Tom Bawcock's Eve
The night before Christmas Eve, this impossibly pretty Cornish fishing village marks the legend of a man who braved winter storms alone to bring in a catch that saved the whole village from starvation, with lantern processions down harbour lanes and a vast stargazy pie whose fish heads gaze out through the pastry crust.
One of Cornwall's most photogenic fishing villages, punching well above its size with a Michelin-listed hotel-restaurant, a good harbourside pub, multiple cafes, a weekly farmers market and a Christmas lights display that draws crowds from across the country.
Cottages, B&Bs and hotels near Mousehole, Cornwall.
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"A cliff-top open-air theatre carved from Cornish granite above Porthcurno Bay, where productions from Shakespeare to musicals run each summer with the Atlantic as backdrop and Rowena Cade's extraordinary creation as the stage."
Minack Theatre Season
"A sailing regatta with roots going back to 1837, combining competitive racing on the water with a Marching Carnival, live music, and a Pink Wig Parade ashore."
Falmouth Week
"The biggest steam engine rally in Cornwall brings around 70 full-size engines to Stithians Showground for three August days of steam trailer rides, threshing, wood sawing, stone crushing and a Saturday evening sheaf-pitching competition."
West of England Steam Engine Society Rally
"One of Cornwall's largest inland town carnivals, with an illuminated evening procession through the historic streets of Bodmin each August."
Bodmin Carnival
"A colourful summer carnival parade through the surf town of Bude, one of the highlights of the north Cornwall seaside summer calendar."
Bude Carnival
"A charming village carnival in the wooded Helford valley community of Constantine, keeping alive a cherished local summer tradition."
Constantine Carnival
"On Guy Fawkes Night itself, locals carry flaming tar-soaked barrels through the crowds outside Ottery St Mary's pubs in a fire custom that has been performed annually on this Devon high street for over 400 years."
Ottery St Mary Tar Barrel Rolling
"Locals shoulder flaming barrels of tar and carry them blazing through the seaside town centre in a fiery survival of an old Devon Bonfire Night custom."
Seaton Tar Barrels
✦ Weird and Wonderful"Villagers ring the church bells discordantly to scare off evil then heave a one-tonne boulder over with crowbars to keep the Devil trapped beneath for another year."
Turning the Devil's Stone
✦ Weird and Wonderful"Mummers shrouded head to toe in newspaper strips are led by the Town Crier to perform an ancient sword-fight and resurrection play around the village."
Marshfield Paper Boys Mummers Play
✦ Weird and Wonderful"Lantern-lit crowds gather around the community orchard for an apple-blessing ceremony with Morris dancing, folk song and mulled scrumpy on a cold January night."
Stoke Gabriel Wassail
✦ Weird and Wonderful"By bonfire light a crowd toasts the oldest apple tree, fires guns to scare off evil spirits and pours cider over its roots at the Butchers Arms."
Carhampton Wassail
✦ Weird and Wonderful