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Much to our delight, Amber discovered that there were two other castles in the vicinity. The nearer one was Pendennis, in Falmouth. Falmouth is a centuries old port and superb location at the southern end of the Fal Estuary.
The Fal Estuary's deep water and sheltered anchorage have been of strategic importance to the defence of Britain since Tudor times. Any enemy securing the Estuary could easily land an army and bring in fresh supplies of food, weapons and soldiers. Henry VIII recognised this threat and built Pendennis and St Mawes Castles on opposite sides of the Estuary to protect the anchorage. Thus began one of the most fascinating stories of British coastal defence spanning 450 years. Pendennis Castle is a showpiece of British History and one of Falmouth's gems.
Built in the mid sixteenth century, Pendennis overlooks the mile-wide mouth of the River Fal, at the most westerly point where it was possible to anchor safely. It is difficult to imagine today, when visiting this popular holiday area of Cornwall, how wild and remote this beautiful part of the coast used to be.
But the massive walls, rambling rooms and stone staircases of Pendennis make it easy to imagine the scenes of bloody conflict 350 years ago. An exhibition in the old gun room helps you experience almost at first hand the sights and sounds of a Tudor battle. And there are artefacts from the Second World War, when Pendennis was again called into action.
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In Victorian times, Falmouth's world-wide links across the sea led to the development of public gardens containing wonderful collections of exotic plants. Owing to a year-round mild climate, plants such as Citrus, Daturas, Dracaena palms, Camellias, Abutious, Azaleas, Rhododendrons and many unusual species of Bamboo, still thrive today. At Fox Rosehill Gardens for example, Banana trees grow in the open! In addition to Falmouth's four main gardens of Gyllyndune, Kimberley Park, Fox Rosehill and Queen Mary, the vast gardens of Trelissick, Glendurgan and Trebah are all within easy reach of the town.
Falmouth's town center contains many of the expected high street shopping names, alongside restaurants and specialist shops with great maritime charm. Falmouth seems proud of its tourist trade, which seems to equate to shopping. Number of shops = ability to attract tourists. Falmouth had a lot of shops. Laced with many notable and unusual listed buildings (like the King's Pipe which was used to burn contraband tobacco in the days of old style smuggling), the town has a reassuring warmth and contains a surprising range of opportunities. The Falmouth Arts center, The Cornwall Maritime Museum (where the story of the famous Falmouth Packet shops is explained), and the Falmouth Art Gallery (with its renowned collection of Tuke paintings), complemented by the Princess Pavillion, together providing a comprehensive programme of exhibitions, concerts and theatrical events throughout the year.
