Outstanding Penwith at Night: Calling all photographers!

Posted on: 29th September 2020

Outstanding Penwith at Night: Calling all photographers!

Details of competition being run by Penwith Landscape Partnership, in support of our International Dark Sky Park Designation bid
NOTE: Above is a screenshot so here is the link for entry details – visit

Outstanding Penwith Dark Skies Competition

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PRESS RELEASE

New Photography Competition aims to capture images of Outstanding Penwith at Night in a celebration of its dark skies and natural beauty

The Penwith Landscape Partnership (PLP) and the steering group to achieve an International Dark Sky Park status for West Penwith are launching a new photographic competition aimed at capturing the nocturnal beauty of the Penwith landscape.

Entitled Outstanding Penwith at Night, they are seeking photographs that capture the beauty and wonder of the West Penwith area of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) at night – from its stunning starry skies to its nocturnal nature and wildlife, historical sites and anything else that portrays the glory of this area after dark.

Budding photographers can enter images from within this area of the Cornwall AONB taken within the last year, up until the closing date of midnight on 30th November. A panel of judges will decide the first, second and third place images, which will be published in a future edition of Cornwall Life magazine, while the winning and highly recommended entries will also feature in a gallery on the PLP website.

As well as capturing the beauty in the landscape at night, entries may also be used in the submission for the West Penwith area of the Cornwall AONB to achieve International Dark Sky Park status, recognizing it as an outstanding location for stargazing. Sue James, Councillor for St Just-in-Penwith who is leading the bid to get the Dark Skies above West Penwith internationally recognised as said: “It is easy to take the wonders of our dark landscape for granted – but when visitors remark on the stars that they cannot see at home or the wonders of barn owls and bats, it makes us realise how lucky we are. This photography competition is an opportunity for folk to get out there to appreciate and capture these wonders to share with others. It is part of our Dark Skies Outreach programme that partner organisations are running, to raise awareness of the special night landscape above our heads in West Penwith, and to encourage businesses and residents to work with us to improve and preserve it.”

Katie Giles, Digital and Communications Officer for the PLP, a National Lottery Heritage Fund supported programme of work to care for the Penwith landscape added, “We are thrilled to be able to support this competition. Not only does it celebrate the natural beauty of Penwith, it is also an ideal fit for our Seeing the Landscape project which aims to encourage artistic responses to the Penwith landscape. We can’t wait to see all the beautiful images entered!”

Full guidelines and rules, and the entry form for the competition, can be found online at www.penwithlandscape.com/xxxxxx , and entries should be emailed with an entry form to hello@penwithlandscape.com by midnight on the 30th November 2020.

Notes to editors

About Penwith Landscape Partnership

First and Last – Our Living Working Landscape was born out of the concern that the ending of Environmental Sensitive Area (ESA) status in Penwith in 2014 would lead to irrevocable changes in the landscape and slowly erode the protection that the ESA had afforded to the landscape over 25 years. The vision of First and Last is a resilient living, working landscape where farming prospers while protecting natural resources, restoring habitat connectivity and enhancing historic heritage; a landscape that is loved, enjoyed and supported by local communities and visitors. The Penwith Landscape Partnership works to achieve these aims.

Members of the Partnership Board are:  Bolitho Estates, Cornwall Ancient Sites Protection Network (CASPN), Cornwall Archaeological Society, Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Cornwall Councillors representing 4 Penwith wards, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Farm Cornwall, farming representatives, National Trust, Penwith Access and Rights of Way (PAROW), Penwith Community Development Trust, Save Penwith Moors, Spider Eye – a Penwith-based business, St Aubyn Estates, and Towednack and Zennor Parish Councils. Advisors to the Board include:  Natural England, Cornwall Council Historic Environment Section and Cornwall Rural Community Charity.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is the Penwith Landscape Partnership’s Lead Partner and Accountable Body in its agreement with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Web links

Penwith Landscape Partnership website: www.penwithlandscape.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PenwithLandscapePartnership/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PenwithLP

Instagram: www.instagram.com/penwithlandscapepartnership/

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCa8fJSSFbmCgcosnRY4R68w

About the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Thanks to National Lottery players, the National Lottery Heritage Fund invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife.  www.heritagefund.org.uk/

Further information

For further information, images and interviews please contact Richie.smith@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk

or katie.giles@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk