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Zennor Church and Mermaid Chair

Zennor, Cornwall

Zennor Church and Mermaid Chair, Zennor, Cornwall TR26

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About Zennor Church and Mermaid Chair

The ancient church of St Senara at Zennor contains one of the most famous wooden carvings in Cornwall — a bench end depicting a mermaid that gave rise to the local legend of the Mermaid of Zennor, who lured a young chorister to her underwater kingdom. The church itself dates from the twelfth century, and the village it serves has changed little in five hundred years.
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Location

Nearby Attractions

Church of St Senara

historic

A 12th-century church famous for its carved mermaid chair, inspired by the local legend of a mermaid who fell in love with a chorister. A place of great atmosphere and charm.

1.3 km away

Zennor Quoit

historic

The largest Neolithic dolmen in Cornwall, Zennor Quoit's colossal capstone — nine feet long and weighing several tonnes — once formed the roof of a burial chamber that served this coastal community five thousand years ago. The walk across the bracken moor from Zennor village takes perhaps twenty minutes and offers sweeping views to the sea.

1.7 km away

Gurnard's Head

natural

Gurnard's Head is a worthwhile natural stop near Treen, valued for open views, sea air and the kind of landscape that gives Cornwall much of its identity. It rewards slow exploration, whether that means a clifftop walk, a pause at a viewpoint or simply taking in the changing weather and light.

4.0 km away

Chysauster Ancient Village

historic

One of Britain's best-preserved Iron Age villages, Chysauster has stood on its windswept hillside above the Penwith moorland for two thousand years. The courtyard houses — each with a central open court surrounded by roofed rooms — give a vivid sense of how Romano-British families lived before the Roman conquest. The setting, with views to both coasts, is magnificent.

4.8 km away

Leach Pottery

arts

Founded by Bernard Leach in 1920, this is arguably the most influential pottery studio in the English-speaking world. Leach's fusion of Japanese and English ceramic traditions shaped studio pottery across the globe. Today the working studio and museum show both historic and contemporary pots, and the original wood-fired kiln still stands in the yard — an object of near-sacred significance to potters worldwide.

4.8 km away

Halsetown Village

tourism

Halsetown is a village near St Ives, Cornwall, England. As a programmatic destination page, it works well as a hub for nearby beaches, walks, heritage sites, food spots and local itinerary links across CornwallMagazine.

5.1 km away

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