Truro owes its relative importance to its location where the Rivers Kenwyn and Allen meet to form the Truro River.

You would think therefore that the confluence of these rivers would be where the city’s focal point would be, but you would be wrong – and the reason is because the main A39 trunk road cuts right through where Truro‘s port once was, which is a great shame in my view.

For anybody wishing to take a river trip down to Falmouth, this means that you need to use the pedestrian underpass that links Lemon Quay with the Town Quay and where Enterprise Boats have a ticket office.

Before I go any further, I think it’s best to point out that the river at this point is tidal and the boat frequently has to launch from Malpas which is a couple of miles downriver. There’s no need to worry about that though as a bus transports customers down there from the ticket office.

Enterprise Boats is a well run company with up to six sailings a day in the summer. The journey to Falmouth takes around an hour and a half, but it’s best to check the website for all the latest information, where there’s a phone number to make doubly sure that you’re not making a wasted journey.

If the tide doesn’t allow for a Town Quay departure then you haven’t really missed very much, but at Malpas the Tresillian River joins the Truro River and the wooded river banks offer a much nicer vista.

Where the Truro River and River Fal meet further downstream, the watercourse takes on the name of the latter, which seems somewhat strange to me. I’m sure there’s a reason for these things, but if you look at a map, the Truro River seems to have more of a presence than the Fal, and the Tresillian River seems to have the most impact of all.

If you follow my reckoning, perhaps Falmouth should be renamed Tresillianmouth – but then again, perhaps not.

No matter what I think the river should be called, The Fal is crossed by the King Harry Ferry, which lies about half way between Truro and Falmouth at Trelissick, where the National Trust looks after a lovely garden that overlooks the river.

The ferry connects the western side of the Fal with the Roseland Peninsula on the eastern side.

As you head towards Falmouth the river becomes wider and deeper, and Reefers (refrigerated cargo ships) are often moored up here because of the seasonal shipments that they carry.

The River Fal comes under the jurisdiction of the Port of Truro, and it isn’t until it meets Carrick Roads that it becomes regulated by the commissioners of Falmouth Harbour.

The journey has stops at Trelissick and St Mawes as well as Falmouth, and it’s definitely worth considering buying a hop on-hop off ticket which covers you for the whole day (or longer).

It goes without saying of course that this trip can be done in reverse.

https://www.falriver.co.uk/getting-about/ferries/enterprise-boats

November can be one of the most miserable months of the year but around the third week into the month Truro’s ‘City of Lights’ festival lifts the gloom with a parade of glowing lanterns made out of tissue and withies.

Usually coinciding with the switch-on of the Christmas lights this small city comes alive with dance and music from local groups and bands. It’s a real community spirit with many schools taking part, not just from Truro but also from many villages around. Hundreds of school kids bring their lanterns and join up with the professionals who make some much larger creations.

This procession is not a competition to see who can build the biggest and best lanterns – just a simple and effective way for people of all ages to take part in the build up to the festive season – and leave the gloom behind. Wonderful!

 

I’ve been on more brewery tours than I can remember and I’m not sure that I can remember this one already, and the reason for that is I spent more time in the brewery bar than I did going around the brewery itself.

I’m not complaining mind you, because all the samples were free. No mucking about with half pints here – straight in with pints – and that’s before the start of the tour.

There were 10 of us doing the tour – some from England, some from the U.S. and some from France, and together we sat with our drinks and watched an introductory film about how the family brewery started up – as well as finding out who Betty Stogs is!

Skinner’s is only a young brewery and situated in a modern(ish) unit opposite the Truro River. As such the actual tour doesn’t take a great deal of time. We were shown the usual process of how malt, hops and yeast are turned into barrels of beer, and after what seemed like only 5 minutes, we were back in the bar trying out more beers.

By the time I left the brewery I didn’t feel inclined to do much else, so I wandered along the riverside back into town – and into the Old Ale House – where who should be in there but none other than some of the other people that were on the tour.

The Old Ale House has always been my favourite pub in Truro, and until a few years ago it was a Free House (a pub that could sell what beers it wanted), but for some reason, the proprietors left, and Skinner’s stepped in and turned it into their ‘Brewery Tap’ (a brewery’s flagship pub for want of a better description).

The downside of all this is that the pub no longer sells the vast array of independent beers from the barrels behind the bar that it used to, but to Skinner’s credit they haven’t changed the pub at all.

It’s not just the beers that are kept in barrels, but free monkey nuts as well. This tradition has been going on ever since I can remember, and when you’ve finished tucking into them don’t worry about throwing the shells on the floor as they help to keep the wooden floorboards well oiled.

They do have some guest beers on offer, but naturally they concentrate on selling their own brands including ‘Betty Stogs’ , but who was Betty Stogs?

For the answer to that you’ll need to leave the car behind and come down to Truro by train and take the Skinner’s Brewery Tour yourself. Just don’t blame me if you’re late for work the next day.

What’s my preference? I’ll have a pint of Portleven thanks.

https://www.skinnersbrewery.com/the-brewery/

http://old-ale-house.co.uk/

 

What impresses me most about this museum is its collection of Cornish rocks and minerals. To a lot of people that may sound a bit anorakish, but I defy anybody with an ounce of interest in the history of Cornish mining not to be impressed as well.

In fact this collection is internationally recognized, and it’s all thanks to a collection started by Philip Rashleigh of Menabilly, near Fowey. Other collectors have helped swell the number of exhibits to over 16,000 – which unfortunately can’t all be shown at the same time.

Of course, the museum has other things to offer as well, including a Cornish Gallery which transports you on a trip through Cornish history from prehistoric times to the modern day.

