Falmouth
In Britain's Western Approaches lies the port of Falmouth - south west Cornwall's premier resort and home to Cornwall's maritime heritage.
Today, Falmouth is the largest town in the district and is a vibrant centre for business, especially marine and tourism related, recreation, with a stunning harbour for sailing & watersports, beaches, coastline, countryside and a historic town centre as well as for education and learning, with award winning schools, University College Falmouth, Falmouth Marine School and world class facilities such as ‘the Poly’ (Falmouth Polytechnic) and the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. It is also an ideal base for access to other parts of Cornwall and the Southwest.
From the Prince of Wales Pier, pleasure boats cruise up the River Fal as far as Truro, and a ferry runs across to St Mawes. Some of the boats call at Trelissick House, where the National Trust gardens are worth seeing. In addition there are cruises to the Helford River and Frenchman’s Creek, immortalized by Daphne du Maurier.
Playing and relaxing on the resort's four main beaches of Gyllyngvase , Castle, Swanpool and Maenporth is a true delight. Feel the sand between your toes as you stroll along these wide expanses, cleansed daily by the ebb and flow of the Atlantic. This is surely the perfect arena for sunbathing, swimming, sandcastle building or simply forgetting the rest of the world exists.
Explore Falmouth's bustling town centre with its craft shops, fresh seafood sellers, harbourside pubs and restaurants plus chandlers and vendors of all things nautical. Falmouth is also the site of a thriving art school, which holds regular exhibitions. The National Maritime Museum is well placed in an ideal position overlooking Falmouth harbour and the busy Carrick Roads shipping area. The maritime heritage exhibition is presented on three floors in twelve impressive galleries, each of which focuses on a different aspect of industry, work or communications. There are various audio, visual and interactive displays throughout the award winning building.
On the other side of The Moor on Killigrew Street is a flight of 111 stone steps known as Jacob's Ladder. There is a good view of the town for those who have the energy to climb up there.
On the nearby headland of Pendennis Point stands the imposing Pendennis Castle , built between 1539 -1564 by King Henry VIII as a defense against the French. Nowadays, the Castle, with its incredible views across the ocean to the headlands of St Mawes and the Lizard Peninsula, resounds to the clamor of battle re-enactments, jousting tournaments and concerts and remains one of Falmouth's principal attractions.
