Penzance 3 Historic & Curious Penzance Part 2

Walk Details

Start Point – In Front of Lloyds Bank,main door, Penzance.
Grid Reference – SW 473 303
Parking – Try the Harbour Long Stay car park – TR18 2JX ///boasted.commenced.remake
Distance - 3 miles
Toilets – next to the skatepark on Western Promenade
First walked – Fred, Gerry and Mini Gendall 2023
Author – Fred Gendall

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023

This is the second part of a stroll around Penzance hopefully taking in some features that you may not have seen before.

Start the walk by leaving Lloyds Bank or Market House (see note 1) west to Green Market. This is the original centre of Penzance and used to measure the half mile to its original boundaries. The Market Cross was located here and subsequently moved to Penlee Gardens, which you will pass later was used as the centre point for Penzance’s boundaries.

Walk through Green Market and turn left down Union street,(sorry no street sign) with its taxi and hairdressers. Turn right into North Parade,cross Morrab Road into the 2nd part of North Parade (see note 2). At the end turn left into Park Corner with it’s interesting row of cottages..

Turn right and head for Penlee Park gates, go through them and keep left past the open air theatre and Penlee House (Note 3) where the Market Cross is now located. Turn right at the cross and left to leave the park by a small gate at the top of Penlee View Terrace (SW 469 299).

At the bottom turn left and follow the road until you reach Cornwall Terrace where you will see #13 (with a horseshoe), turn right.

Go past the Bath Inn(see note 4) (probably one of the best public houses in Penzance), turn right onto Western Promenade Road and stay on the right to see the grand casino and the beautiful bronze lions(See note 5) - they like their ears rubbed!

Cross Alexandra Road and bear left, you can then cross over Western Promenade Road and onto the prom.

Turn right and follow the prom, the tall concrete structure coming out of the car park is a ventilation shaft (see note 6) for the new “clean sweep” sewer tunnel that was bored from Newlyn to Penzance.

Pass the skatepark on your right until you reach the steps down to the pebble beach. (There is a good toilet on your right if needed). Cross over Western Promenade Road again and continue towards Newlyn.

Bear right into Lariggan Road for a few yards before turning right into “The Rotary Boating Pool” (see note 7). Keep to the left side of the boating pool and, when you reach the 2nd round boating pool, bear left and go out the gate, turn left and then sharp right uphill into Love Lane passing, on the left, behind the high walls, you may be able to see probably the most protected allotments in Penzance!

Follow Love Lane taking note of Love Lane cottage (see note 8).

After Love Lane Cottage turn right and left and follow the lane until you pop out onto Alverton Road next to the Pirate Inn. The Pirate Inn also has strange markings on the outside (see note 9 ).

Walk past the Pirate keeping on the right pavement, opposite Ivy Lane, cross over Alverton Road and you will see one of Penzance’s boundary stones embedded in the wall. This one is a replacement for the original 1687 one – it was placed there in 1865.

Follow the raised footpath called Greenbank towards the town centre, passing the Pump House holiday let (possibly the smallest in Penzance) until you reach the roundabout at the top of Alexandra road and walk down the steps to cross into Alexandra road.

Follow Alexandra road on the left hand side until you reach Trewithen Road. Turn left up Trewithen Road, keeping right until you reach the gates of Penlee Park. To the left of the gates is a narrow lane, take this lane which leads to an original Penzance well on the left (see note 10). Continue up the lane until you reach another lane and then up 2- 3 steps on the left.

Take this lane slightly upwards until you reach Alverton Road again. Cross over the road and turn right.

Continue on the pavement until a small road with a post appears on the left. Turn up here into Stanford Terrace.

Walk up Stanford Terrace and you will pass on the left, two terrace streets called Alverne Buildings, but known in Penzance as “Forty Town” because there are forty houses.

At the top, turn left into Penalverne Crescent and then turn right into Penalverne Avenue.

Walk up Penalverne Avenue keeping on the left-hand pavement. Between numbers 4 and 5 Penalverne Avenue is a small back lane. This looks like a service lane for the houses but turn left into it, turn right then left into a small wood. As you enter on your left is the head of a lady in copper lying on her side (see note 11).

Follow the path through the trees to arrive at a path and turn right uphill. Follow this passing Penzance Hockey pitch and fire station on the left.

At the end turn right into St Clare Street and follow the road past Chy an Mor Post office to the top of Causeway Head.

Cross the road junction and continue into Causewayhead shopping area. Walk down Causewayhead taking special notice of the Savoy cinema (see note 12), until you reach the Market House (Lloyds Bank). Keep to the left of the Market House and look up to see another John the Baptist head (see note 13) on the building.

This leads you back to your start.

Note 1

Lloyds Bank located in the original Market House.

Note 2

This unusual sign was discovered in 2022, when the owners of the house decided to paint the front of the house,very little is known as to why it is here.

Note 3

This ancient cross has had several standing places around Penzance. It is thought that the cross dates back to the 11th century. For many years it was in Green Market and was used as a centre marker for the four Penzance original 1614 Charter boundary stones, set ½ a mile from the cross.

At one time the cross may have had inscriptions on all four sides, but years of weathering and erosion make it hard to see. It was moved to its present position in 1997.

As you stand there looking at this granite monolith, imagine what it has witnessed in its 1,000 years. The attack on Penzance, Newlyn and Mousehole by the Spanish in 1595. A young Humphry Davy might have walked past. It withstood the bombing of Penzance during the 2nd world war and has suffered many indignities including being climbed, leaned on, sat on and had pigs tied to it, over it’s 1,000 year history.

Note 4

The Bath Inn is named after a public seawater bath house which was demolished in 1860. As you can see, our dog likes it here.

Note 5

We don't know much about these beautiful bronze lions but remember, as a child, they had a lamppost attached, maybe even the lampposts behind! We just love their regal faces.

Note 6

In the 1980’s South West Water had a “Clean Sweep Campaign”, where they joined all the old sewage outlets around Mounts Bay and linked them to a tunnel/sewer from Newlyn to the sewerage pumping station next to the railway station. From there it is pumped to the St Erth treatment works and then the clean water is pumped out to sea via an outfall pipe at Gwithian near Hayle.

This concrete block is a vent for the sewer from Newlyn. Another can be found opposite the Dolphin Pub.

Note 7

The Rotary Boating Pool, originally provided by Penzance Rotary Club and opened in 1955.

Note 8

Love Lane Farmhouse cottage, a grade two listed building.

Note 9

You would think that the Pirate Inn was an ancient ale house but it has only been a public house since 1953. Before then it was a 17th century farmhouse as seen by the foundation stones halfway up the wall?

Note 10

This public water shoot was one of several around Penzance.

Note 11

This sculpture just appeared here when the leisure centre opened. It has no credit to any sculptor and looks unloved.

Note 12

The Savoy Cinema opened in November 1912, It is now the oldest continuously running cinema in the UK.

Note 13

Another John the Baptist head. I was told a little time ago that there were 3 John the Baptist heads in Penzance. I have been unable to find the third.