Carn Brea

Carn Brea is a hilltop settlement near Redruth, dominated by Carn Brea hill, which rises to about 225 metres. The hill has Neolithic remains dating back some 5,000 years and later Iron Age hut circles. A castle on the summit, built from a medieval chapel and now a restaurant, and the Basset Monument - a granite monument about 27 metres high, erected in 1836 by public subscription to honour Francis Basset, Lord de Dunstanville - are the hill’s two landmarks. The castle is a restaurant rather than an attraction, so check its opening times and book before you head up the narrow access road.

The village sits between Camborne and Redruth in the heart of Cornwall’s mining heritage area. The Great Flat Lode Trail, a circular walking and cycling route of about 7.5 miles through former mining landscape, passes nearby, with parking at South Wheal Frances, Dolcoath Mine and King Edward Mine. Some sections are steep. Portreath on the north coast is under 5 miles to the north, and Illogan is close by.