Have you ever think what you can do in Falmouth during a visit there? If not you are in the right place, in this article you will read about beautiful beaches and places to visit in Falmouth England. The name of this town in the southwest of England exactly describes its geographical location: the mouth of the River Fal. However, its long-time inhabitants prefer to call it Aberfal or Aberfala, a name derived from the Cornish language (a dialect derived from the ancient Gaelic languages that is still alive in Cornwall).
There are many beautiful places to visit and many popular tourist destinations in Falmouth England. The origin of Falmouth dates back to the 16th century, when King Henry VIII decided to build Pendennis Castle on this spot, with the idea of defending Carrick Roads. Later, with the Spanish Invincible Armada looming on the horizon as a terrible threat, the fortress was renovated and reinforced, a church was built, and the city began to develop. Falmouth is a quiet town, perfect for spending a few days off, walking through its charming downtown streets, visiting some monuments and museums, and strolling through the surrounding nature. Have a look below to find out things to do in Falmouth England.
1. Falmouth Art Gallery
The Falmouth Art Gallery is one of the best in Cornwall, showcasing works by the Old Masters, major Victorian artists, French and British Impressionists, maritime artists, and much more. Falmouth also has one of the largest collections of master prints outside of London, including woodcuts, stone engravings, lithographs, and silkscreens by artists such as Picasso, Rembrandt, Matisse, and Francis Bacon, and paintings by Edvard Munch and Renoir.
2. Falmouth Maritime Museum
One of the best places to visit in Falmouth with the family is its Maritime Museum. The museum is presented through no less than 15 galleries that occupy 5 floors of the building. Through it, the importance of maritime navigation in the history of the world is shown. The rooms offer exhibitions of all kinds. In the main hall, you will see boats of all kinds everywhere (even hanging from the ceiling!). Afterward, another 3 rooms are dedicated to the long and important naval tradition of Falmouth and Cornwall. It is one of the most visited places in Falmouth England.
3. Pendennis castle
Built between 1540 and 1542, during the reign of Henry VIII, it was used to defend the entrance to the English Channel and repel possible French, Spanish, and any other foreign invasions that wanted to land on English soil. It was equipped with cannons until 1956 when it was dismantled. Already in the 21st century, it has become a tourist attraction that anyone can visit.
4. Gyllyngvase Beach
Less than a ten-minute walk from the town center, Blue Flag Gyllyngvase Beach is the largest and most popular beach in Falmouth. The beach has a wide crescent of golden sand, washed by moderate and shallow waters. The sand is raked at the start of each day in summer and is patrolled by RNLI lifeguards throughout the season. To the rear is the stylish, award-winning Gylly Beach Cafe, open all day, preparing local meat and seafood caught in Falmouth Bay. On a cool winter’s day, you can take shelter from the wind with a cup of tea on the terrace.
5. Promenade
If you’re ready to fall asleep by the water for a while, Discovery Quay around the National Maritime Museum has a lot going for you. At the quayside you can size some of the vessels in the port including Royal Navy vessels undergoing maintenance at A & Q. There’s also a large plaza framed by new weatherboard construction restaurants like Pizza Express, Rick Stein’s Fish, and Zizzi. This space is used for the annual Falmouth Sea Shack Festival at the end of June. The Arwenack Street behind is worth a walk for its houses and the Killigrew Monument, a pyramid commemorating the Killigrew family, who oversaw the development of Falmouth. It was under the watch of Peter Killigrew in the 1680s that the town became a Royal Mail Packet Station.
6. Trebah Garden
A quintessential Cornish valley garden, Trebah Garden is open all year round and has something amazing to see in every season. Exotic subtropical plants do well in this part of England, and in winter you’ll see southern hemisphere species in flower in Trebah Garden. Spring is the most memorable time to come, when century-old rhododendrons, camellias, and magnolias are in bloom, while a little later the giant gunnera (Chilean rhubarb) steals the show, and the hydrangeas are magnificent in autumn. There are four miles of sailing paths at Trebah Garden, as well as a quiet little beach on the Helford River.
7. Swanpool Beach
Just 1.5 miles from the town center, Swanpool Beach is a south-east-facing, sheltered sandy beach and one of the local picks for family days out. There is safe swimming here, although the absence of lifeguards is worth noting. In summer, the beach is complemented by a crazy 18-hole golf course, a bouncy castle for children, a cafeteria, and a place where you can rent kayaks. Just behind is Swanpool Lake Nature Reserve, a lagoon formed in the Ice Age by a shingle bank, and a habitat for eels, kingfishers, tufted ducks, and Eurasian siskins. It is one of the listed things to do in Falmouth England.
8. Queen Mary Gardens
On a hot day at Gyllyngvase beach you can escape the sun at Queen Mary Gardens, opened in 1912 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Mary, wife of George V. Like all the gardens around Falmouth, this space has species that they flourish in Cornwall’s special climate, such as palms, viper-buglosses, lily-of-the-Nile, sugar-bushes and huge Chilean rhubarb. All this is in carefully manicured flower beds and borders, laid out by immaculate lawns.
9. Castle Beach
As convenient as it gets, Castle Beach is right in town, starting just west of Pendennis Point. In a fairly exposed position, the main attraction of this beach lies in its rock movement and sunbathing at low tide, rather than as a place to swim. But given the right conditions, Castle Beach has an abundance of starfish, mussels, crabs, and curious sea creatures like lepadogasters (Cornish suckers) for kids to inspect up close. There is a large tidal range at Castle Beach, with high tide covering almost all of the sand and shingles, so it is worth taking the height of the sea into account.
10. St Mawes Castle
In the 16th century, the west side of Carrick Roads was reinforced by St Mawes Castle, a cloverleaf defense modified by the military until the end of the Second World War. When the round fort fell out of fashion in the 19th century, it became a barracks and then an anti-aircraft gun position after 1939. What is remarkable is how much of Henry VIII’s artillery fort remains today, and you can even read Latin inscriptions in praise of the king and his son Edward VI.
1. Falmouth Art Gallery
2. Falmouth Maritime Museum
3. Pendennis castle
4. Gyllyngvase Beach
5. Promenade
6. Trebah Garden
7. Swanpool Beach
8. Queen Mary Gardens
9. Castle Beach
10. St Mawes Castle