Hell’s Mouth, Hayle

The towering cliffs of Hell’s Mouth near Gwithian are said to echo with the cries of a despairing smuggler who leapt to his death after finding his home destroyed and his sister murdered by raiders. Once a haunt of free traders and wreckers, the caves and tunnels below were used for concealing contraband. Locals claim that when north-westerly winds whip the coast, the man’s anguished shouts and snatches of old sea shanties can still be heard rolling up from the black cliffs.