Inside Cornwall caves including one that has to be seen to be believed
The home of a sorcerer, a Victorian tourist attraction and a Georgian rock-cut bathroom, these caves in Cornwall are truly magical
With a coastline that is more than 400 miles long, Cornwall has an abundance of caves along its shores which have been woven into its history and legends. Many of us will have dared to explore into the darkness of caves at the beach, wondering if they might have been used by smugglers in the past. And many of us will have read stories of treasure and adventure, set in these salty caves.
However, there are some caves in Cornwall that are more than just dark holes leading back into the cliffs. There are some which are particularly special, hiding secret wonders within.
Whether they are the home of a sorcerer, a Victorian tourist attraction, a Georgian rock-cut bathroom or just beautifully decorated by mineral deposits, there are caves in Cornwall which are truly magical.
Among them, is the incredible St Cuthbert’s Cave - a true marvel that is so remarkable it has to be seen to be believed. And now you can do so, from the comfort of your own home.
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This story was originally published in August 2022.
St Cuthbert’s Cave
It has been described as one of the most remarkable sites in the British Isles, featuring on postcards and attracting huge numbers of visitors from around the world at the height of its popularity – and yet, today, relatively few know of the hidden wonder that lies inside this sea cave on the north coast of Cornwall.
Holywell Cave - also known as St Cuthbert’s Cave – is set in the south west corner of Kelsey Head, and can be accessed at low tide from the north east end of the beach at Holywell Bay, near Newquay. A natural spring, descending through a surreal, multi-coloured grotto from the back of the cave, has drawn thousands to the bottom of this cliff over the years, and is thought to be the origin of Holywell Bay’s name.
At its entrance, small, slippery steps carved into the side of the rock hundreds of years ago are now barely distinguishable, worn down by centuries of feet climbing up into the cave. Pilgrims, mothers with sick children and cripples who would leave their crutches behind at the foot of the cave – all came to drink from the holy well, which was said to have incredible healing properties.
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If the water from the sacred spring in St Cuthbert’s Cave really can heal, it may have the rich deposits of minerals within it to thank. Certainly the mineral deposits can be credited for the vivid red, green, blue and yellow décor.
As rainwater passes through the ground at Kelsey Head, it becomes a weak carbonic acid from the limestone deposits. This acid dissolves the calcite in the rock, forming calcium bicarbonate, which, mixed in the rainwater, drips down into the cave creating a natural spring. As some of the water evaporates and carbon dioxide is released in the cave, the spring water is left with a high concentration of calcium, which forms speleothems (from the Ancient Greek word meaning cave deposits) creating a series of descending, milky yellow calcareous basins.
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The spring water, which some people have described as tasting a bit like cereal milk, flows down through these basins, creating small, shallow pools, before trickling out of the cave onto the beach. Unlike almost every other holy well in Britain, the spring in St Cuthbert’s Cave is washed out twice a day, every day, when the tide comes in and floods the cavern.
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Looking out of the holy well sea cave, also known as St Cuthbert's Cave, towards Gull Rock at Holywell Bay in Cornwall. As the sea cave floods completely, it is very important to only visit it at low tide, and to be aware of the incoming sea. It is also advisable to not visit the cave alone, and to take a bright torch to see all the magnificent colours hidden in the darkness.
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The popularity of St Cuthbert’s Cave is recorded by William Hals in his “History of Cornwall”, which he compiled from 1685 until 1736. In his book, Hals writes: “In this parish is that famous and well-known spring of water called Holy-well (so named the inhabitants say, for that the virtues of this water was first discovered on Allhallows- day). The same stands in a dark cavern of the sea- cliff' rocks, beneath full sea-mark on spring-tides ; from the top of which cavern foils down or distils continually drops of water, from the white, blue, red, and green veins of those rocks. And accordingly, in the place where those drops of water fall, it swells to a lump of considerable bigness, and there petrifies to the hardness of ice, glass, or freestone, of the several colours aforesaid, according to the nature of those veins in the rock from whence it proceeds, and is of a hard brittle nature, apt to break like glass.”
Hals goes on to note “The virtues of this water are very great. It is incredible what numbers in summer season frequent this place and waters from counties far distant.”
Read the full story of St Cuthbert's Cave: Inside Cornwall's forgotten cave thought to have secret healing powers
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A sea cave in west Cornwall can be equally filled with colour thanks to an annual natural phenomenon over the winter months.
From December into January, when the sun transits the celestial meridian at a low angle and can be seen setting at its most southerly point from Cornwall, it aligns perfectly with a stunning rock arch as it sets into the sea, creating a magical spectacle as the last light of the day shines through the cave.
The tall, narrow passageway that the sea has worn through the cliffs at Nanjizal beach in west Cornwall is called Zawn Pyg, though many know the cave by its more romantic name, ‘Song of the Sea’.
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The arch, Zawn Pyg, is in the cliffs on the southern side of the cove, and on more tranquil days when the tide is out, there are large tidal pools in front of it.
The tidal pools are called Big and Little Muzzan, coming from the Cornish name ‘Morzawn’, which means zawn of the sea – a zawn being a deep and narrow sea inlet. This is most likely where the cave gets its other name, ‘Song of the Sea’.
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