St. Keverne

Situated close to the eastern coastline of the Lizard Peninsula, the village of St Keverne has a square bounded by whitewashed cottages, a beautiful church, two pubs and a handful of shops. Here, you will find yourself in the heart of excellent walking country, although several good beaches are close at hand for the less energetic to stretch out on in the sun.

The saint who gave his name to this village was not one of the meek, peaceful saints. Legend has that after a visit from St Just it appeared that the guest had made off with a prize chalice and St Keverne pursued him, hurling great moonstones until the chalice was returned.

The village church with a conspicuous spire set on its tower, the whole rising some 100 feet above the ground, provides a fine landmark for sailors on this treacherous coast. Visit the churchyard and look at the graves and you will find that many of them are those of shipwrecked sailors. For whilst St Keverne itself is a peaceful, quiet village, it lies close to one of the most feared reefs on the Cornish coast - The Manacles.

Lying on the course taken by ships approaching Falmouth harbour, this group of rocks is almost hidden at high tide. One major wreck was that of the Mohegan, which was lost with over a hundred lives.

If you approach St. Keverne, heading south from Helston, shortly before the village you will see the brown tourist signs pointing off to your right. These are for Roskilly's, a working, organic Cornish farm with restaurant, self-catering cottages and country walks, where you can bring all the family for a free visit.

Roskilly’s is well known for its naturally tasty ice creams and fudge which are made using the rich organic Jersey milk and cream and taste both indulgent and delicious. Everything is made on the farm, the milk used in the ice creams, fudge and yoghurts comes from the 100 strong Jersey herd which graze on the surrounding ancient pastures. Visitors to the farm can see the cows being milked between 4.30 and 5.30pm.

Recently opened, is the ‘Original Ice Cream Kitchen’ where you can visit and watch the ice cream being made. The kitchen can cater for groups of people that want to try their hand at making ice cream themselves, under the guidance of the Roskilly production team visitors can make their own ice cream and try new flavours (advance bookings required).

At the farm there is a mile of easy walking which includes ‘the ponds’, ‘the meadows’, ‘the wetland withy woods’ and the ‘old orchard’. Enjoy a gentle stroll, feed the ducks and moorhens, or just enjoy the peace and quiet of your surroundings.

At the Restaurant, the Croust House, you can enjoy delicious home-made food, either inside by a roaring fire or out in the sunshine in the old farmyard. Daytime meals include soups, pasties, pizzas etc and a variety of fresh salads as well as scrumptious scones, cakes, pies and, of course, many flavours of ice-cream. During the summer the Croust House holds evening BBQs, which, in July and August, are accompanied by music and entertainment at least twice a week. At other times, the Croust House converts to a Farmhouse Bistro for evening meals. Across the yard, The Bull Pen Gallery provides a showcase for furniture, fused stained glass, ceramics and artworks mostly made on the farm or by local artists. The Bull Pen Shop has a wonderful selection of children's books, toys and cards.

There are two self-catering cottages on the farm and one in Coverack, all comfortably furnished and very popular with visitors, some of whom have been coming for over forty years! Details can be found in the Croust House or Bull Pen or by phoning 01326 280 858.

In the Square, at the heart of the village, you will get a warm welcome at The Three Tuns, a pleasant inn built in the early 1900’s and standing in three acres of grounds. We are pleased to say that although the inn now boasts all the modern comforts and amenities which you would expect from a good country pub, much of the original character has been carefully retained.

This is a place to enjoy a bar snack or a full restaurant meal whilst if you choose to stay in the comfortable accommodation, you are in the heart of excellent walking country with several good beaches close at hand for the less energetic to stretch out on in the sun. This is a great pub to stay at, eat at or just enjoy an evening meal if you are diving down at Porthkerris Dive Centre by The Manacles.

Coverack

Coverack, well worth the walk from St. Keverne, is a delightful fishing village built on both sides of a spur of rock that juts out into the sea. It has a large, crescent-shaped beach in the sheltered bay, which is ideal for swimming and windsurfing and the small picturesque harbour.