Women & Cornwall
	Cornwall is a very beautiful county, set at the South Western tip of England. Approximately 80 miles in length with many sandy beaches, quaint Cornish villages and rugged coast lines. Famed for it's Celtic heritage, granite tombs and mystic stone circles, as well as Irish Saints and Pagan Festivals, Cornwall is the home of Myth and Legend. From Tales of ship-wrecks and smuggling, to legends of King Arthur, Mermaids and maidens turned to stone, all give rise to traditional Cornish Folklore. Surrounded on 3 sides by water, Cornwall thrives on it's tradition and customs that not only the visiting tourists find appealing. As Cornwall has a slow and easy feel to it, it either becomes a place to retire to, or attracts those with Artistic and Creative natures. Although very beautiful, Cornwall is a long and thin county, with tiny winding lanes that make travel awkward and long-winded. This means that the people who live here live in small community pockets in rural or even isolated areas. In retrospect, Cornwall was once a county bustling with tin mines and is full of quaint little fishing villages. It is also well known for it's "Clotted Cream" and the "Cornish Pasty". Cornwall now has no main trading industry to support it and has become a county of low income and high unemployment. This obviously does not help the situation for Women living in Cornwall, even less for us as Lesbians, many of whom are in rural and isolated areas. Many years ago Women in Cornwall were "Jowsters" (fish-sellers) and worked long and gruelling hours, or they would work in the mines as "Bal-Maidens". Bal-Maidens worked in cold and draughty places spending hours in cramped positions breaking the rubble and granite that had been mined. As a result they formed a close-knit social group, like Women in America who make the American quilts. Other Women in Cornwall worked on farms, or, as with other parts of the world if you were a little "different" and did not fit the norm, you would become a social outcast, a "Witch". There are many tales of Witches in Cornwall, but perhaps the most famous was "Tamsin Blight" from Helston, who was a faith healer and herbalist of exceptional ability, and as with many of the Witch stories, there are many tales of her deeds and remarkable powers.   For more stories on Women who were born, stayed or lived in Cornwall see "Your Page". Add this page to your Favourites!
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