Perranuthnoe

Perranuthnoe is a charming little village that is often overlooked. The name is derived from the saint’s name, Piran, patron saint of Cornwall, plus the name of the local manor, Uthno. The Parish Church of St Piran was originally erected in the 13th century, with an aisle being added in Tudor times. It was restored in 1883. The village’s pub, the Victoria Inn, is reckoned to be the oldest in Cornwall, and was even mentioned in the Domesday Book.

The Perranuthnoe craft centre houses Village Crafts and Cornish Wools, well worth a visit to see more than 60 local artists, crafts people and musicians at work, and they produce their own wool from local rare-breed sheep and alpacas. The extensive range of handmade crafts, jewellery, clothing, cards, prints and gifts are available to purchase.

From the village a steep flight of steps lead down to Perran Sands, a sandy beach that is one of the safest in the area for bathing. Overlooking Mount’s Bay, to the southeast, the cliffs lead to the jagged Cudden Point, where many ships have foundered, and which is now owned by the National Trust.

Like so much of Cornwall, this was once a mining area, and long disused mines and shafts dot the local fields. There was copper here and silver – but it was never very profitable. Perranuthnoe’s worst day was in 1861 when the boiler at Wheal Charlotte exploded killing many men. Locals say you can still hear their cries to this day in the rare moments when the wind and the waves aren’t pounding the shore too loudly.

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