Porthcurno Telegraph Museum

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In the 19th Century Porthcurno was connected to the rest of the World.

The Porthcurno Telegraph Museum is a museum located in the small coastal village of Porthcurno Cornwall, UK. Porthcurno was the point at which many submarine telegraph cables — transatlantic and to other locations — came ashore.

At the outbreak of World War II, the existing surface installations were thought to be far too vulnerable to attack, and in 1941, miners were employed to cut tunnels into the solid granite of the valley's hillside to house the telegraphic equipment. The museum was started by former employees of Cable and Wireless, and is now located in the tunnels, after receiving a grant from the National Lottery Fund. The museum has displays showing the history of submarine cable-laying ships and telegraphy, and has a variety of still-working equipment.