Marazion

View from Marazion village .
The ancient market town of Marazion can even claim to be the
oldest town in Great Britain, known as Ictis by the Romans.
The name Marazion has evolved from Marghas
Byghan - little market and Marghas Yow
Thursday Market. Marazion was the major town
in West Cornwall until the late medieval period when Penzance
then began to outgrow it.
As
tin mining and Cornwall go hand-inhand, Marazion is also
surrounded by many mines such as Wheal Prosper, Wheal Crab,
Wheal Rodney, Tolvadden and South Neptune. Some of these mines
are still preserved today. But as the industries of fishing
and mining have declined, is the natural beauty of the scenery
and landscape, combined with the Mount that has ensured that
for centuries visitors have returned to the town.
Although Marazion is quiet and restful, there are plenty of
activities such as sailing, windsurfing, horse riding and beautiful
coastal and inland walks. For even more adrenaline there are
kitesurfing lessons available from X-Treem Air and there are
plenty of surfing schools dotted around the surrounding coastline.
...
Penzance
Penzance is Cornwall's largest and most westerly borough. Only
10 miles from Land's End, the town is surrounded by an area
of Celtic culture and outstanding natural beauty. Majestic cliffs,
rocky coves, pristine sandy beaches and crystal clear seas vie
with the heather and gorse of the moors and early Christian
and Bronze Age sites to form a landscape that is the heritage
of a proud culture, and a source of inspiration for artists,
writers and poets.
Ancient fishing villages, cliff-top walks, sub-tropical vegetation
and a wealth of industrial and maritime heritage combine with
early Christian history and Celtic legend to make the district
surrounding Penzance a fascinating area. The coastline of coves
and caves, the area's history of smugglers and wreckers and
its long tradition of music and song, inspired Gilbert and Sullivan
to name one of the most famous of their productions "The
Pirates of Penzance".
Combining coastline and countryside, West Cornwall features
an incomparable variety of wide sandy beaches, steep rocky cliffs
and hidden little coves together with remote moors on granite
headlands along with numerous small villages and towns, each
with its own individual character. The Lands End Peninsula is
justly famous for the welcome given to visitors both by its
people and its environment. All around the West Cornwall coastline,
the sea is clean and clear and its beaches regularly receive
awards for both their facilities and their cleanliness. Many
of the beaches are ideal for families and children, with wide-open
sand gently shelving into inviting water, and lifeguards patrol
most of these popular venues during the summer. For watersports
enthusiasts, there are excellent opportunities for surfing and
wind-surfing, while sailing is popular in Mounts Bay with regular
Championships being held for a wide variety of classes of boats.

View
towards Penzance from behind Trevarthian House
...................
Both
the cliffs and the moorland provide plenty of opportunity to
"escape the crowds" with well marked footpaths all
along the cliff-tops while the inland area is criss-crossed
with footpaths and bridle-ways. Scattered over the Peninsula
are many pre-historic sites where stone circles, standing stones
and settlement sites can be found. As symbols of the heritage
of the people of West Cornwall, there are numerous stark granite-built
towers rising above the remote moorland and cliff-tops to be
seen. These were the engine houses of the tin mines which once
formed the life-blood of the Cornish economy.
The
"jewel in the crown" of Mounts Bay is the island castle
of St Michael's Mount while, further around the coast, lies
the Minack Theatre set dramatically in the cliffs above the
sea. In addition to these "must see" sites, there
is a great variety of attractions open to the visitor including
the Lands End Experience as well as the Tate Gallery in St Ives,
Paradise Park bird sanctuary in Hayle and others just a little
further afield such as Flambards Theme Park at Helston and the
Seal Sanctuary at Gweek. Added to numerous museums, galleries
and other attractions in, and around, Penzance, plus the best
Cornish food, drink and entertainment in a great range of bars,
restaurants, pubs and clubs, there will never be a shortage
of "things to do".
Mounts
Bay

View
from flat 3 trevarthian
Marazion
lies in the sheltered curve of Mounts Bay, which is recognised
as one of the top ten most beautiful bays in the world. The
clean sandy beaches offer safe bathing and spectacular views
while the climate is the most temperate in the British Isles.
The picturesque scenery of the island castle of St Michael's
Mount and the stunning views across the bay to Penzance, Newlyn
and Mousehole earn this beach its famous reputation. It has
also grown in stature as a venue for both national and international
sailing and windsurfing championships.

View
from the top of Marazion
|

Trevarthian
House from the playing field |
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Getting
About
There is plenty to explore to by foot from Marazion and this
location is ideal for holidays that do not depend on a car,
as it is served by a first class bus service and is within easy
reach of many local areas of interest.
Distances
from Marazion:
Penzance 3 miles
St Ives 6 miles
Truro - 23 miles
Falmouth 30 miles
Lands End 13 miles
Isles of Scilly 20
mins by helicopter or Skybus