Cornwall lies further south and west than anywhere else in the UK and enjoys one of Britain’s mildest climates, benefiting from the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, with early springs and long lingering summers. This unspoilt County is an ancient and mystic Celtic Kingdom, a land of legend and romance.

The river Tamar has been the official border between Cornwall and Devon since Saxon times and the area around the Tamar Valley is recognised as a World Heritage Site, having cultural importance on a global level being rich in both beauty and heritage. The rural landscape pattern has changed little from the Medieval period with hedgebanks forming some of the oldest features and the Valley possesses some of the most beautiful and unspoilt scenery in the Westcountry. Bovisand, a few miles south of Plymouth, is an ideal location for cultural, seaside and rural activities. Saltash, near the Cotehele Estate with its’ beautiful Medieval house set in extensive grounds and with a superb collections of textiles, armour and furniture lies just over the border into Cornwall. Off the beaten track discover the village of Bere Alston and nearby Bere Ferrers, with its quay alongside the River Tavy, a hidden gem and well kept secret; where the ebb and flow of the tidal river brings the scenery alive as the estuary constantly changes. Cargreen is a pretty Cornish village off the beaten track, perched on the banks of the beautiful and mainly undiscovered Tamar Estuary, though of equal beauty to the more famous Helford and Fal estuaries further west and an important habitat for wildlife, providing a wintering and passage site for birds such as the avocet and little egret. St Mellion, with its famous championship golf course, leisure centre and spa is a short drive from all these villages and just 7 miles from Plymouth. Near Callington there is evidence of prehistoric settlement in the Stone and Bronze Age barrows in Kit Hill, the highest point in Cornwall with amazing panoramic views and look-out point.

Explore the dramatic scenery of the Heritage Coast around Morwenstow and Welcombe the delightful seaside town of Bude along with nearby Crackington Haven and a couple of miles inland - Jacobstow and Marhamchurch. From here discover the secrets of Camelot, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, by climbing the steps to Tintagel Castle. Visit the extraordinarily pretty little fishing villages dotted along the coast, with ancient inns, many with piratical influence or stroll through the famous Lost Gardens of Heligan. The Eden Project has become a world famous venue – a global garden in a dramatic setting, containing plants from all over the world and tells the fascinating story of man’s dependence upon the environment.

Penryn is a convenient centre from which to visit much of west and mid-Cornwall and is largely overlooked by the tourist industry, unlike many other towns and villages in the area with the beautiful Helford river nearby, and also the towns of Falmouth, Helston and Truro.

Cornwall is a land of extremes from the wild and rugged Bodmin Moor, where the mysterious "Beast of Bodmin" is said to roam, to old-fashioned small towns and villages where people have lived for centuries, many of whom, particularly within the farming community have never ventured out of Cornwall in their entire lives and some not far from the homes in which they were born. The stunning coastline with vast areas of fabulous sandy beaches, tiny hidden coves and picture postcard villages, such as St Ives and Polperro have become popular with artists and celebrities including Padstow with its fish restaurant, owned and run by TV chef Rick Stein. A visit to Land's End and Mullion with its pretty working harbour and sandy cove on the Lizard peninsula or St Michael's Mount is a great day out, along with the surfing beaches of Newquay where world surfing championships are held.

The seas around Cornwall are amongst the cleanest in Europe and fish served up in the evening may well have been caught just a few hours beforehand. Artists come to Cornwall for nourishment drawn by its rugged beauty, the quality of light and a pace of life in which passions can run free, they find inspiration that reaches deep into their souls.