A Spouses and Smugglers Walkabout

Mousehole, a historic fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall, has an unusual Good Friday tradition: a walk

- TEJA LELE

Good Friday is a day of remembrance and reflection. But Mousehole, a picturesque fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall, England has an unusual tradition: a special Good Friday walk. In Mousehole, pronounced 'Mowzel', a historic Cornish fishing village located near the market town of Penzance, the tradition of walking had one purpose: to find a spouse.

"The majority of the population walk to either St Michaels Mount, a nearby tidal island, or Lamorna, a tiny village and cove," says Ashley Williams, a resident who joins the spouse-stroll every year. The walk to Lamorna offers astounding views—it joins the Coast Path at the top of a hill, passes through the woods and around the headland of Carn Du before following the cliffs to Lamorna Cove.