Cycling and Walking in Cornwall – The Great Flat Lode

Cycling and Walking in Cornwall – The Great Flat Lode

The Great Flat Load

Cycling and Walking in Cornwall - The Great Flat Lode

We are lucky at Lanyon Holiday Park to be so close to the Great Flat Lode. just 800 meters from our holiday park is the Wheal Frances entrance to the Great Flat Lode. Here you can walk, cycle and ride a horse.

The Wheal Buller riding stables are only one mile away and offer riding holidays or hourly hire of horses with tuition if required. Children from as young as six years old are led by the instructors onto the Great Flat Lode to enjoy the beautiful Cornish countryside.

This is the heart of ‘Poldark’ country where extensive tin mining took place and there are numerous reminders of this important historical industry with many buildings still standing. There is informative signage to explain the nature of these buildings and what part they had to play in the production of tin and copper.

The Great Flat Lode was a transport roadway that connected the tin mines and provided a path for the transportation of tin through the countryside to the ports at the coast. From here the tin and copper was shipped to other parts of the U.K and exported abroad. The King Edward Mine Museum only one mile away from Lanyon provides great insight into the effect mining had on Cornwall and its inhabitants.

From Lanyon you can see and walk up to the Basset monument that was constructed from money raised by the local workforce in appreciation of Lord Francis Basset who owned the mines and employed many of the men and women in the area. He was appreciated for the good welfare he offered his employees.

If you enjoy touring or camping in a pet friendly environment and want to discover the historic past of Cornwall and would like to visit the famous town of St Ives, Falmouth, Penzance or the surfing beaches of Perranporth then Lanyon would be perfect for you.

Helston Flora Day

Helston Flora Day

Helston Flora Day

Flora day helston 8th May 2019

 What is Flora Day all About

The origins of this famous celebration dance are more than likely pre-Christian and connected to ancient spring festivals that take place all over Europe. Nowadays the festival’s original purpose of ushering in a prosperous harvest expresses itself in a lively, colourful celebration that involves the whole town. A great family day out.

If you are thinking of come to join in the Flora day, Lanyon Park have camping and touring pitches, holiday caravans and lodges to let some are pet friendly just 8 miles from Helston.

A great place to stay, ideally positioned to visit the many charms of the beautiful county of Cornwall.

Flora day is a fun filled day of music and dance with ladies and gentleman dressed in their finery.

Thousands of people gather to watch and take part in the celebrations.

Many of you will remember the rendition of The Floral dance recorded by Terry Wogan in 1978. Well worth a listen.

The Flora Dance melody, played during the celebrations every year by Helston Town Band, is said to date back to a pre-Christian times. Put to words in 1911 by London born composer Katie Moss, the lyrics are allegedly based on a true incident when, whilst visiting Helston Floral Day, Moss was grabbed by a stranger who enticed her to join in the dancing.

If you wish to visit us here at Lanyon holiday park you can book on line or call 01209 313474.

Click here to book online

Bassett Monument – Carn Brea

Bassett Monument – Carn Brea

The monument on Carn Brea Hill

Have you ever thought when travelling on the A30 Cornwall, heading west near Redruth & Camborne, what is that imposing structure on top of the big hill?

Well I can tell you it is a 90 ft high granite obelisk.  The huge column was erected in 1836 in memory of Francis Bassett, Lord De Duntstaville.

The bassets were the most important mining family in the area.  Francis Bassett was the first to be elevated to nobility, mainly due to his efforts to raise an army of miners to defend the port of Plymouth from invading French and Spanish fleets.

Francis did a lot to improve the welfare of the miners he employed and was a patron for many other good causes, a well-respected gentleman.

After his death in 1865 over 20,000 people formed a procession at his funeral.  The monument was paid for by public donations.

Lanyon Holiday Park has some spectacular views to this historic monument, where we live and is about a mile away from our touring and camping park.

It is an interesting place to visit and for children and adults that are mobile a great place to climb on the massive granite boulders with panoramic view to the coast towards St Ives in the distance.

A rough road leads to the Bassett monument from the village of Carnkie.  I have seen all types of vehicles on the car park, including a three wheeled reliant robin and the original mini, just go carefully.

Why not pay a visit when you are in the area.

For more information of other places of interest visit www.cornwalls.co.uk

Carn Brea Castle

Carn Brea Tin Mines