Ahoy there, me hearties... Pieces of eight, pieces of eight!
Penzance is right at the end of the London Paddington railway line, and was only two short stops from our temporary home in Hayle, so we popped down for a day trip.
Situated on the southern coast of Cornwall, Penzance sits on Mount's Bay, which in turn becomes the English Channel. It is the most westerly major town in the county. Popularised culturally by the 1879 Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, plays about pirates were actually ubiquitous in the 19th century. At the time Penzance was a peaceful resort town, so the notion of it being overrun with pirates was actually laughable!
The earliest evidence of settlement in the area is from the Bronze Age (the second principal period of the three age Stone-Bronze-Iron system, characterised by the use of Bronze and in Europe considered to be from 3200-600BC). There is evidence of only a very early and short Roman presence, although nearby villages were occupied at this time.
Penzance, like many Cornish towns, has suffered from the decline of mining, fishing and agriculture. Nowadays, tourism makes up an important part of its economy, along with light industry and retail.
As we were only here for a few hours, we decided to just stroll and take in our surroundings, rather than rushing around finding specific attractions.
We headed down to Western Promenade Road. Here are the views looking left, towards the Jubilee Pool.
The tide was in and the waves splashed right up onto the walkway...
Looking right, and the end of the country is around this headland...
If you were to travel around this curve, Land's End is just under 10 miles away...
...We didn't bother as it's a bit of a pain to get to via public transport. Also, I've seen photos of it and it looks pretty underwhelming, consisting of only a signpost...
The sea was very choppy and lively...
I managed to get sprayed with water but that was not unwelcome as it was quite warm for May...
The lump in the centre of the photo is St Michael's Mount, which is a coastal island served by a built-up causeway...
This coast is obviously dangerous, with rocky outcrops a real shipping hazard...
The Jubilee pool was not yet open for the season. It is an Art Deco open air fresh saltwater lido, dating back to 1935.
We walked around the side of the pool. Here is the edge of the large harbour...
To quote Doctor Who, 'Water always wins'...
The war memorial...
The obelisk was unveiled in 1922...
The steps down. I'm assuming that the beach area is accessible at low tide...
I decided to go as far as the top step but no further. I really didn't fancy an impromptu swim!
We only walked to the edge as we didn't fancy a total drenching...
Another rocky island, with St Michael's Mount in the background.
St Michael's Mount is run by the National Trust and has a castle and chapel on it...
The harbour is very much a busy, working concern...
The song 'When The Boat Comes In' was running through my mind as I skirted around this section...
The only pirates we encountered during our day out were these, painted on the side of this pub and restaurant...
Looking up into the cute, historical streets...
Another harbour angle. You can catch the Scillonian III from here but it wasn't in the dock when we passed. Locally, it's nicknamed the 'great white stomach pump', due to passengers' propensity to suffer from sea sickness during the crossing!
The Scillonian III runs daily trips to St Mary's, the largest island of the archipelago we know as the Scilly Isles. The trip takes 2hrs 45mins each way.
Just left of centre in the photo is the South Pier Head Lighthouse, which dates back to 1855...
The stairs upwards into the town...
The Turks Head is the oldest pub in Penzance and is reputed to date back to 1233. A smugglers' tunnel running to the harbour, and priest holes still exist within the property.
Further along this road is the Union Hotel, which was the first place in England to receive the news of the victory of Trafalgar and Nelson's death, in 1805.
I took this photo from high up in the small shopping centre...
I'd always imagined the 'end of the line' to be very crumbling and coastal...
...But it's actually very urban and developed...
Finally, I just had to include my charity shop find. This lovely little sparkly shrug was a snip, at £3.50...
Would I return? Oh yes! I've earmarked the town as a possible future place of residence. Its remoteness and history appeal to me, as does the idea of living by the sea. I would never choose to be landlocked.
I will return as I want to traverse the causeway to St Michael's Mount, visit the Penlee House Gallery and Museum and possibly do a day trip to the Scilly Isles. I realise that it's a long time to travel for only a four hour stay, but I've heard that the scenic journey is part of the experience, and let's not rule out an overnight stay...😉
Penzance I will return, but until then...
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous
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