2,000. The inhabited islands are called St. Maryís, Tresco, St. Martinís, Bryher and St. Agnes. Beautiful white beaches, subtropical plants, rocky islets and tiny islands all provide a varied habitat for a large variety of birds and marine animals. Migrating birds stop and rest here, so the islands are a bird watcher's paradise.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Nov 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9780935161731

Reviews for Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly

[meditationesmartini · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Shit, Collins English-German dictionary, what happened to you? I got you because I thought you were good last time I was in Austria, and also you were light, and then I needed you all of five times (meine Deutsch wird ja besser!) and you were one for five only. They need a dictionary that doesn't bother with all the easy words that anyone actually having achieved the level of skill in a language necessary to allow them to communicate and require a dictionary in the first place, and just skips to the good stuff.

[timsshelves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent German English dictionary from Collins. In two colours so makes looking up words very easy, and the dictionary also covers grammar points such as genders, plurals, irregular verbs, etc. Packed with examples of how words are used and it also has a "Language in Use" section

[cstrauber_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best language dictionary ever, largely because of the twisted sense of humor which shows through in the usage examples.

[sporking-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the absolute best German-English dictionary on the market. I haved used it for years for translating (professionally and for my own academic work), and it rarely leaves me in the lurch. It is truly the "expert's dictionary." It's probably too much for beginning language speakers, but for anyone who lives abroad, translates, or uses German at an advanced academic level, it is absolutely indispensible. Oh, yes, it also has a translation for "lemon meringue pie."

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A decent reference work, providing you already know some german and grammer.

[drinkingtea_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a big dictionary that weighs almost nothing. If you have a lot of space but don't feel like carrying anything heavy, this is the book for you. It is also a pretty good dictionary.