We're all familiar with the flags of St George (England), St Andrew (Scotland), the Welsh flag with its dragon, St Patrick (Ireland), but there is another National Saint's day flag not quite so well known outside of the south west of Britain.
Cornwall's saint is St. Piran. Like most of our saints in these parts we had him on loan from our friends in Ireland in the 5th Century, but he must have liked it here, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed, would he?
Back in the days of yore Cornwall was an actual Nation. It still is of the Celtic nations. ( Isle of Man, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, Ireland Brittany, Galicia and Asturias. There is also Patagonia but that is another story.)
Some would argue that it is it's own nation today, having never formally joined England as a county except for administrative purposes, these being so that they could tax us.
In 1497 Cornwall invaded England. That showed them, didn't it. They had to bring their army back from a little disagreement that was going on in Scotland at the time.
Funnily enough Cornwall set upon England because it didn't want to pay the tax to fund a war against Scotland. We Celtic Nations stick together, in fact the Cornish army was joined by the Breton Celts from across the channel as they swept along the southern counties towards London.
In the centuries before the Cornish Rebellion we pretty much minded our own business, trading tin and copper with mediterranian countries and the Romans, and helping our pals the Danish Vikings and Irish Celts run a bit of slave trading. So, for the record, sorry about that Wales. No hard feelings. 😬
Being in the far corner of Britain when 1066 happened it quite bypassed us. We used the Saxon Resistance in Somerset as a human shield while the Normans attacked them from the other side. We've all seen the tapestry, tiny men with pointy little chins and huge shields. It's rumoured the Normans could build some pretty neat castles on a tight schedule to store their cheese in though.
If Harold was Cornish someone would have told him to keep blinking and the arrow would wash out and history might be completely different.
The Isles of Scilly were formally at war with Holland until 1984 when somebody rememberd and a peace treaty was hastily arranged much to the utter bewilderment of the Dutch. I think we managed to keep the longest running war in europe out of the national news, and without a shot being fired -so no harm done. It is also possible that Holland weren't aware that the Scillonians had declared war on them in the first place.
Further, erm, evidence of Cornwall's independence from england is the often used phrase "It's not a County, it's a Dutchy", which has to be said in the same way a Scotsman asserts that a Scottish five pound note is legal tender. (It actually isn't legal tender even at home, because only coins are legal tender in Scotland, but if you tell people something often enough they might believe it). So it's a Dutchy. I'm glad we cleared that up.
by the 18th and 19th Century Cornwall was heavily industrialised, with a mining industry and a lot of heavy engineering, and quite a bit of smuggling. Legend has it that the Dutchy (see what I did there) was a very affluent place. The geology is unique in the UK yeilding copper, tin and other precious and rare metals, mirroring rock formations found over the Channel. So scientists have decided that Cornwall is just "passing through" and in a few million years we'll collide with Ireland, but in the meantime we're going to squeeze all the lithium we can out of it that we never had any use for a century ago when it was coming up in the hot springs that flooded the mines.
Cornwall has a Spaceport. (Look out for a smug face from the Cornishman who tell's you this).
So Cornwall is a Nation with a flag and everything.
The Cornish (Kernowyon) are a Celtic group native to, and since 2014 a recognised national minority in the United Kingdom.
It's generally accepted that to prevent another rebellion, and avoid all the paperwork involved in another conflict on the scale of the Dutch conflict, Cornwall Council was invited by Westminster to form the first non-metropolitain devolved regional authority. We debated calling it a parliament or an assembly, but in the end we'd always called it Cornwall Council so why make waves.
By the way, Doc Martin isn't a documentary, Poldark wasn't a real person, and nobody in Cornwall was ever called Demelza before the first series of Poldark.
But the scenery is all real, unlike a couple of the historic events presented above.
Have a great St Piran's Day!
I do have a recommendation in Cornwall. A really special place called Boat Cove by our Village of Pendeen. It's a genuine old smugglers cove, with a beach that featured in the Original Poldark TV series.
At the moment it is home to our fishing fleet, two boats.
You can go to the beach in the middle of summer and only share it with a half dozen people. Amazing.
It's the best known "secret" beach in Cornwall.
Actually owned by the Dutchy of Cornwall and not the national trust it's dog friendly all year. There is no Lifeguard service, and the beach is maintained 365 days a year by local volunteers, and it's just a few yards from the South West Coast path. Local tip: Take sandwiches.
We have a resident seal colony here. Just a magical place.
I also highly recommend the Geevor Mine. Lots of our visitors have spent all day in there in the exhibitions and underground tours, some have even booked an extra day just to go to the mine again! It is part of the Europen industrial Heritage Trail, the Tin Coast, World Heritage site and on the Trans European Trail (motorcycles).
As a bonus you can drive the most scenic road in Britain (the B3306) from St Ives to Land's end and call in on the way.
The North coast, (where I am from) between Newquay and Padstow will just blow you away with the scenery too.
I'd say to anybody just come to Cornwall, stay anywhere, if you haven't been before just arrive somewhere and go exploring. You will find something amazing that you will like.
A Spaceport, no problem we have one.
Beaches..... oh come on.
Surfing? It's literally a job down here.
Views.? Yea got a few.
Fresh air.? Mate we are sticking out into the atlantic ocean, next stop A|merica. How much fresh air can you take?
Technology? Goonhilly satellite tracking station and the fastest broadband in Europe do you, will it? Did I mention our Spaceport?
Can I get an Uber. Yes, Bristol, 200 miles. Jog on. Good luck.
Within minutes walk of my house I have cliffs, neolithic structures, standing stones, romano-celtic stuff,.... erm, yes a chip shop and two pubs as well.
And 5G. No money, broke as a church mouse, but would I swap it?
No.
Cornwall, indeed the entire Westcountry of the UK is worthy of anybody's time.
The tourism and hospitality business here is mature and easy going, we have got the hang of it, there really is accommodation for every taste and every pocket from backpacker/surfer to boutique/Rockstar. and everything in between.
If I had to recommend things I would be here for years!
