List of Place Names

Have you ever wondered how to pronounce those fascinating Cornish place names? Now you can explore their unique sounds and stories right here!

This collection celebrates the rich heritage and identity of Cornwall through its place names. Listen to authentic recordings of locals pronouncing each name, and immerse yourself in the history, culture, and language that make Cornwall so special.

Whether you’re a visitor, a local, or simply curious, use our search or just list the place names and let the sounds of Cornwall guide you.

Click on a place name to start exploring!

• Altarnun

  Altarnun (St Nonna’s Altar) is a village on the northern edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. It is centred on St Nonna’s Church, which dates mainly from the 15th century and stands beside a stream. The village has long served the surrounding farming area and is known for its association with the writer Daphne du Maurier. Today, Altarnun consists of stone houses, a small number of local services, and direct access to open moorland.

• Boconnoc

  Boconnoc (dwelling of Conoc) is 3 miles east of Lostwithiel and is home to a parish church and magnificent 18th century house.

• Botallack

  Botallack (dwelling of Taloc) forms part of the Cornish Mining Heritage Site and was made world famous through the filming of the Poldark series. The Crowns engine houses still cling to the foot of its iconic wild cliffs. It can be found near to St Just, postcode TR19 7QQ.

• Chapel

  Chapel Kernwhily, which in Cornish translates as chapel of lapwings, is a hamlet 2 miles east of Newquay. Nowadays it is simply referred to as Chapel.

• Delabole

  Delabole is a village in north Cornwall best known for its slate quarry, one of the largest and oldest working slate quarries in England. The settlement developed around quarrying in the 19th century and later expanded with housing and local services. Delabole includes a primary school, shops, and community facilities, and serves a largely rural area between the coast and Bodmin Moor.

• Egloshayle

  Egloshayle (Eglosheyl) means church on an estuary in Cornish and is a village lying beside the River Camel near Wadebridge

• Fowey

  Fowey is a historic harbour town on the south coast of Cornwall.

• Goonhavern

  Goonhavern (Downs with summer ploughland) developed as a small agricultural settlement serving surrounding farmland in central Cornwall. During the 18th and 19th centuries it also supported nearby mining activity, though it was not itself a major mining centre. It originally had rail connections to both Truro and Newquay that closed in the 1960s. In the 20th century the village expanded with housing and local services, and today it functions mainly as a residential community.

• Holywell

  Holywell is a village to the west of Crantock and is named after the Holy Well in the cliffs that run on the eastern end of the beach. This image shows the iconic Carter’s Rocks that have appeared regularly in TV and film series such as Poldark.

• Illogan

  Illogan is a parish in west Cornwall with a history closely linked to tin and copper mining. From the 18th to the 19th century it was part of one of the most productive mining areas in the world, supplying skilled miners who later emigrated overseas. Earlier settlement was agricultural, with scattered farms and small hamlets. Mining declined by the late 19th century, after which Illogan developed mainly as a residential area. Some locals shorten the pronunciation to ‘luggan’