PK Porthcurno - Museum of Global Communications REOPENS 17 May

By PK Porthcurnow - 17th May 2021
Success

It’s been a long five months, but PK Porthcurno is getting ready to open its doors to welcome visitors! New for this year are two temporary exhibitions: ‘The Cable King’; and ‘Lights Out for Darker Skies’. 

PK Porthcurno is the UK’s only dedicated museum of global communications – visit and discover the remarkable story of our connected world in the place where it all started. 

ABOUT PK PORTHCURNO

Porthcurno, a beautiful coastal valley in West Cornwall, was once the heart of international telecommunications, boasting the largest telegraph station in the world. Today, PK Porthcurno is a vibrant and captivating heritage attraction where visitors can:

  • go underground to the World War II bunker that hid the Porthcurno Telegraph Station, where Allied communications were protected by armed guard and bomb-proof doors;
  • see the Cable Hut where Britain’s network of undersea telecommunication cables came ashore;
  • view a LEGO reimagining of the first undersea telegraph cable landing at Porthcurno in June 1870, complete with a tall ship and mini figures, created by renowned LEGO designer Warren Elsmore;
  • explore exhibitions and interactive displays telling the fascinating story of global telecommunications, from the first practical use of electricity to present day communications using fibre optic cables that still run beneath the world's seas and oceans;
  • listen to free daily expert talks and demonstrations on the science and history of world communications;
  • enjoy the award-winning subtropical gardens;
  • step foot on the stunning Porthcurno beach where the PK story begins.

NEW AT PK IN 2021:



The Cable King The mid-19th century was an age of technological expansion; an incredible revolution that gave the world the telegraph. Among many pioneers one man, John Pender, rose to dominate the world of submarine telegraphy and changed the way we communicate forever. Discover more about the man they called ‘The Cable King’. 



Lights Out for Darker Skies celebrates the beauty of the night sky and supports West Penwith’s application for International Dark Sky Park status. Supported by Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the exhibition explores the harmful effects of artificial light pollution to humans, wildlife and the environment. Focusing on Porthcurno valley, it features stunning dark sky images and nocturnal wildlife footage. It invites visitors to explore their own relationship with the night and to consider their individual actions for promoting darker skies.

Specially commissioned silk flags by local artist Lucy Birbeck will be flying on the Café PK terrace.

Man with a tablet