Unexpected Cornwall

Cornwall has long been distinct from the rest of England in history, culture and geography. In Unexpected Cornwall, author John Husband delves into the lesser known history of the county to reveal a wealth of unusual and unexpected stories. The landscape itself contains the most radioactive rocks in Britain, including a uranium mine, whilst its mild climate means that Cornwall is the only part of Britain which grows tea commercially. On Cornwall’s coast, a hut in Newlyn contains the marker for sea-level which determines the height of every natural feature in the country. In the 1950s and 1960s Cornwall had its own Formula 1 motor racing circuit at Davidstow, and did you know that the famous book Wind in the Willows was based on letters written by the author Kenneth Graham to his son while staying in hotels in Falmouth and Fowey? Until 1744, couples could marry at the Knights Templar church at Temple, Bodmin, without a licence or banns being read. All these and many more stories are revealed in Unexpected Cornwall. The book will be of interest to all those who live in Cornwall or know it well.