Places Features

The Porthcurno Telegraph Museum in the far west of the region has shown visitors the historic methods the British Empire used to communicate with the world for many years. From May half term the museum will also be hosting six unique pieces of Art.

Artists from all over the globe have come to Porthcurno to produce a series of sculptures inspired by and reflecting the technologies that used to make the telegraph station function.

Global Wave Vane by Falmouth School

Children from local schools have also participated in producing sculptures for the exhibition. Pupils from Falmouth Community School, Humphry Davy Penzance, Camborne Science & Community College, Newlyn CP School, St Buryan and Flushing CP School were involved in the design process.

The pupils were invited to look around the Telegraph station and speak to the artists about their work to help inspire their designs and interest young children in local art.

The pupils from Falmouth School then spent some time at Plymouth College of Art and Design creating their own sculpture which is being exhibited alongside the work of the other artists at the museum.

When talking about the collection of sculptures, museum director Libby Buckley says: "These inspiring sculptures will bring the story of the telegraph to a new audience."

There is also an interactive exhibition in which visitors will walk around a series of bollards which, with the use of a special key will provide people with a Morse code message which they will have to decipher as they walk around the installation.

Porthcurno Telegraph station linked Britain with its Empire during the nineteenth century. The valley was the hub of international cable communications from 1870-1970 with cables going from Cornwall as far as Bombay and South America.

Transmission, an interactive maze by Renny Nisbet.

The station also served the country as a communications hub throughout two world wars where during the 1940's Churchill had the station built into the cliffs to protect it from enemy attack. The fortification of the station included flamethrowers that were added to the beach, fortunately they are gone today.

To celebrate the opening of the sculpture garden there will be activities that take place at the museum throughout the May half term. Visitors will be welcome to look around the sculpture garden and then have a chance to create their own miniature statues based on what they have seen.