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Penwith - Definition and Overview |
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Penwith is a local government district in Cornwall, England. It is the westernmost district in England, other than the Isles of Scilly. Its council is based in Penzance. Other places in the district include St. Ives, Hayle and Land's End.
The district is named after an ancient hundred of Cornwall.
It is mostly composed of the peninsula that bears the same name. It features a rugged coastline with many fine beaches, which make this area a renowned holiday destination. Tourism plays a major part in Penwith's economy, which was hit by the decline of the mining and fishing industries, which led to Penwith's listing as an Objective 1 area by the European Social Fund.
Inland, the peninsula is a bare plateau, rich in minerals, which were mined for many centuries. The landscape is dotted with ruined mine buildings. Penwith also contains many sites of archaeological interest, with notable Iron Age and Romano-British finds.
Over 9,500 ha of agricultural land in the west of the district is designated an Environmental Sensitive Area.
External link
- Penwith (DMOZ.org) (http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Cornwall/Penwith/)
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