Zennor

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Zennor Parish
Shown within UK and Penwith
OS Grid Reference:	SW458384
Lat/Lon:	50°11′N 5°33′W
Population:	217 (2001 Census)[1]
Dwellings:
Settlements
Major Settlement:	Zennor
Settlement Type:	Village
Population:
Dwellings:
Secondary Settlements:	Pennance, Treveal, Bosporthennis, Tregerthen, Boswednack, Porthmeor
Administration
Ward:	Zennor and Madron
District:	Penwith
County:	Cornwall
Region:	South West England
Post Office and Telephone
Post town:	Truro
Postcode:	TR26 3xx
Dialling Code:	01736

Zennor is a village and civil parish in the Penwith district of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The parish includes the villages of Zennor, Boswednack and Porthmeor. It is located on the north coast, about six miles north of Penzance. Alphabetically, the parish is the last in Britain - its name comes from the Cornish for the local saint, St Senara^[2].

[edit] Local Government

For the purposes of local government classification Zennor elects a parish Council every 4 years. For elections to Penwith District Council Zennor falls within the single member Madron and Zennor ward.

[edit] The Mermaid of Zennor

There is a local legend about a mermaid in Zennor.

Mathew Trewella was a good-looking young man with a good voice. Each evening Mathew would sing the closing hymn at the church in Zennor, solo. A mermaid (a half-woman, half-fish creature) living in neighboring Pendour Cove was enchanted by the music. She dressed in a long dress to hide her long tail and walked a bit awkwardly to the church. Initially, she just marvelled at Mathew's singing before slipping away to return to the sea. She came every day, and eventually became bolder, staying longer. It was on one of these visits that her gaze met Mathew's, and they fell in love. However, the mermaid knew she had to go back to the sea or die. As she prepared to leave, Mathew said "Please do not leave, who are you, where are you from?".

The mermaid told him that she was a sea creature from the sea and that she must go back. Mathew was so love-struck that swore he would follow her wherever she went. Mathew carried her to the cove and followed her beneath the waves, never to be seen again.

It is said that if you sit above Pendour Cove at sunset on a fine summer evening you might hear Mathew singing faintly on the breeze.

St. Senara Church in Zennor has a carved bench end showing the mermaid which is over 500 years old.

[edit] References

1. ^ 2001 Uk census
2. ^ http://www.cornish-language.org/English/PlaceNames.asp?view=Z

• A website with myths and legends of Cornwall, including a picture of the St. Senara Church carved bench end showing the mermaid

Civil Parishes of Penwith District
United Kingdom |  England | Cornwall
Gwinear-Gwithian | Hayle | Ludgvan | Madron | Marazion | Morvah | Paul | Penzance | Perranuthnoe | Sancreed | Sennen | St Buryan | St Erth | St Hilary | St Ives | St Just | St Levan | St Michael's Mount | Towednack | Zennor