Penzance Continued

The town of Penzance is named “Pen Sans” in the ancient Cornish language, meaning “Holy Headland”, referring to the headland to the western side of the harbour on which a chapel was established by early Christians well over 1000 years ago. Today St Mary’s Church (shown above) is located on the same site. Penzance is the major town of the district of Penwith, or the Lands End Peninsula. The town has the only seashore promenade in Cornwall which extends from the harbour towards the fishing port of Newlyn - a mile or so to the west.

The harbour is a centre of activity at all times with both a tidal section and a protected closed and floating harbour. The main tidal harbour is filled with moored yachts and other pleasure craft and is home to the Penzance Sailing Club whose racing dinghies and cruising yachts compete regularly during the summer. The Isles of Scilly ferry - Scillonian III - sails regularly from here to the Islands during the summer while a cargo ship provides service to the Islanders for their needs all year round. Beside the harbour is the National Lighthouse Museum which allows the public to see and learn a little of the vital and hazardous work performed by the Lighthouse Service in the protection of our shipping and our shores. Next to the Museum is the Penzance Dry Dock, which carries out repairs and maintenance on a variety of shipping and fishing boats.

Market Jew Street, named from the Cornish ‘Marghas Yow’, which means ‘Thursday Market’, is the main shopping street of the town. At the top stands the Market House and just outside is a statue to one of Penzance’s most famous sons, Sir Humphrey Davey. Across the road is a plaque to the memory of the great man, appropriately on the wall of a chemist’s shop.

Born in the town in 1778 he is best known for the invention of the miners’ safety lamp. One hand of the statue is resting on a miner’s safety lamp. He did, however, have many other claims to being remembered since he was not just an inventor but also a brilliant scientist as well as a poet, philosopher and angler.

Further down Market Jew Street you will find Books Plus, a busy independent bookshop where you can explore an impressive range of books. Established over ten years, Books Plus has built up a substantial reputation for its wide and varied stock and for its friendly, efficient and knowledgeable service.

Books of local interest are a particularly strong feature, including local history, mining and fishing industries, Cornish language, novels set in Cornwall and works on the Newlyn and St Ives Schools of Painting. A book ordering service is available and browsers, be they visitors or locals, are always welcome.

Close by in Chapel Street you will find the Turk’s Head, believed to be the oldest pub in the town. The Admiral Benbow, complete with its rooftop pirate was partially constructed in the 17th century, as was Abbey House just around the corner.

Penzance is undeniably one of Cornwall’s most attractive towns, both in terms of its architecture and position and, perhaps more importantly, its spirit. This is a place of great vitality and originality with much of interest to see and do.

On the outskirts of Penzance, now owned by the National Trust is Trengwainton. The Cornish word, Trengwainton, means the farm of the spring and the original house probably matched this description. A house certainly existed here in the 16th century, but the present building dates mainly from the early 19th century. This was when the estate was purchased by the Price family and many of the deciduous trees were planted. At this time there was also a vineyard and a series of experimental plant beds within a walled garden.

The garden at Trengwainton was developed mainly during the middle of the 20th century, from the time when the estate passed to the Bolitho family. During the 1920s many plants were grown from seeds imported from the Far East. Around this time, hybrid rhododendrons were planted along the original drive. A walled garden was developed further and houses many delicate species of plant. In the 1950s, the stream garden was planted alongside the new drive. Many bog plants flourish here.

Today there are several walled gardens, some of which contain interesting flowering trees and exotic climbing plants. The gardens also display some huge echiums. There is also a Camellia Walk, where several species of this plant can be found.

The gardens are open from the middle of February until the end of October each year.