THE PERFORMANCE OF HERITAGE TOURISM SITES: COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN TWO CORNISH TOURIST VILLAGES by © Emma Tennier-Stuart A Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Folklore Memorial University of Newfoundland October 2017 St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador ABSTRACT Much has been written about the role of various imaginings of authenticity in the study of heritage tourism. This thesis examines tourists’ and locals’ experiences of two villages in Cornwall, England as a comparative case study of the roles that the perception and performance of authenticity play in heritage tourism. Using Richard Bauman’s work on performance theory in conjunction with Dean MacCannell’s concept of “staged authenticity” and John Urry’s concept of the “post-tourist,” this thesis will show that heritage destinations are emergent, succeeding or failing based on locals’ ability to perform these destinations to their visitors’ satisfaction. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I must thank my supervisor, Dr. Holly Everett for her support and guidance at every step of the process. From helping conceptualise this project, to guiding me as I sought informants while I was in the field, to meticulously reviewing my writing with me from afar when I was no longer living in St. John’s, her help, encouragement, and good humour were invaluable in the creation of this thesis. Thanks also go to all of the professors in the Folklore Department at Memorial University of Newfoundland for creating a nurturing work environment and a truly fantastic introduction to the study of folklore. In particular, I thank Dr. Philip Hiscock, for encouraging me to stick with the Master’s program when I needed it most, and Dr. Jillian Gould for the countless hours of emotional labour she puts in for all of the Folklore students. Her support made a world of difference in my Master’s experience. I acknowledge the support I received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, in the form of a Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, for the funding to work on this research. I thank everyone I spoke with in Cornwall. Locals who work in the tourism industry took time out of their busy days to give me the lay of the land and share trade secrets, and visitors allowed me to interrupt their sightseeing to pepper them with questions. This thesis couldn’t exist without them. I must, of course, thank my wonderful roommates, everyone in my cohort, and everyone I met passing through the Folklore and Ethnomusicology programs at the same time as me. From the “sisters” in the convent and the Folklore Friends, to the much- iii needed evenings of fun and sheer silliness at Folk House, the great friends I made during my studies made the experience unforgettable. I also thank Pauline Holdsworth, for convincing me we should go to Tintagel in the first place, and generally being an excellent travel companion, as well as Alice Morelli, Ilara Alberti, Piotr Lisak, and Jazmin Lee for accompanying me on subsequent trips to Tintagel and Zennor. Lastly, special thanks go to my parents, who had to endure many a despairing phone call, and supported me throughout my Master’s, and, of course, to Heather Reid. I couldn’t have done without all the encouragement, love, and companionship she provided, even as she battled through her own Master’s program. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................iii Table of Contents.................................................................................................................v List of Figures.....................................................................................................................vi List of Appendices............................................................................................................viii Chapter One: INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................1 Chapter Two: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................22 Chapter Three: ZENNOR...................................................................................................44 Introduction............................................................................................................44 “We'm Pleased to See 'Em Come, and Pleased to See 'Em Go”: Local Construction of Zennor..........................................................................................49 “Like Time Stood Still”: Visitors’ Construction of Zennor...................................75 Conclusion............................................................................................................100 Chapter Four: TINTAGEL...............................................................................................107 Introduction..........................................................................................................107 King Arthur is “Good For Bringing the Business”: Local Construction of Tintagel.................................................................................................................111 “Not Quite a Quaint Place”: Visitors’ Construction of Tintagel..........................126 Conclusion............................................................................................................148 Chapter Five: CONCLUSION.........................................................................................155 WORKS CITED...............................................................................................................166 APPENDIX A: Project Information Sheet.......................................................................177 APPENDIX B: Sample Interview Questions...................................................................181 APPENDIX C: Preliminary Emails and Introductions....................................................183 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: Map of the United Kingdom, with Cornwall outlined in the South-West of the country....................................................................................................6 Figure 1.2: Map of Cornwall showing the locations of Tintagel and Zennor.................6 Figure 2.1: The village of Zennor...............................................................................102 Figure 2.2: Part of the portion of the South West Coast Path between St. Ives and Zennor.......................................................................................................102 Figure 2.3: Wayside Folk Museum and Trewey Mill, Zennor....................................103 Figure 2.4: Exhibit in the Wayside Folk Museum and Trewey Mill, Zennor.............103 Figure 2.5: Working flour mill in the Wayside Folk Museum and Trewey Mill, Zennor.......................................................................................................103 Figure 2.6: Exterior of St. Senara’s Church, Zennor..................................................104 Figure 2.7: Interior of St. Senara’s Church, Zennor....................................................104 Figure 2.8: Fifteenth-century carving of a mermaid in St. Senara’s Church, Zennor.......................................................................................................104 Figure 2.9: Bench end with fifteenth-century carving of mermaid in St. Senara’s Church, Zennor.........................................................................................104 Figure 2.10: Zennor quoit, a Neolithic burial structure................................................105 Figure 2.11: Part of Levant Mine and Beam Engine National Trust property.............105 Figure 2.12: Men-an-Tol, a Neolithic stone monument...............................................105 Figure 2.13: Exterior of the Tinner’s Arms Pub, Zennor.............................................106 Figure 2.14: Interior of the Tinner’s Arms Pub, Zennor...............................................106 Figure 2.15: Interior of the Tinner’s Arms Pub, Zennor...............................................106 vi Figure 3.1: Tintagel Castle..........................................................................................150 Figure 3.2: Ruins at Tintagel Castle...........................................................................150 Figure 3.3: One of two sets of stairs connecting the two sections of Tintagel Castle........................................................................................................150 Figure 3.4: Interior of King Arthur’s Great Halls.......................................................151 Figure 3.5: Stained glass showing the future King Arthur drawing his sword from a stone. One of many panes of stained glass in King Arthur’s Great Halls showing Arthurian imagery......................................................................151 Figure 3.6: Exterior of Tintagel Old Post Office National Trust property.................152 Figure 3.7: Exterior of St. Materiana’s Church, Tintagel...........................................152 Figure 3.8: St. Nectan’s Kieve....................................................................................153 Figure 3.9: Prayer ribbons and rock cairns at St. Nectan’s Glen................................153