Did you know that Falmouth is one of the largest natural harbours in the world?
Up there with Sydney, Australia and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, it is a massive waterway, protected from the ravages of the North Atlantic and the Western approaches of the English Channel and well sheltered from all directions. It is around this magnificent harbour that the town and port of Falmouth has grown. Needless to say, it is steeped in history dating back through many centuries.
Packet Quays is a part of the port where the old mail ships used to dock and load back in the 18th century. The history is evident just by looking down at the water’s edge and seeing the old stone and wooden pillars in the quaysides. Now extensively modernised, Packet Quays, and indeed most of the waterfront in Falmouth still doesn’t let you forget its extensive maritime history.
As is often the case when taking a short break, especially during the winter, darkness heralds your arrival and therefore the first visual impressions are very different to those you would get when arriving for a summer holiday. We arrived just after dark, around five o’clock and after parking up the car in the secure underground car park, wound our way up the twisting spiral staircase to The Penthouse. It was cold, dark and windy and at one point we wondered what on earth we were letting ourselves in for. However, we turned the key, climbed the last few stairs into the apartment and immediately both turned to each other and simultaneously said “Wow”.
The lounge of The Penthouse is long, with a vaulted ceiling and large patio doors at the far end. It looks extremely impressive, but at the same time is cosy and welcoming. We squinted at the glass doors to try to take in the view but, except for a few houses in the little village of Flushing across the water and the dazzling sodium lights of the shipyards the other side of town, it was pitch black. So I took a seat in the little bay window beside the dining table and just listened to the wind whistling around the rooftops and the waves lapping at the quayside below us. The weather was wild and hostile, but we felt strangely welcomed and comforted by The Penthouse’s warmth and character. After only a few minutes we both agreed that we could live in a place like this.
Bad weather aside, we ventured out, all wrapped up, to take a quick look around. Packet Quay is only a short walk from Falmouth town centre and after climbing the proverbial thirty nine steps, we were on one of Falmouth’s charming narrow streets. It’s quite a pretty town, quaint old shops, pubs, courtyards, churches, narrow alleys leading to different parts of the waterfront but it’s also surprisingly cosmopolitan, with brightly-lit supermarkets, large, modern pubs and restaurants and coffee shops luring passers-by with their heavenly aromas. It is a veritable Mecca for teenagers in search of the latest designer labels in the various ‘Surfy’ shops littering the main streets. It is a dream for souvenir hunters, with everything from cheap plastic novelties to beautiful, breathtaking paintings by local artists, hanging in some of the prettiest and most welcoming galleries we have ever seen. There is a warm welcome everywhere and you really do feel at home wherever you are. We availed ourselves of many of the hostelries through the town. They were all absolutely charming except for one, a pub with a big sign in the window advertising hot mulled wine to warm you up on a cold windy evening, but which we found, after making ourselves comfortable and settling in, had not been ‘switched-on’. Alas, the charm was lost! Time to move on!
Daylight the following morning heralded a bright and sunny start to the day, in sharp contrast to the decidedly unsociable weather of the previous evening. The ripples on the water below reflected the shimmering sunlight into the apartment and we sat and ate a hearty breakfast, bathed in the rays of sunshine pouring in through the windows. The little ferry boats came and went from Falmouth pier, just a stone’s throw away. The views are magnificent; from the lazy moorings up the west of the inlet and the Greenbank Hotel, past the charming and very individual residences on the waterfront opposite near Flushing, around to St Mawes, with its impressive castle and then around to the bustling port and town of Falmouth.
The day brought the opportunity to squeeze in a bit of last-minute Christmas shopping, peruse some more of the little galleries, stroll around the newer areas around the Maritime Museum and of course have a little of what we missed the day before – a mulled wine. Delicious! We ate an evening meal at the ‘Harbour View’, a small but cosy restaurant and then ambled quietly back to The Penthouse.
Watching a DVD, curled up in the comfort of the lounge was the perfect end to what had been a lovely day in such a charming place.
The following morning we took a short drive down to Lizard Point, the UK’s most southerly point. Again, bathed in sunshine, but extremely cold, we walked around the paths, had a warming coffee in Britain’s most Southerly Café and then returned, driving past Goonhilly Down’s alien-looking satellite dishes in the distance, to the warmth, comfort, peace and tranquillity of The Penthouse.
Falmouth is actually not as far as some would believe. The roads into Cornwall are modern and fast, and getting there is far easier and quicker than many would think. Winter or summer, there is so much to see and do close by; beaches, museums, a modern swimming pool in the impressive leisure centre perched on the hill overlooking the town and numerous options, whatever the weather. The Penthouse offers a truly luxurious and convenient base from which to explore the area. It really is a five-star home-from-home with all the comforts you could hope for.
For more information visit www.cornwallpenthouseholidays.co.uk
Nigel Crawford
December 2008
Mevagissey - A Little Paradise in Cornwall
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Bluestone Wales
