Fairy Sightings in Cornwall
Heligan & Par Beach
(Lost Gardens of Heligan)
John Sturtridge was a tin miner who lived in Luxulyan. One night he had been out drinking and was walking home past Tregarden Down when he came upon some piskies. They called out "Ho and away for Par Beach" John repeated the call and found himself on Par beach still with the piskies. They then called "Ho and away for Squire Tremain's house", John repeated the call and found him and the piskies were in the wine cellars of Heligan House. John decided to drink some of the wine and beer and in doing so did not repeat the piskies call of "Ho and away for Par Beach". Not being able to escape alone from the cellar he was caught red handed by the butler the following morning.. He was convicted of burglary and sentenced to death. As he stood on the gallows a small woman appeared and called "Ho and away for France." John repeated the cry and vanished.
Kea Churchyard
In 1810 fairy possession was seen here
Seaton Beach & Porthallow Green
A farm lad was on his way home from Polperro when he heard a voice call "I'm for Porthallow Green" the lad repeated the cry and found himself on the green with a group of laughing piskies. The piskies cried "I'm for Seaton beach" and the lad repeated it finding himself on the beach. The next cry was "I'm for the King of France's cellar." Sure enough they found themselves in the cellar, where they drank many fine wines and the lad stole a silver goblet. When he got home he showed the goblet to the farmer and his wife. It is said the goblet remained within the family for many years..
Selena Moor, Near St Buryan
SW 415243
A farmer from St Buryan named Mr Noy walked home across the moor after he had been drinking. He became lost, he heard music and saw lights. He thought it must be a farmhouse, but his horse and dogs were reluctant to go on so he tied them up before continuing. He came across hundreds of people drinking and dancing. They were nicely dressed but smaller than average except for one female dressed in white who was serving drinks.
My Noy recognised her as his former sweetheart Grace Hutchens, who had died on the moor a few years before. She told him that she had not died but been taken to fairyland and replaced with a sham body. As she had eaten a plum in the orchard she was unable to leave fairyland and she warned him not to eat or drink whilst he was there.
She told him that she had been on the moor that night looking for lost sheep when she had heard Mr Noy calling his dogs and had tried to find him but had become lost and stumbled upon the orchard where she had eaten the plum. She had been able to fly in the shape of a small bird in order to visit Mr Noy.
The fairies called her away buy Mr Noy tried to rescue her by turning his gloves inside out and throwing it into the fairies. The fairies vanished and Mr Noy found himself in a ruined barn where he was hit over the head and he became unconscious.
Three days later the search party found him after hearing the dogs barking where he had tied them. The horse leading them to the barn he was in.
He lost enthusiasm for life after his encounter
St Teath
Anne Jefferies worked for Moses Pitt's family in the 17th century. She hoped that one day she would see the "airy people". Then one day six small green men appeared to her she picked them up and they climbed all over her kissing her. One of them touched her eyes and she felt a pin prick, she was blinded and found herself whirling through the air. She regained her sight and found herself in a beautiful land surrounded by people who were now the same size as her. One fairy gentleman paid her a lot of attention and it caused jealousy and the gentleman was wounded. Anne was blinded again and taken back to St Teath.
After her return she still saw fairies regularly and found that she could now heal people. She was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned at Bodmin Gaol, she claimed that the fairies fed her whilst she was imprisoned.
Lady Downs, Zennor
Cherry was a young woman from Zennor. One day she left home hoping to find employment. As she walked across Lady Downs she met a man, who walked her to his house and employed her as a nursemaid to his son. She was told to rub ointment over the boy's eyes every day, one day she used the ointment on her own eyes. After she used it she found that she could see little people everywhere and that her employee wasn't human but was also a little person. When he found out he accused her of spying and took her back to Lady Downs and abandoned her.
Trendrine Hill, Zennor
Also known as Trendreen Hill
SW 479388
Once a man was out cutting Furze when he came across a fairy less than a foot big sleeping on the heather. The man took the fairy home in his glove and he and his family named him Bob. Bob told them that he would show them were the crocks of gold were hidden.