Knowra History of Cornwall History of Cornwall The history of Cornwall traces human settlement and political, economic, and cultural change in England’s southwestern peninsula from prehistory to the present.
Kits Coty House : A Neolithic chambered long barrow in Kent, England. Its location outside Cornwall contrasts with the peninsula’s own prehistoric monument traditions.
Cornish tin mining : The extraction of tin from Cornwall’s lodes and alluvial deposits, practiced since antiquity. Tin wealth connected Cornish communities to long-distance trade and sustained local power.
Tintagel Castle : A medieval castle site on Cornwall’s north coast, associated with early medieval settlement and Arthurian legend. Its archaeology and later legends reveal how Cornwall’s past was reimagined.
Cornish identity : A regional and national identity shaped by Cornwall’s history, culture, language, and distinct institutions. Historical change underlies continuing claims of cultural distinctiveness and recognition.
Bodmin Moor : An upland granite moorland in northeast Cornwall, rich in prehistoric remains. Its stone circles, settlements, and burial monuments preserve evidence of prehistoric Cornwall.
Stannary Parliament : The representative body of Cornwall’s medieval and early modern tin-mining communities. It shows how tin miners secured distinctive legal and political privileges.
St Michael's Mount : A tidal island and historic settlement in Mount’s Bay, Cornwall. Its monastery, castle, and harbor illustrate Cornwall’s religious and maritime connections.
Cornish nationalism : A political movement seeking recognition, self-government, or independence for Cornwall. It turns historical difference into modern political demands.
Megalithic art : Images and markings made on prehistoric monumental stones. Cornwall’s standing stones and tombs belong to a wider tradition of monumental expression.
Cornish language : A Brittonic Celtic language historically spoken in Cornwall and revived in modern times. Its decline and revival track cultural change and the endurance of Cornish identity.
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