Mullion Cove has a pretty working harbour, protected from the winter gales that rage across Mount's Bay by two stout sea walls. The harbour was completed in 1895 and financed by Lord Robartes of Lanhydrock as a recompense to the fishermen for several disastrous pilchard seasons. You can still see the old pilchard cellar and net store. There are plenty of smuggling tales too. In 1801, the King's Pardon was offered to any smuggler giving information on the Mullion musket men involved in a gunfight with the crew of HM Gun Vessel Hecate.
The cove had a lifeboat station from 1867 -1909, and with good reason: in the six years up to 1873 there were nine wrecks under Mullion cliffs along a mile-and-a-half stretch of coastline. Inland are the remains of Wheal Unity copper mine, which operated from the early 18th century to 1919. A large copper boulder from the mine is in the Natural History Museum, London.
The village and church of Gunwalloe are romantically situated amongst the sand dunes and cliffs on the west coast of the Lizard and there are local stories of smuggling, looted wrecks, and buried treasure.
The cove had a lifeboat station from 1867 -1909, and with good reason: in the six years up to 1873 there were nine wrecks under Mullion cliffs along a mile-and-a-half stretch of coastline. Inland are the remains of Wheal Unity copper mine, which operated from the early 18th century to 1919. A large copper boulder from the mine is in the Natural History Museum, London.
The village and church of Gunwalloe are romantically situated amongst the sand dunes and cliffs on the west coast of the Lizard and there are local stories of smuggling, looted wrecks, and buried treasure.
