Falmouth and Pendennis Castle

 Looking across the River Fal

We crossed the Fal in May 2014, but didn't really have much time to explore Falmouth. Today we saw a bit more starting in the administrative centre with the fine Municipal Buildings on one side of the square known as the Moor.  The foundation stone was laid in 1894 and opened in 1896. The council chamber and the municipal offices were in the wing on the left, the free library was in the central section and the science and art school was in the wing on the right. The Council offices later moved to separate location and the building now houses just the Library and the Art Gallery.

Facing the Library across the square is the rather grand Methodist Church. The original building on the site dated back to 1791. This was followed by a further building in 1837, with the basis of the existing building completed in 1876, before major reconstruction during the Second World War when it was bombed.

In 2021 the church announced that the problems with the chapel roof were "beyond us" and that the church would look to move out of the current building and sell it. The roof was damaged in gale back in 2008, which also revealed other repairs that needed to be done.

To the left as you look at the Library is this interesting structure, which turns out to be the 19th century Market Fountain.

 

I headed towards the harbourside and walked along Market Street passing the wonderful St George's Arcade. It was built in 1912 as a cinema.

Further along on the left was this interesting tableau.

Market Street runs into Church St where the Church of King Charles the Martyr stands at the top of a hill. It was originally built in 1661-5 by Sir Peter Killigrew and partly funded by Charles II. All sorts of changes were made subsequently, especially by John Sedding in the 19th century.

I should probably have continued along this route, to see more of the town, but we also wanted to see Pendennis Castle which we had skirted in 2014. We drove to the castle site and parked, but were disappointed to find that the castle was closed. All we could do was circumnavigate the high walls. This is the entrance.

On the way round the scale of the walls - brick covered with grass - became clearer.

Towards the end of the circuit some buildings poked up above the walls.

 

 

 If we are ever this way again we will be sure to get inside the castle precincts!