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Penzance What To Do When You Visit Cornwall s Penzance
ocated at the southern tip Most of the town is subject to
of Cornwall, Penzance is strict planning rules, so its
well worth exploring and character has been preserved
has a wide variety of things to without the blight of too many
do and explore. Whether you want modern buildings and signage.
town life, to check out rural Although the poet Sir John
Cornwall or experience the Betjeman disagreed with that last
coastal waters around Cornwall statement – he thought that the
where years ago smugglers were town's character had been
rife. blighted.
The word Penzance actually means As befits the area, there is a
"Holy Headland" in the native midsummer festival in Penzance
Cornish language and is a called the Golowan Festival.
reminder that the town stands After a lapse at the end of the
close to where the chapel of St 1800s, the ancient customs of the
Anthony stood over a thousand golowan Festival have been
years ago. revived, including lighting fires
and setting off fireworks to
Although people have lived in celebrate the midsummer solstice.
Penzance since at least the You can also witness street
Bronze Age, its importance was artists and see the whole town
recognized by King Henry IV, who decked with greenery and other
granted the town the right to decorations. The popularity of
hold a Royal Market. the festival means that Penzance
now attracts thousands of
Although it was once a major visitors at that time of year, so
fishing town with all that be sure to book your hotel room
entails, Penzance now caters early if you are planning to
mainly for the tourist trade. visit Penzance at the time of the
festival or you could end up to use one of the many Cornish
finding no room at the inn. villages nearby, there are plenty
of places that you can stay.
Opera fans will want to check out These range from small, family
Penzance. As you'd expect from run bed and breakfasts, often
the title, it was the setting for located in farms and other rustic
the Gilbert and Sullivan opera locations, through to the larger
"The Pirates of Penzance". In guest houses which give you many
modern times, you can watch plays of the facilities of a hotel but
at the local Acorn Theatre, which the warm welcome associated with
also shows films and hosts dance Penzance's landladies. Or if you
music and cabaret. prefer, you can choose one of
Penzance's larger hotels.
Despite their name, the Penzance Whichever of these you decide on,
Pirates rugby team are now you can be assured of a warm
located in nearby Camborne and Cornish welcome and the
have therefore been renamed the hospitality associated with it.
Cornish Pirates.
On a more exotic note, the solo |
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