Penzance and West Cornwall

The Beachfield Hotel is a great starting point for visiting the many attractions that Cornwall has to offer. The hotel overlooks Mounts Bay, acclaimed as one of the 'Most Beautiful Bays in the World'. At the centre of this glittering expanse of water just off the coast at Marazion, is the fabled St Michael's Mount topped by a fairytale castle and legendary home to Cornish giants.

Penzance! The very name itself conjures up visions of legends: smuggling and piracy. Gilbert and Sullivan. Daphne Du Maurier. From the Cornish language "Pens Sans" meaning "Holy Headland", the name refers to land on the western side of the harbour on which a chapel was established over 1,000 years ago. Today the site is occupied by St Mary's Church. Penzance's seafront promenade, the only one in Cornwall, stretches from the harbour to the fishing port of Newlyn, a distance approximately two kilometres. Overlooked by the Beachfield Hotel it is ideally placed for a morning or evening stroll. The picturesque tidal harbour is a hive of activity, filled most of the time with yachts and pleasure craft, and home to the Penzance Sailing Club. From here the Isles of Scilly ferry, the Scillonian 111 provides a regular service to the Islands during the summer months.

Set within walking distance of the harbour and the hotel, is the market town, the focal point of commercial activity for the whole Lands End Peninsula. Here you will find many familiar high street shops and banks, as well as a number of historic sites. Pay a visit to Market Jew Street, its name being a derivation of the Cornish "Marghas Yow", which means "Thursday Market" and look out for the commemorative statue of Sir Humphrey Davy, inventor of the miner's safety lamp which bears his name still today. Nearby Chapel Street also contains many interesting houses including the curious Egyptian House. Continue to meander round Penzance's intriguing back streets to discover its "smugglers" pubs.

Blessed with a temperate climate Penzance is famed for its flowers which can be seen at their best in the Morrab Gardens. Set tranquilly amidst an area of Regency and Georgian terraces, it is only minutes from the town centre. In this area you will come across Penlee House, Penzance's Museum and Art Gallery which houses one of the largest collections of paintings by the famed Newlyn School of Artists. You will discover that Penzance has a great deal to offer the visitor whether you are here on business or for pleasure, as has indeed the Beachfield Hotel.

Following the coast west from Penzance, there is Newlyn, the heart of the Cornish fishing industry, the ancient harbour and picturesque village of Mousehole (pronounced Mowzel), the majestic towering cliffs and rocky coves of Lands End and Cape Cornwall and of course the beautiful town of St Ives which, along with Newlyn has long supported many famous artists. The centre of the Penwith peninsula is mostly moorland, a spectacular display of heather and gorse which contains the greatest concentration of prehistoric and historic archaeological remains that make up the cultural history of Cornwall. It's no wonder that many well-known writers have chosen to make West Cornwall their home, drawing inspiration from the idyllic  peace and tranquillity they have found here.

Here are just a few links to things to see and do in Cornwall: