At the Bowgie Inn, Crantock we love a fact about Cornwall, but sometimes a single ‘fact’ just isn’t enough, which is why we’ve got 15 of the little blighters right here. But that’s not all, we’ve made them fun because that’s the kind of people we are.
1. Cornwall has a population of just over half a million, along with 75,000 cows and more than five million tourists per year… that means if everyone in the UK visited just once we could meet the whole of the UK population in 13 years.
2. The last speaker of Cornish as a first language is thought to have died in 1777.
3. The earliest known reference to a Cornish Pasty was in 1877. We don’t know what the reference was but we like to think it was ‘this ye olde Cornish Pasty is a right booty’
4. Whilst we are on the subject of pasties, we thought we would tell you the largest ever Cornish Pasty was made in Bodmin. It weighed 1900lb, was 15 foot long and a belt-busting 1,750,000 calories.
5. Last year, Greggs had to re-name their Cornish Pasty because EU regulations state Cornish Pasties must only contain beef, potatoes, onion, suede and seasoning… not peas and carrots as Greggs had added!
6. St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall and Tin Miners and was said to be an Irish Catholic who was pushed off a cliff tied to a mill stone and carried safely by the tide to Cornwall… that was lucky!
7. The name Cornwall comes from ‘Cornovii’ and ‘Waelas’ meaning hill dwellers and strangers. Hey! Who are you calling strange!?
8. The Cornish and Welsh people of today are the remnants of an ancient race from between 4000 and 6000 years ago.
9. Poldark has lead to more tourists visiting Cornish filming and set locations and it’s also lead to more babies being called Demelza.
10. In the 1900’s half the worlds tin came from Cornwall… because when we do mining, we do it properly.
11. Cornwall is larger than more than 20 UN nations so it’s feasible for us to be recognised as our own Country.
12. It’s estimated that 7,000,000,000,000,000 grains of sand are on Perranporth Beach… probably half of them get stuck in your belly button and between your toes after you spend a day there.
13. China clay was discovered in Cornwall in 1746 by William Cookworthy – it’s now the largest Cornish export (after the humble pasty of course!)
14. Most Cornish place names are of Celtic Origin and are derived from the Kernwek language, which must be why we have the some of best place names ever such as Green Bottom, Skinners Bottom and Brown Willy.
15. Finally, Cornwall has the longest coast line in Britain measuring 697km. We love every single metre of it, but our favourite bit of Cornish Coastline is the bit we can see from our cosy spot on the headland.