Moving on with a summary of the places we visited. We went back to the National Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, nine years after our last visit. The place has been done up a bit over the years, with some added features including a woodland walk, and an otters enclosure. The sanctuary as the name suggests is a place where rescued seals are taken, with a view to releasing them back into the wild when strong enough. Those that are too badly hurt for release are usually kept there as well.
The west end of Cornwall is home to two of the UK's more historic communications sites. Future World @ Goonhilly is an inter active site exploring the history, the present, and the future of communications. Part of the site is still used by BT for communications work. It is home to loads of stelite aerials, including Arthur. Arthur was built in 1961 to track the Telstar satelite, and it is where the first transatlantic television pictures were received.
St.Michael's Mount is both a small harbour village, and a large house within the former monastry and castle. It is approached by causeway from Marazion, or by boat. We walked one way, and took the boat back. Before the advent of the railway from London to Penzance, the harbour was the main harbour in the area. Although now it is just a few cottages. The main building itself, at the top of a very steep climb, was built as a sister monastry to Mont Saint Michel in France. After the disolvement by King Henry VIII it becme a private residence for the St.Aubyn family. There are some stunning views from the top, and the house is definately worth a visit.
Slightly further down the coast from Goonhilly is Porthcurno Telegraph Museum. It was from the beach at Porthcurno that the under sea telegraph cables were laid from England to the rest of the world. The museum covers the local area in WWII, as the site was a target for bombing, stories of the cable ships which laid the cables under the oceans, and many artefacts from the industry which are housed in the tunnells built to protect the site in WWII.
The eldest boy and myself, did Porthcurno and Lands End by ourselves, as the youngest bboy was poorly for a day. Lands End was not as tacky and touristy as I was imagining. You pay for the car park, again cheaper than I expected, but the various attractions cost extra. If all you want to do is say you have been there, and look out to sea, then it is free, after parking. We decided to walk along the coast path to Sennen Cove in the light rain. Once we got there, we dropped into the village to look at the lifeboat house. This is whn I explained to him why I wanted to go there. Back in 1985 four boys from one of our local villages back home were drowned at Lands End whilst on a school trip. Although I did not know any of them personally, I had met one of them before. He was the nephew of one of my father's friends, and as such the cousin of two of my friends. Some of their friends and relatives in 1986 did a sponsored walk from the village to Lands End to raise money for a new lifeboat. This was named The Four Boys, and although it is no longer in service, I wanted to make the trip there. We were told that there was a small memorial garden to them at Lands End, so once we got back there we searched for it in the by now pouring rain. When looking at the memorial plaque, I found myself incredibaly moved.
Some more links to places visited:
National Seal Sanctuary www.sealsanctuary.co.uk
Future World @ Goonhilly wwww.goonhilly.bt.com/
St.Michael's Mount www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk
Porthcurno Telegraph Museum www.porthcurno.org.uk/
Lands End www.landsend-landmark.co.uk
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