The Courtney Library has 40,000 books, manuscripts and such like on Cornwall, and the museum hasn’t forgot the nature and wildlife of the county either.

On the first floor they’ve ventured further afield with some artefacts from Ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt including an unwrapped mummy.

 

Established in 1818, this is the oldest museum in Cornwall, but is bang up to date with its facilities including a shop and smashing café.There’s a regular turn-around of special exhibitions, and up until a couple of years ago it was free to go in, but these days, unless you’re under 16, you have to pay.

The present entry fee is £5.50 including a £1 voluntary donation! (Oct 2017).

I’m going to put my anorak back on again now though and advise you to venture in, if only to see the magnificent collection of minerals – and I’ll bet Ross Poldark’s wages that you’ll never see the Cornish landscape in the same way ever again.

 

It may seem hard to believe, but when the foundation stones were laid for Truro Cathedral on 20th May 1880 by the future King Edward VII, they were the beginnings of the first Cathedral to be built in England since Salisbury in 1220.

Designed by John Loughborough Pearson, it is built mainly of Cornish granite in the medieval Gothic style with the more decorative features made out of the softer Bath stone. One of its more unusual features is that it includes part of the original Tudor St. Mary’s Parish Church and is a church within a church with the Dean of the Cathedral also being Rector of St Mary’s.

Being a Victorian building without centuries of history behind it means that it isn’t a magnet like some of the country’s more well-known churches, but that doesn’t mean to say that it’s not worth a visit, and for the price of a pint you can buy a short illustrated guide to the Cathedral which will give most visitors all the information they need.

The highlights include the stained glass (particularly the three Rose windows), The Reredos, Baptistry, Cornubia painting and my own particular favourite – The Way of the Cross terracotta frieze.

 

If you’re holidaying in Cornwall, it’s unlikely that you’ll be spending much time in Truro. Even though it’s Cornwall’s capital it’s not very big and a day trip is more than adequate for most people.

Having said that, Truro is an easy place to wander around and there are at least a couple of places worth seeking out.

If, like me, you arrive by train, it’s worth knowing that the station is a 10-15 minute walk downhill into the city centre. There are several buses that will transport you down there, but if you don’t use them on arrival you might want to use them for the journey back up.

If you decide to walk, turn left outside the station and walk down Richmond Hill, bear left at the roundabout and continue down Ferris Town to Frances St where you’ll need to turn right. Continuing along Frances St will bring you into River St and the Royal Cornwall Museum on your left. It’s a straightforward walk and if you’ve caught the bus it also stops outside the museum, so the choice is yours. Either way I recommend a visit to the museum and their Arts Café.

At the bottom of River St is Victoria Square, but before you go left towards St. Nicholas St, bear right and walk across the road into Walsingham Place. This curved Georgian terrace might not rank with the likes of Buxton, Harrogate or Bath, but it’s still worth checking out.

Return to Victoria Square and turn right into St Nicholas St, then left into King St.

Turn right into High Cross and Truro Cathedral. Without doubt this is Truro’s main attraction, and even though it might not rank as one of England’s great cathedrals, it certainly repays a visit and really shouldn’t be missed.

Continue to walk down High Cross and then turn right into Cathedral Lane, which is one of those quaint little lanes that you don’t really expect to see in somewhere like Truro.

At the bottom of the lane is Boscawen St, where on the left you can’t fail to notice the Coinage Hall with the War memorial in front of it.

It has to be pointed out, that no matter what it says on the front of the building it’s not really the Coinage Hall at all.

The present building was built in 1848 as The Cornish Bank on the site of the old Coinage Hall, whose history goes back to medieval times.

The original Coinage Hall played an important part in Truro’s (and Cornwall’s) history and so it’s worth going back in time to try and find out a bit more about its function.

As long ago as the 14th century, Truro was one of the 5 Cornish Stannary towns (the others being Bodmin, Lostwithiel, Helston and Liskeard). These towns were responsible for assaying tin which involved cutting off a coign (corner) of ingot and then weighing and measuring it for tax purposes, and as no doubt you would have already guessed, this procedure was carried out at the Coignage Hall.

There’s nothing in today’s Coignage Hall to connect with this part of Truro’s history, but it’s still a fine building all the same.

If you keep to the left and walk down Duke St, look out for the narrow lane on the left called Squeeze Guts Alley. There’s a ghost associated with this alley, and there’s definitely not room for the two of us.

If you cross over Duke St and turn right into Quay St this will bring you to my favourite Truro watering hole – the Old Ale House.

On the opposite side of the road, turn right into Green St and the bus station, but before you contemplate catching the bus back up to the railway station, take a wander around Lemon Quay.

This is where the River Kenwyn makes an appearance before joining the Truro River. There’s not much to see where that’s concerned, but Lemon Quay is one of Truro’s focal points for fairs and outdoor exhibitions.

If you’re into controversial art, take a look if you dare, at the sculpture known as ‘An Tabourer’ in Cornish and ‘The Drummer’ to the rest of us. Located in Back Quay outside the Hall for Cornwall, it stirred up a bit of controversy when it was unveiled in 2011 by Roger Taylor, (the drummer for Queen, who grew up in Truro) when it appeared with the essential bottom half of clothing missing. As with all artists, Tim Shaw, the sculptor, had answers for all the doubters.

I’ve just given an outline of what’s on offer between the railway station and the bus station, but obviously you may want to do your own wandering.

Several buses go back up to the railway station, but as they are prone to change the numbers of the buses, it’s best to ask at the bus station which ones they are.