PK Porthcurno Museum of Global Communications
Museum in a Cornish valley telling the story of undersea telegraph cables, with a Second World War bunker and the historic cable station.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Porthcurno, known in telegraph code as PK, is where the first international undersea telegraph cable came ashore on 7 June 1870, linking Britain with India. Two years later John Pender's companies were merged into the Eastern Telegraph Company, and the valley grew into a major hub of the British Empire's communications. By the outbreak of the Second World War fourteen cables landed here, and tunnels were cut into the cliffs between June 1940 and May 1941 to protect the station against air attack.
Telegraph operations at Porthcurno stopped in 1970, exactly a hundred years after they began. Cable and Wireless then ran a college in the valley that trained engineers from around the world until 1993. Undersea optical fibre systems arrived in the 1980s, and cables are again landed in the area today.
The museum is run by a registered charity and occupies Eastern House at the head of the valley. Its main galleries use interactive displays and demonstrations of original working equipment to explain the history of communications, from electricity and Morse code to fibre optics. Visitors can also enter the Second World War bunker, reached by steps cut into solid granite, and the Grade II listed Regen station, where signals were received, strengthened and sent on. The Cable Hut beside the beach holds a large collection of historic telegraph cables and termination boxes, but it closes in bad weather and during the winter. The museum also has sub-tropical gardens and changing featured exhibitions.
Highlights
- Second World War communications bunker cut into the granite cliff
- Regen, a Grade II listed underground telegraph station
- Cable Hut with a large collection of historic telegraph cables
- Interactive exhibits and demonstrations of original working equipment
- Sub-tropical gardens and the beach next door
Permanent exhibitions
- Main exhibition in Eastern House – Interactive displays on the history of communications from electricity and Morse code to fibre optics, with demonstrations of original equipment.
- Second World War bunker – Wartime tunnels that protected Allied communications, with bomb-proof doors and the stories of the staff who worked there.
- Regen and the Cable Hut – A listed underground telegraph relay station and the beachside hut where undersea cables came ashore.
- Founded
- 1998
- Operated by
- PK Porthcurno (registered charity no. 1189090)
- Director
- Julia Twomlow
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £15 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £12Students |
| Children & teens | £7.50free up to age 4 · Children under 18; under 5s are free. |
| Students & apprentices | £12 |
| Families | £38Two adults and two under-18s. |
| Family ticket (1 adult and 2 under-18s) | £25 |
| Family ticket (2 adults and 3 under-18s) | £45 |
UK taxpayers who sign a Gift Aid declaration at purchase get free re-entry for a year. Discounts named by the museum: 20% off with a qualifying Good Journey bus ticket, 10% off with a Pard Card, 50% off for Cornwall Heritage Trust members and National Art Pass holders, free entry for Historic Houses members, and 10% off for pre-booked groups of ten or more.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Blue Badge bays: one outside the main entrance (free, follow the Deliveries signs), three in the upper museum car park and nine in the lower beach car park (both pay), and three in Old Cable Lane (free). There is a long, steep slope of about 100 m from the lower car parks to the entrance, so visitors with mobility needs are advised to use the upper bays. The museum offers a sensory map, a social story, a virtual tour and a quiet room. Dogs are welcome in the museum but not in the Second World War bunker.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £38 · Two adults and two under-18s. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Hands-on stations
Interactive exhibits and hands-on displays are part of the main galleries, and the museum runs Forest Friends sessions for young children, out-of-school sessions and seasonal events such as a Halloween bunker experience. Several family ticket options are available.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Porthcurno bus stop
A regular public bus stops at the Porthcurno bus stop at the entrance to the car park. The South West Coast Path runs past the museum and the West Kernow Way cycle route passes through Porthcurno.
By car
Paid parking
Two pay-on-exit car parks at the bottom of the valley serve the museum and the beach; tariffs are the same in both (10.00 to 18.00: up to 2 hours £3.80, up to 4 hours £6.50, all day £8.50). Payment is by cash, card or contactless on exit, or by the RingGo app on arrival. Number plates are recorded and unpaid stays incur a penalty.
- Accessible parking
Coaches cannot park unless pre-arranged with the museum.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Café PK serves light bites, coffee and cake with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options; Koffi PK in the beach car park sells coffee and ice cream. Both open during museum hours, with a reduced menu in winter. There is a gift shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Staff give demonstrations of original working equipment, and expert talks with live demonstrations are offered. The Cable Hut closes in poor weather and in winter. Schools can book curriculum-linked workshops in the Clore Learning Space and a free planning visit through the learning team. |
