Discover Carn Galva and Bosigran

Published:: 17 February 2023

A view of the sea from cliffs with a stone structure in the distance. — Bosigran Castle, Porthmoina Valley, Zennor | © Sue Brackenbury

Take a step back in time and surround yourself with historic views steeped in ancient farming and rich mining history. A climb to the top of Carn Galva rewards you with far reaching coastal and moorland views.

Facilities:

There is a small National Trust car park at Carn Galva, donations welcome (SW421364).

Ancient land

The surrounding landscape is of great cultural importance. The hills have been inhabited by people for millennia, with the bronze-age and iron-age burial chambers still present, courtyard settlements, hut circles and a cliff castle also on Bosigran cliff.

The surrounding farmland and field systems are known to be some of the oldest in the world, believed to be pre-historic. The two engine houses of Carn Galver mine right in the car park are also evidence of the Tin and Copper past of this section of West Penwith. A little further along the coast you’ll also come across Porthmeor stamps, yet more mining remains from the 19^th century.

A walk and explore around Bosigran and Carn Galver will reveal how people have shaped the land and nature for years.

Flowers in the foreground, with a stone wall, hills and sea in the background. — The view from Bosigran | © Mike Henton

Our work here

During the spring and summer you may come across some Dartmoor ponies grazing the area around Carn Galva and Bosigran cliff. This is often the most effective and natural way to maintain and improve certain habitats like heathland and cliff grassland.

The ponies do a fantastic job of nibbling and trampling encroaching scrub and coarse grasses meaning these more aggressive species don’t dominate the landscape.

Please do not approach or feed the ponies

The Dartmoor ponies are wild animals, and we’d like to keep them that way. Please do not approach or feed the ponies and keep dogs on a lead around the animals.

Cattle grazing

We are also working with one of our tenant farmers who is using belted Galloway cattle to graze the area. Please try not to come between cattle and their young and keep dogs on a lead around cattle.

A cow on a hillside with views of the sea in the background. — Galloway cow at Carn Galva, Cornwall | © Hilary Daniel

Wildlife

The cliffs and moorland have benefitted from years of conservation grazing, opening up areas for an abundance of wildflowers to grow, including some rare plants such as the coral necklace.

Flying above and out across the cliffs you’ll likely see kestrels, choughs or if you’re lucky a barn owl at dusk. During hot sunny spring and summer days keep an eye out on the ground for basking adders, lizards and slow worms.