Cornwall has countless amazing attractions to appeal to any visitor, which in combination with its sunny weather makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. But it’s not just the places themselves that make them great, some of them have some fantastic stories behind their creation that only add to their value.

While it’s not possible to visit any of these places for yourself right now, why not enjoy the stories behind them and perhaps add them to the itinerary for your next Cornish break?

St Michael's Mount

St Michael’s Mount is a location truly rich with history and wonder, with countless stories and legends surrounding it. It served historically as a counterpart to the French Mont-Saint-Michel when it belonged to Benedictine monks who built the church and priory there, with a castle likely added for defence around the 13th century. The then-fortified location went to play a part in a number of historical wars, including the Wars of the Roses and the Civil War.

It’s no surprise it’s also at the centre of a number of somewhat more fanciful stories, including being the home of mermaids, the site of four miracles in the mid-13th century, and the ancient home of a fearsome giant.

Lost Gardens of Heligan

Known as one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK, the stunning Lost Gardens of Heligan were truly once ‘lost’. The thousand-acre grounds of the Heligan estate flourished in the late nineteenth century, but as many of the hard-working gardeners who maintained it departed to fight in the First World War, it fell into disrepair and was mostly forgotten about.

Though the main house of the estate, Heligan House, was sold off and converted into flats in the 1970s, the gardens themselves were left overgrown until the 1990s, when a group of volunteers decided to restore them and tell the story of the ordinary people who had once worked to make them magnificent.

The incredible gardens are now a popular tourist attraction which covers a number of botanical styles and boast a range of historic elements including Europe’s last pineapple pit and a number of lakes fed by a ram pump that’s over a century old, not to mention the striking sculptures of the Mud Maid (pictured above) and the Giant’s Head.

Tintagel Castle

Disentangling the myth from the reality when it comes to Tintagel Castle may be next to impossible, but it still makes for a good story. The ruins of this clifftop fortification have a strange tie to English folklore, specifically that it is said to have been the location at which King Arthur was conceived.

A visit to Tintagel Castle makes it easy to grasp why it has attained such mythological status, with its romantic location on a cliff by the sea giving it an unforgettably otherworldly feel. Interestingly enough, the original reason for its construction by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, in 1233 was because of the purported King Arthur connection, not for any defensive purpose, though there had been earlier settlements in the area.

These are just some of our favourites from the endless stories behind the biggest historic attractions in Cornwall. This superb destination has a rich and fascinating heritage that's sure to enthral.