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FREE Town Guide
A charming historic port town with a vibrant art community
Plan your stay with
www.visitpenryn.com
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Welcome to
Penryn Make Penryn your year round base for exploring Cornwall
Penryn town welcomes visitors from all over the world attracted to nearby universities and the positive community vibe. The town is bursting at the seams with fantastic artists and crafts people bringing traditional skills to life. The town is a labyrinth of enticing lanes and opes, with charming hanging baskets. Nearby gardens, lakes and woodland make Penryn a wonderful place to explore. Much of the town is a conservation area with beautiful granite buildings, a wide variety of shops and lots of places to rest your feet. With so many local events, community groups, art exhibitions and town fairs, keeping up-to-date is essential. Throughout the year the town hosts a variety of festivals and events including the traditional May Day, Penryn Town Fair Day and Gorsedh Kernow. Want to find out what’s on while you’re in Penryn? Visit www.visitpenryn.com for special offers, local news and guided walks. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to make the most of your stay!
www.facebook.com/cyclesolutions.falmouth
bicycle workshop
This isn’t just a to come to for all your bicycle repairs, this is also a lovely place by the side of Penryn River run by two knowledgeable and . Plus, bicycle sales of contemporary and classic bikes.
fun guys
Jubilee Wharf, Penryn
01326 377003
We’re an independent award winning café offering a warm quirky welcome. We do superb coffee, homemade organic cakes and are famous for our breakfast choices and roasts on Sundays. Judged “outstanding” by Ofsted in 2012, provides high quality childcare for children aged from six weeks up to five years.
open 7 days a week
01326 376587
see www.misspeapod.co.uk or call:
01326 374424
www.jumbliesdaynursery.co.uk
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Jubilee Wharf
and Exchequer (Penryn or Town) Quay Full of local independent businesses which celebrate sustainable living Combining the best of our maritime heritage with our arts community, Jubilee Wharf and Exchequer Quay overlooks the Penryn river all the way towards Falmouth. With wind turbines, cycle, car and boat parking, both quays encourage visitors to stay and explore.
Image: View from Jubilee Wharf down river towards Falmouth as the sun rises over the hill Credit: Caroline Robinson
It is a tranquil place to watch the boats going to and fro. There are surveying vessels, fishing boats, smart shiny yachts and several pretty house boats. You can pull up your own boat at Exchequer Quay, with more permanent berths available from www.portoftruro.co.uk Bird watching is possible from here. Keep an eye on the mud-flats, exposed at low tide where various species can be spotted. Don’t forget your binoculars!
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Commercial Road, Freeman’s Wharf & Eastwood Park
Ride your bike or catch a bus to follow the river to Falmouth Freeman’s Wharf is named after ‘John Freeman Sons & Company Limited’ established in 1848. The Freemans seemed to have had quite an empire in Penryn with at least two quarries (Maen and Polkanuggo), steam engines, stonemasons, blacksmiths and cranes for lifting the heavy granite blocks on to small ships. Freeman’s Wharf and Eastwood Road continue alongside Budock Creek towards Glasney Valley.
Image: The current Penryn Bridge was built in 1936. Prior to that there was a swing bridge to cross the Penryn River. Freeman’s Wharf on the far right of photo. Credit: Caroline Robinson
Freeman’s Wharf | Falmouth Road, Penryn TR10 8AD Freeman’s Wharf boatyard consists of 45 half tide berths with a further 40 hard standing berths available for yachts up to 15m. 01326 377509 | http://freemanswharf.com/
Glasney Valley,
Argal & College Reservoirs
Don’t forget to pick up your FREE Penryn Town Map!
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Walk the dog, explore the past and enjoy the outdoors Leading from Budock Creek to Glasney Valley is the site of Glasney College built in 1265. When the building was dismantled, most of the granite was destined for Pendennis Castle. Glasney College was built after a dream in which Thomas Beckett came to Bishop Bronescombe of Exeter and told him to find a place called Polesethow, where a large willow tree filled with a swarm of bees stood, there he must build a church. The Church and college stood for 300 years before being closed during The Reformation of 1548-9.
