Calstock, Cornwall(Image: Sandra Srivastava)

Hidden gem Cornwall locations featured in new travel guide

15 Mar 2026, 06:00 by Olivier Vergnault, Miles O'Leary · PlymouthLive

Author Sandra Srivastava is once again showcasing her favourite Cornish locations to the world, hoping to inspire both residents and tourists to explore the stunning county and uncover hidden gems.

Sandra, a Cornwall resident who holds a master of arts degree in Cornish Studies, has now released Cornish Villages Volume 3 as a comprehensive guide for holidaymakers and locals alike exploring the region.

She explained that the book provides insights into a wide variety of villages throughout the county, beautifully complemented by photographs that capture the appeal and magnificence of England's cherished peninsula.

The former solicitor has also penned travel articles and fiction, including several award-winning short stories.

She commented: "This book is designed to make holiday planning simple for visitors and to help local residents discover new places to enjoy. Each chapter features a section on nearby sights, ensuring every trip can last a day or more. These sections include recommendations for coastal walks, beaches, attractions, and neighbouring towns."

Discussing the motivation behind writing this book, Sandra said: "This book is a follow-up to Cornish Villages (published in 2023) and Cornish Villages Volume 2 (published in 2024).

"There are so many beautiful and fascinating Cornish villages that it is impossible to pick out just a few to include in a single volume, or even two. The books were written to fill a gap in the market. There were huge numbers of books on Cornwall, but none that provided an easy solution to a problem faced by everyone in Cornwall: 'Where shall we go today?'"

See our photo gallery below. Click 'Next' bottom right to see more.

St Tudy is known for being a well-kept village. There are numerous idyllic 17th to 19th century houses and cottages, a 19th century forge, a village pump, a community shop and a popular pub.
The narrow streets are well worth exploring on foot. Beside the church is St Tudy Clink, probably built in the 18th century.
Sandra said: "This is an interesting building, which has two storeys at the front and a single storey at the rear, with an external staircase. It was originally a church house, was later a schoolhouse and a jail, and is currently used as parish rooms."(Image: Sandra Srivastava)

About Crantock, Sandra wrote: "Crantock is a very pretty village with narrow streets, a shop and two pubs. It has some unusual cottages, many of them thatched.
"The Round Garden, a small garden in the village centre, is believed to be the site of St Carantoc’s oratory. It is managed by the National Trust, and a sign beside the entrance gate states that it is believed that the garden was created as a pound to contain stray animals from the nearby commons.
"On Green Lane is the village well, probably built in the 17th century. It has a small stone well house with a roughly pyramidal roof and a wooden door with strap hinges. The beach is at the mouth of the River Gannel, where there is a large car park, water sports and outdoor refreshments."(Image: Sandra Srivastava)

Here's what Sandra wrote about Pendeen in her book: "Pendeen is on the B3306, one of Cornwall's prettiest roads. This spectacular drive takes you from St Ives to St Just-in-Penwith and beyond.
"The landscape contains many Bronze Age and medieval stone-walled field patterns and is of historic importance. Pendeen is a former mining village with traditional 19th century cottages on a long main street. It is still a thriving community with pubs, shops, small businesses and a primary school. Geevor Mine operated until 1990 and was one of the last Cornish mines to close after the collapse of the tin market.
The site now contains a museum and conducts surface and underground tours. Levant Mine, on the coast just outside the village, had a gallery extending a mile beneath the seabed. It closed in 1930 and is now run by the National Trust.
Volunteers from the Trevithick Society sometimes operate the steam engine. Pendeen Watch is a former lighthouse and fog signal station, built in 1900. The lighthouse was automated in 1995, the fog signal was discontinued in 2014, and the former keepers' cottages are now holiday homes.(Image: Sandra Srivastava)

Porthgwarra is a small, quiet, exceptionally picturesque village with traditional 19th century cottages overlooking a small beach. Cove Cottage was originally a boathouse and fishermen's store.
Two short tunnels were cut into the cliff by miners in the late 19th century. One was to allow farmers to access the beach by horse and cart to collect sand and seaweed as fertiliser, as the slipway is very steep. You can still walk through this, and there are ropes attached to the walls as the floor can be very slippery.
The other tunnel, now disused, was cut to allow fishermen to access two granite shellfish storage tanks at the low-water line on a boulder-strewn area of the shore. Live shellfish were kept here until they could be taken to market. The tanks are now scheduled monuments as they are rare nationally.(Image: Sandra Srivastava)

Lamorna is in a densely wooded valley in south west Cornwall. The peaceful village has scattered houses, a village hall, artists’ studios, a pub and a café.
The picturesque road down the valley has an 18th or early 19th century two-span bridge and two small buildings with attached water wheels.
At the foot of the valley you will be delighted to see a patch of gunnera by the stream, and other exotic plants in the cottage gardens. The granite quarry opened in 1849 and the harbour was built in 1854.
The granite was exported from here until the harbour was no longer used because its access was deemed too dangerous for shipping. Subsequently the granite was instead transported by road to Wherrytown, Penzance.
The quarry closed in 1911 and the waste tips still loom over the houses below.(Image: Sandra Srivastava)