Mexicornwall

A bus excursion heading for Land's End takes me to Porthcurno. It's only a hamlet but became important as the site of the first international telegraph cable, linking Britain with Bombay (now Mumbai) in India in 1870. It was chosen ahead of Falmouth due to less risk of ships' anchors being caught in it. Today its attraction, like many in Cornwall, is the beach although the rain keeps most people away. Apart from a lone swimmer in a distant parody of the scene in "Dr. No" where Ursula Andress emerges from the Caribbean!

The following day I am the only passenger on the bus north from Penzance to Zennor with its attractive church. From there another almost empty bus takes me to Botallack, an important tin mining area. Metals were mined in Cornwall from the Bronze and Iron Ages and got into top gear in the 17th century. Lonely ruins of the steam engine housing remain on the cliffs, and some of the mines continue under the sea. By the 19th century the mines were in decline and the miners started emigrating to the New World, even turning up in Mexico to operate the silver mines there.

Now there's a coincidence: a few miles east of Penzance stands the Mexico Inn. I'm not sure how it gets its name but maybe my February/March trip isn't quite over!Read more