Carn Brea

Top choice


Towering on the skyline between Camborne and Redruth and visible for miles around, this craggy hilltop is one of Cornwall's most iconic natural features. It's thought to have been occupied for several thousand years, and remains dating from the neolithic period, Bronze Age and Iron Age have all been found here. Since 1836 it's been topped by a 90m-high Celtic cross, built to honour the Bassett family, which owned and ran many of the mines around Camborne and Redruth.

It's also the site of a dramatic folly known as Carn Brea Castle, originally built by the Bassetts as a hunting lodge, now home to a restaurant.

Various walking and biking trails run around the hillside, and the views are majestic, especially at sunrise and sundown.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. East Pool Mine

0.91 MILES

This mining centre near Redruth is an ideal place to get acquainted with Cornwall's once-great industry. At the heart of the complex are two massive…

2. Heartlands

1.05 MILES

For many years since the closure of its mines, the rugged country between Camborne, Redruth and Pool was a watchword for deprivation and industrial…

3. King Edward Mine

1.66 MILES

If you're into mining heritage, this historic mine is a must-see. It's changed little over the last hundred years, largely because it was used as a…

4. Tehidy Woods

3.12 MILES

The 101-hectare country park of Tehidy formerly belonged to the Bassets, one of Cornwall’s four richest tin-mining families, who made their fortune from…

5. Mount Pleasant Eco Park

3.9 MILES

Up on the hill above Porthtowan, this community-focused eco-centre and organic farm is a catch-all venue, hosting everything from vegan food fairs to…

6. Hell's Mouth

5.14 MILES

This spectacular stretch of cliffs along the road between Portreath and Gwithian are where you'll find the steepest drop in Cornwall: all 88m of it,…

7. Chapel Porth

5.54 MILES

Two miles from St Agnes is one of Cornwall's most beautiful coves, Chapel Porth, a wild, rocky beach framed by steep, gorse-covered cliffs, owned by the…

8. Beacon

6.12 MILES

If you're feeling energetic, climb up to the area's highest viewpoint. The panorama from the top of the Beacon stretches across most of Cornwall on a…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "england/camborne-redruth/attractions/carn-brea/a/poi-sig/1541955/1341289",
      "position": "superzone"
    }