An installation depicting the Mermaid of Zennor has been unveiled by GWR at St Ives Railway Station as part of a campaign revolving around South West legends.
The legend of the mermaid is retold in GWR’s new collection of myths and legends, The Line to Legend Land. The installation took part during English Tourism Week, with GWR encouraging families to set off on their own adventures “to discover the spirit of stories cherished for generations”.
Updated from the first version published more than a century ago, The Line to Legend Land features 11 legends from across the South West and Wales. It includes an introduction and a new legend story from former Children’s Laureate and War Horse author, Sir Michael Morpurgo. It is designed to introduce the stories to a new generation.
“Cornwall’s legends, including the Mermaid of Zennor, are linked inseparably with the landscape we know and love,” said Jeni Woolcock, collections manager at the Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery, which launches its own myths and legends exhibition at the end of this month.
“Such fireside stories have been passed down through the generations and form part of Cornwall’s strong regional identity. We explore all of this in the brand new exhibition, Cornish Myths and Legends, which opens on 31st March.”
The Line to Legend Land campaign supports Farms for City Children – founded by Sir Michael and Lady Clare Morpurgo – which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Over that time, it has provided children and young people with life-changing opportunities to live, learn, and thrive on working farms in Devon, Gloucestershire and Pembrokeshire, and experience the very countryside where many of the myths and legends were born.
The book is available to buy from gwrsouvenirs.co.uk or as a free PDF download from GWR.com/legends.
GWR refers to the mermaid as a statue, but it appears to have quite a lightweight fibreglass construction. Social media reaction has not been complimentary, comparing its complexion to that of a well-known world leader. Another local noted: “Strong early contender for ‘outfit of the year’ for NYE. Also works for Halloween.”
