Collections
Opening times
Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays)
CURRENT HOURS
10.30 am - 4.30 pm
(last admission 4.00pm)
Admission £4.50 adults,
£3.00 concessions,
under 18s FREE
ADMISSION FREE ON SATURDAYS
WINTER HOURS
From 1 October
to Good Friday:
10.30am - 4.30pm
(last admission 4.00pm)
WINNER Cornwall Tourism Awards GOLD
South West Tourism Excellence Awards SILVER
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Natural History
Nest of wheatear
Wheatear is one of the earliest arriving summer visitors to the British Isles. Occuring first on short cropped coastal grasslands, before moving to breed in rough grazed upland areas. The nest site being under a pile of stones or in a gap in a dried stone wall. It spends the winter in sub-saharan Africa.
Nest of whinchat
The Whinchat is very similar in build to the Stonechat, but only occurs here as a summer visitor. It feeds on insects and normally lays five or six eggs. It is a bird of rough grasslands and heathlands. In Cornwall the main breeding area is on Bodmin Moor.
Nest of willow warbler
The Willow Warbler is northern Europe's most abundant breeding summer visitor, occuring everywhere that there are trees and shrubs. Its beautiful song separates it from the very similar Chiffchaff. It feeds chiefly on insects.
Nest of woodcock
Although Woodcock do not breed in Cornwall, they are a common winter visitor. Because of their secretive nature more are seen by shooters, than by naturalists. They rest by day in marshy willow carr, to fly out at dusk to feed on farmland. During periods of snow and freezing temperatures, thousands move into the milder areas of the south-west. At this time they can often be seen feeding by day in open unfrozen patches of land.
Osprey
Osprey, a rare migrant visitor to Cornwall in spring and autumn. Occasionally staying for protracted periods to fish on our estuaries and reservoirs.
Ostrich eggs ?
two eggs held together by a piece of chain. One has a large crack in it.
