visible next to the footpath about above the beach. There is a spring known as the St. Levan Holy Well up on the cliff which may be reached by restored medieval granite steps. The steps were covered for many years but were discovered in 1931 by the Reverend HT Valantine and Dr Vernon Favel. They were restored in 2003, part of a Cornwall County Council restoration project, and were opened by Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Notable residents The British philosopher Bertrand Russell, his wife Dora and their children John and Kate spent the summer months from 1922 to 1927 in Porthcurno. See also Abermawr – the 1866 eastern terminal of the transatlantic telegraph cable References General references External links Wire around the World Porthcurno to Alice Springs by Telegraph, BBC Radio 4 St. Levan Holy Well restoration project Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Porthcurno Villages in Cornwall Penwith Beaches of Penwith National Trust properties in Cornwall History of telecommunications in the United Kingdom