In 1688 Falmouth was appointed the most westerly Mail Packet Station. The designation brought prosperity; ships called making regular passage to the Mediterranean, the West Indies, North America; docks and boat building yards were established; a mail coach service to London was instituted; ships required provisioning. It was to Falmouth that MNS Pickle brought Collingwood’s dispatch on Trafalgar for it to to taken by mail coach to London. For 150 years Falmouth prospered; then ships turned to steam and the port waned. Today the town’s economy relies largely on tourism, cargo handling and yachting-Falmouth is a major sailing center and plays host to important annual summer races.

Old Town

The Waterfront:
The frontage which extends for over half a mile from Greenbank Quay to the pier is paralleled inland by the shop lined Market and High Streets. Note the white, porticoed Custom House of 1814. There is no continuous path along the waterfront, access to different quays and slips is through the alleys and opes descending from the main street.

Greenbank Quay:
The quay and 19th C hotel stand on Penny Come Quick or more properly Pen y Cwm Gwic which is Cornish for Headland in the Valley of the Creek.

Prince of Wales Pier:
The embarkation point for river cruises. The river, between Greenbank Quay and the pier, is overlooked by 18th C houses and warehouses standing on the 17th C harbor wall which was built after the Dutch fashion with large stone slabs set endways on to the sea and piled without mortar to allow slight play.

North and Custom House Quays:
The quays, which enclose the inner basin, date back to 1670. At the landward end of the Custom House Quay stands a strange square brick chimney, known as King’s Pipe, which was built to burn contraband tobacco.

Maritime Museum: Bell’s Court, off Market St:
The small local museum focuses on the history of the packet ships in particular and has, among its many and varied exhibits, a fine collection of model boats and ships.
The Moor:

The main square occupies the site of a former creek; the large, cream colored building at the bottom of the square (northeast side) was built on wooden piles and straw.

Packet Memorial:

The monument commemorates the long standing importance of the Packet Service to the town; the first of the Falmouth Packets sailed in 1689.

Art Gallery:

The town gallery, housed in the Municipal Buildings, has an interesting collection of Victorian and early 20th C paintings.

High Street:

The street, lined by the older shops and buildings in the town, leads up to the former Town Hall (now an antiques market) where the last case of cannibalism in Europe was tried.

Arwenack Manor:

Though redeveloped, Arwenack Manor incorporates the remains of Falmouth’s oldest building; the 16th C wall of the old Banqueting Hall is still visible from the street, together with the manor’s 16th C gatehouse and northwest corner. First records of Arwencak date back to the 14th C when Jane, daughter of Robert of Arwenack, first governor of Pendennis Castle and the house began to be enlarged. Sir Walter Raleigh was a guest at Arwenack.

Killigrew Monument:

Although the pyramid, erected by a member of the Killigrew family, bears no inscription it is believed to be dedicated to the memory of the Killigrews.

Port Pendennis:

The smart development consists of color washed house surrounding an exclusive marina.

Pendennis Castle:

In the face of pretensed invasion in 1539-43, Henry VIII began to fortify the coastline, erecting two forts at Falmouth and St. Mawes to safeguard the mile wide entrance to the Carrick Roads. Crossfire overlapped and, as Carew put it, “St. Mawes lieth lower and better to annoy shipping, but Pendennis standeth higher and stronger to defend itself”. Elizabeth increased the defences against surprise Spanish raids. The challenge finally came in the Civil War, St. Mawes yielded without a shot being fired but Pendennis withstood a 23 week siege before starvation brought submission in August 1546. Pendennis commands a superb view. Note over the entrance the royal arms with the Tudor lion and Welsh dragon supporters, also the splayed gun ports. In the keep are arms and an exhibition of coastal defence.