Around 1930 a rich lady named Rowana Cade decided she wanted to put on a play 
in her back yard. 

She happened to live on a cliff overlooking 
the sea so she carved the cliff into a theatre 
(wouldn't you?).

The work began in 1931 and continued until her death in 1983. Throughout that time, work on the theatre was totally planned, financed and largely carried out by Ms Cade did much of the work herself.

It remains an open, active theatre as well as a popular tourist attraction.

As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks, 
each sack had seven cats,
each cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks and wives, how many were going to St. Ives?

A lot of people, I'd say.

It's in a beautiful location and surrounded by expansive beaches.

  
It's also inhabited by roving gangs of seagulls, so watch your back. I was strolling along the seafront eating a very tasty Cornish Clotted Cream ice cream cone when someone came up from behind and whacked me over the head with an extra firm pillow. 

Naturally, I expressed my surprise, much to the amusement of the nearby children who aren't used to hearing that sort of language spoken in an American accent. Then, when I looked at my hand which had been holding the ice cream, I found nothing but an inch or two of the pointy bit of the cone. Not far away a pack of gulls squawked and squabbled and gulped down my ice cream. I hope it gave them a headache.