Best Hidden Gems in Cornwall in Summer
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best hidden gems in Cornwall in Summer are Godrevy Lighthouse, The Hidden Valley, Great Wheal Charlotte, Delphi Bridge, Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Warren Point, St Breock Downs Monolith and Menacuddle Well.
Summer is when Cornwall shines, though the well-known beaches and harbours can fill quickly. The trick is to head a little off the beaten track, to the places away from the busiest tourist spots, where you can enjoy the long days in peace.
Out on St Ives Bay, Godrevy Lighthouse gleams white on its island, while inland in the china-clay country the wooded Hidden Valley near St Stephen-in-Brannel offers cool shade. Along the north coast between St Agnes and Porthtowan, the ruins of Great Wheal Charlotte cling to the cliffs above Chapel Porth.
Up on Bodmin Moor, ponies graze around the old granite Delphi Bridge near St Breward. Just east of Penzance, the subtropical Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens spill down a sheltered valley toward St Michael's Mount, and further north Warren Point looks over the harbour at Boscastle.
Near Wadebridge the ancient St Breock Downs Monolith leans on high downland, while a wooded dell north of St Austell hides Menacuddle Well. Here are eight hidden gems to seek out in Cornwall this summer.
Godrevy Lighthouse
Photo: Alan Bate via Geograph.org.uk
Godrevy Lighthouse Standing on a small island just off Godrevy Point, at the eastern end of St Ives Bay, this white octagonal tower marks a dangerous reef offshore. It was built in the late 1850s and worked for over a century before the light was moved to a smaller structure on the neighbouring rock.
The tower is now kept as a daymark and cannot be visited on its island, though the headland above makes a fine place to take in the view on a long summer evening. It is often said to have inspired Virginia Woolf's novel To the Lighthouse.
The Hidden Valley
Photo: Jay Pea via Geograph.org.uk
The Hidden Valley A local name for Tregargus Valley, this wooded gorge lies beside the village of St Stephen-in-Brannel in the china-clay country of mid-Cornwall. A stream runs down through the trees, with a small waterfall, past the roofless ruins of a chain of Victorian mills that once ground china stone.
Their mossy stone walls and old leats still stand among the woodland, and informal paths let you explore for free. It is a quiet, overgrown reminder of the area's industrial past, and the shade of the trees makes it a cool retreat on a hot summer afternoon.
Great Wheal Charlotte
Photo: Tony Atkin via Geograph.org.uk
Great Wheal Charlotte High on the cliffs above Chapel Porth, between St Agnes and Porthtowan, this fragment of an old tin and copper mine is easy to miss. Little survives beyond one wall of an engine house and the bare, grey spoil heaps around it, kept clear of plants by the metals still in the ground.
It stands on National Trust land in the old mining country of this stretch of coast. A short, steep climb from Chapel Porth or a clifftop walk from Porthtowan brings you to it, a rewarding summer ramble with the sea spread out below.
Delphi Bridge
Photo: Chris Andrews via Geograph.org.uk
Delphi Bridge More properly called Delford Bridge, this old granite crossing carries a minor road over the De Lank River on Bodmin Moor, near St Breward. Heavy slabs of granite and moorstone span the river on stone piers, with a ford alongside for good measure.
It stands in open moorland grazed by ponies, and walkers use it as a starting point for exploring the moor. Far out in the quiet, it makes a peaceful place to pause on a summer's day, with the river running beneath and the wide moor stretching away on every side.
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
Photo: Chris Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens About a mile east of Penzance, these gardens fill a sheltered subtropical valley that looks out toward St Michael's Mount. Neil Armstrong began the project after taking on the valley in 1997, planting some twenty acres of exotic and subtropical species around a stream and woodland, with contemporary artworks set among them.
A James Turrell skyspace is a highlight, along with pieces by artists such as David Nash and Peter Randall-Page. There is a gallery, a plant nursery and a restaurant, and the ground is steep in places.
In summer the planting is at its lushest, so allow plenty of time to wander.
Warren Point
Photo: John Myers via Geograph.org.uk
Warren Point This low, grassy headland sits on the south side of the entrance to Boscastle harbour on the north Cornwall coast. From the path along it you look back over the narrow, zig-zag natural harbour to the opposite headland at Penally Point and up to Willapark with its old lookout tower.
The harbour and cliffs are National Trust land, and nearby is the Devil's Bellows, a blowhole at Penally Point that fires a jet of water around low tide. The village of Boscastle, with its witchcraft museum and valley walk, sits just inland, making an easy summer outing by the sea.
St Breock Downs Monolith
Photo: G Laird via Geograph.org.uk
St Breock Downs Monolith Out on high downland near Wadebridge stands the largest and heaviest standing stone in Cornwall. Made of local stone laced with white quartz, it rises about ten feet, leaning to one side, though its full length is longer, part of it set in a low mound of quartz pebbles.
It was raised in the late Neolithic or Bronze Age, four thousand or more years ago, among a scatter of other barrows and stones on the downs. The stone fell in 1945 and was re-erected in the 1950s, and it is a free English Heritage site with wide views, perfect for a breezy summer walk.
Menacuddle Well
Photo: Rob Farrow via Geograph.org.uk
Menacuddle Well Just north of St Austell, this medieval holy well sits in a wooded dell of rhododendrons beside the St Austell River. Over the spring stands a small granite well house with a Gothic archway, built in the late fifteenth century and restored in 1922.
A stream and a small waterfall run through the dell, and among the trees is a shaped granite seat known as the Druid's Chair. By old custom, people dropped a pin into the well and made a wish.
The clear spring water once stood in contrast to the river beside it, long clouded milky white by the local china-clay works. A cool, green corner to seek out in summer.
FAQs
Where can I escape the crowds in Cornwall in summer?
Try the quieter corners such as the Hidden Valley near St Stephen-in-Brannel, Delphi Bridge on Bodmin Moor, or Great Wheal Charlotte above Chapel Porth, all a good way from Cornwall's busiest beaches.
Are Cornwall's hidden gems suitable for a hot day?
Some are ideal. The wooded dell at Menacuddle Well near St Austell and the shaded Hidden Valley offer cool retreats, while Godrevy Point on St Ives Bay catches a welcome sea breeze.
Do you need to pay to visit these Cornwall gems?
Many are free, including the St Breock Downs Monolith near Wadebridge and Delphi Bridge on Bodmin Moor. Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens near Penzance charges admission, so check ahead before you set off.
Conclusion
Cornwall in summer does not have to mean packed car parks and crowded sands. Step a little away from the honeypots and you will find gardens, holy wells, ancient stones and quiet stretches of moor and coast where you can breathe.
Wander the shaded paths of the Hidden Valley or Menacuddle Well when the sun is high, take in the sea air at Godrevy or Warren Point, or lose an afternoon among the sculptures at Tremenheere. Remember to carry water on hot days, check tide times before any clifftop or harbour walk, and leave gates as you find them out on the moor.
There is a whole other Cornwall waiting beyond the busiest spots, full of history and wild beauty. From the north coast to the china-clay country, these are the hidden gems to seek out in Cornwall this summer.