Image above: College Viaduct is one of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s last timber designs to be converted to stone during the 1930’s. Image Left: Lovely wooded walks by a stream in Glasney Valley Image above: Performance of Gogmagog by Golden Tree Productions on Glasney College (Site of) in 2014 Credits: Caroline Robinson
Now the green space on the Glasney College site is used for community events and get-togethers. It is a wonderful place to walk up the valley towards the College and Argal Reservoir.
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Penryn
Town Centre
Enjoy the galleries & shops during the day, and the pubs & bars at night! Penryn welcomes visitors to its gaily painted houses, quaint shops and art galleries which compliment the vibrancy of the local art community. If you’re feeling peckish, then there is something for everyone with specialist cafés, restaurants and public houses. Inset images: Miss Peapod’s Cafe Cake & Fresh Coffee Credit: David Griffen Number20 at night Credit: Pip Carlton-Barnes Image Left: Penryn Town Hall and clock tower in the heart of the town
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Penryn
Town Centre continued
Inset images: Miss Peapod’s Cafe Cake & Fresh Coffee Credit: David Griffen Number20 at night Credit: Pip Carlton-Barnes Image Left: Penryn Town Hall and clock tower in the heart of the town Image above: Roads closed and hundreds of people filling the streets for Penryn Town Fair Credit: Caroline Robinson
Penryn has a long history as a market town and now has established itself as a cultural hub. With Falmouth and Exeter university based at the top of the hill at Tremough Campus, flowing down the hill are galleries showcasing new and existing talent. There are many cultural and community activities which take place, giving visitors the opportunity to get involved. Penryn has a strong emphasis on performance arts, poetry readings, painting classes, craft exhibitions and even arts for health. This makes Penryn a truly an exciting place to live and visit. If you are interested in purchasing art, making art or taking part in art workshops, then Penryn has something for everyone. We have glass makers, potters, painters and craftspeople We even have dress-makers and violin makers, attracted to friendliness and slower pace of life in Cornwall.
Along with a range of groceries, newspapers, and licensed drinks there is a PayPoint and two ATM machines. Situated directly beside a regular bus route making it a true convenience store.
58-60 Lower Market St
9am – 10pm
www.costcutter.com
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Penryn
Town Centre continued
Twinned with Audierne, Brittany, France in 1973. The Penryn Town Hall (pictured on page 10) conceals much within its granite walls. The original building was built in 1825 over an Elizabethan wooden trading hall. The granite clock tower was added in 1839. Not only is this building the Town Hall, it also houses a large community space, council meeting rooms and the Penryn Town Museum. Check the Penryn Town Museum’s opening hours are on www.visitpenryn.com While strolling through Penryn take the time to look at details on walls, doorways and on the roofs. Previous owners have left their marks on the wood and granite structures throughout Lower and Higher Market Street. Many houses in the town were originally shop fronts displaying wares bought for stocking up boats and ships. Orchards and fresh produce would have been grown in the gardens to be sold out of windows to passers-by. Captains would tie their small craft at the bottom of their gardens! Not only the buildings that can speak to us. It is said a ghostly coach drawn by headless horses appears just before Christmas and no-one dare to look at it for fear of being spirited away! Various sightings of ghostly apparitions have been sighted at the Kings Arms which is over 600 years old. If you would like to take part in a historical town walk, then see www.visitpenryn.com for details.
Tremough,
Penryn Campus & Kernick Industrial Estate
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Image Previous Page: Springtime crocuses by the bamboo and stream Credit: Pip Carlton-Barnes Image above: Grassy slopes and flower meadows leading up to Tremough House Credit: Caroline Robinson
Glorious gardens around Tremough Walking under the railway bridge and through to the Tremough Estate, the botanic gardens transport you to far away places. Many plants were discovered and brought back to the warm, wet Cornish climate. Ideal conditions for cultivating the tropical species. Penryn & Falmouth Funeral Directors & Monumental Masons
For an Independent, Professional and Caring Service
Telephone: 01326 376926 (24 hours) 50 Kernick Road, Penryn TR10 9DQ www.penfalfunerals.co.uk
Don’t forget to pick up your FREE Penryn Town Map!
