Tremayne Guest House and Restaurant, Mousehole, two miles south of Penzance, is the archetypal Cornish village and boasts what is said to be one of the most beautiful harbours in Britain, once a thriving centre for pilchard fishing. Its granite cottages progress quaintly down the steep hillside to the waters edge. Pronounced 'Mauzl’ the name possibly derives from the Cornish 'mouz bel' or maiden's brook.

The tranquil village has a surprisingly violent history, it was invaded by a Spanish raiding party in July 1595, during the course of which the whole village was burnt. One house survived the holocaust, that of Squire Keigwin, who was tragically killed while defending it. The Elizabethan manor house, distinguished by a porch of granite columns, the oldest in the village, still stands to the present day.

The last recorded speaker of the ancient Cornish language, Dorothy Pentreath, was a native of Mousehole and died there in 1777 at the age of 102. Her grave can be seen in the churchyard of Paul on the hilltop above the village.