Cornwall is renowned for its unequivocal beauty. The panoramic views, idyllic towns and beaches are world famous and we can’t think of any better treat for our eyes.
However, that beauty is purely visual. When it comes to Cornish place names, it’s a little more hit and miss!
Here are our top five favourite Cornish place names you won’t believe exist.
1. Brown Willy.
[Snigger] The name originates from the Cornish ‘Bronn Wennili, ‘ which means ‘hill of swallows’. It’s a summit of Bodmin Moor; the highest one at that and if you think it’s funny, you’re clearly very immature [stifled laughter]
[Snigger] The name originates from the Cornish ‘Bronn Wennili, ‘ which means ‘hill of swallows’. It’s a summit of Bodmin Moor; the highest one at that and if you think it’s funny, you’re clearly very immature [stifled laughter]
2. Cheesewring.
A cheesewring [chortle] is something that was once used to make cheese…. this wasn’t used to make giant cheese. It’s a totally naturally occurring granite tor. It doesn’t look very natural. It looks like some dude has made a fancy artistic pile…. but honest, nature is the only artist involved here. So Cheesewring [giggle] is both a funny name and an awe inspiring natural wonder.
3. Greensplat.
Greensplat is not something produced as a result of a dodgy curry… It’s a place just north of St Austell in the China clay area. The name derives from a mine shaft near by called The Plat’
Hurtling down the road to Greensplat could lead you to make a splat of your own because as shown in the picture, it’s now blocked off
4. Feock.
Be careful not to mis-pronounce this one…. Feock is a stunning little village on the Fal estuary. It’s worth a visit, even if it is only so you can pose next to the road sign.
Talking of roadsigns, here’s a bit of Feock trivia for you: A a few years ago, Feock was named England’s most oversigned village; there were almost 900! Following a successful campaign to cull the signs, the council removed almost 200 of them.
5. Skinner’s Bottom.
Skinner’s Bottom [titter] Is a hamlet near Porthtowan. IT’S NAME HAS THE WORD BOTTOM IN IT!!!!! Need we say any more?
So on your next Cornish Road trip, schedule in a few stops to some places with unbelievable names… oh, and make sure you include a visit to The Bowgie Inn, Crantock too!
Image sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Willy#/media/File:Brown_Willy.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheesewring#/media/File:Cheesewring_01_minions_cornwall.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greensplat#/media/File:GreensplatRoadCornwallUK.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinner%27s_Bottom