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Commercial Road,
Islington Wharf, St Gluvias Church & Enys Gardens
Fantastic walks to Flushing, Enys and Mylor For many years Tremough Estate supplied
other Cornish gardens with Rhododendrons, they included Enys, Trebah, Glendurgan, Heligan and even further afield to the Botanic Gardens at Kew. Tremough House is a Grade II listed building nestled in the current site of Falmouth and Exeter University, which provides further education for around 5,000 students per year. Some plants have been replanted in local gardens, but many have escaped into Cornish hedges such as Bird’s Nest Ferns (Asplenium nidus). At the other end of town, St Gluvias Church is positioned (pictured left) at the place closest to St Gluvias Creek which flows into Penryn river and down into the sea. People have worshipped here since 1318. Saint Gluvias the Martyr to whom the church is dedicated, is generally assumed to be Welsh Saint Petroc’s nephew. The most famous person commemorated at the churchyard is Sir Samuel Argall. He kidnapped Pocahontas (the famous Native American) for ransom to ensure safety for the British. His interment was in St Gluvias churchyard after being lost at sea in 1626.
Beautiful gifts
for you & your home
www.justdelights.co.uk
01326 337072 hello@clearmapping.co.uk
We sell a wide range of electric bikes with prices starting from ÂŁ800...
also available.
01326 379075
We can help you with site maps, interpretation boards, visitors packs and accessibility statements
Finance packages are
Gift wrap available Easy parking
Come and try one out today!
www.topgearelectricbikes.co.uk
Islington Wharf, Penryn, TR10 8AT
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Commercial Road,
Islington Wharf, St Gluvias Church & Enys Gardens continued
The Enys family can be traced from the present day back to Norman times, but The Enys Estate has been owned by members of the Enys family since the 13th century, starting with Robert de Enys in 1272. Samuel Enys (1611-1697) was the first owner of Enys known to have left records of his family tree and notes about his family life, including his marriage to Elizabeth Pendarves and their several children. The estate was passed on in the male line through two centuries and then to various branches of the family till Prof. Gordon Leonard Rogers (deceased in 2006) founded the Enys Trust, which is charged with the task of taking care of the gardens at Enys now and into the future.
Inset images on previous page: Poppy the dog Credit: Caroline Robinson St Gluvias Church Credit: Unknown Enys Gardens and Image above: Bluebells cover the spring meadow with a carpet of flowers at Enys Credits: Pip Carlton-Barnes
Prospect House B&B | 1 Commercial Road, Penryn TR10 8AH Elegant Georgian Town House beautifully furnished with large comfortable beds in spacious rooms. Cornish walled garden with parking, AGA cooked breakfast. Excellent pubs and restaurants nearby. 01326 373198 | www.prospecthouse-penryn.co.uk
Don’t forget to pick up your FREE Penryn Town Map!
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Useful
Contact Numbers Emergency 999 NHS Advice 111 Minor Injuries Unit Falmouth TR11 2JA 01326 434700 Treliske Hospital Truro TR1 3LJ 01872 250000
Image above: Kings Arms Hotel, Penryn Bridge, overlooking the railway bridge down to Carrick Roads Image left: Ope filled with hanging baskets Credits: Caroline Robinson
Police Non-emergency 101 Coastguard Non-emergency 01326 310800 Port Harbour Commissioner 01872 272130 Pharmacy Doctor Dentist Optician
56 Lower Market St, Penryn 01326 373357 www.penrynsurgery.co.uk 01326 372502 www.penryndentalpractice.com 01326 372298 www.histedroberts.co.uk 01326 373837
Vets www.duchyvets.co.uk 01326 375153 www.rosemullionvets.com 01326 378080 Bank www.lloydsbank.com 0845 300 0000 Post Office 59-61 The Terrace 01326 372593 ATM Lower Market Street, Penryn Train www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk 0345 7000 125 Bus www.firstgroup.com/ukbus 0871 200 2233 Taxi Abacus 01326 212141 Residential One Stop Shop, St Thomas Street, Services Penryn 0300 1234 100