Lanner village itself is a bit of a non-entity for the visitor save for some grand old houses which show the wealth some families accrued here when the local mining industry was in full swing and a decent pub, the Lanner Inn, offering accommodation. The surrounding area, however, is full of interesting history, vestiges of the 19th century mining boom and, of course, beautiful countryside.
On Carn Marth hill nearby, an old granite quarry has been converted into a unique outdoor theatre space used for an array of local productions over summer months.
The Great Flat Lode Trail is a 10km circular walk which centres around the hill of Carn Brea and takes the walker or cyclist through a chunk of Cornwall’s industrial history where there is a higher density of historic mining sites than anywhere else in the world.
Carn Brea itself has been settled since around 3500BC. Being the tallest hill in the area it is now crowned with a large telecommunication mast, but also to be found here are a Mediaeval Castle / Victorian folly now converted into a restaurant, a 90 foot high obelisk dedicated to Lord Bassett, the most influential mine owner of the area in the 18th and 19th century, the remains of a smugglers’ tunnel and an interestingly shaped outcrop of large granite rocks.
