Falmouth offers a great deep-water harbour, a haven from bad weather and a venue for a variety of sailing and boating events throughout the year. It is a must visit for anyone cruising the UK South and offers many of sailing’s great joys in close proximity without the congestion of the Portsmouth areas.
The broad entry from the south is guarded by St Anthony’s headlight and the imaginatively named ‘Black Rock’. Well-marked buoys lead you to either the main Falmouth harbour or up the Carrick Roads towards Mylor and then Truro.
There are 3 marinas in the Falmouth Harbour (Pendennis, Falmouth Haven and Falmouth Marina ). Each offers good berths and varying facilities with great access to the town.
We stayed in Pendennis Marina which has easy access, a great and friendly staff and feels very secure. You feel part of the town but with a tidal moat protecting you. You get to see the activities on the town quay without feeling the need to take part. The comings and going of the marina and harbour are on view and there is always something of interest to watch…even if it is just the changing weather and the water taxi.
It is also permissible to anchor in the harbour itself and the harbour master collects fees each morning. Please note that the mud is thick and provides great hiding but is hard to wash off and can be pungent.
Falmouth itself offers a mix of shops and things to see. There seems to be an equal number of boutique sailing and charity shops, which perhaps reflects the area very aptly…Lots of affluent visitors and locals that are struggling to make ends meet. Falmouth and its near neighbour St Maws are highly popular with second home owners and have driven the housing market price so high locals can’t afford to live ‘locally’.
Tailored to the visitor market, Falmouth does not lack for restaurants and bars/pubs.
Eateries
Verdant
For those who like specialist beers and tapas – Verdant is a fabulous place. Its understated frontage and slightly austere decor hides a great Tapas menu of fresh fish and a selection of craft beers available in measure up to 3/4 pint. Verdant offers a tasting menu of the things that Falmouth is known for, unusual characters, tasty food and fine ales.
Harbour Lights
Although there is a Rick Stein fish and chip restaurant in Falmouth, it is rarely as busy as the Harbour Lights. Pete and Sue grew up in the area and have owned the restaurant since Pete left the Royal Navy over a decade ago. It is an award-winning fish and chip place and frequently has a visit from ‘Cuddly Cod’ (Pete is a fish suit!) as a marketing ploy.
Signing up for their newsletter did bring a discount on your order, but I’ve not looked recently.
The Chain Locker
Both pub and restaurant, this is a popular venue with a large beer garden overlooking the harbour. The ability to eat drink and watch the antics of other yachts can often lead to a session of ‘meer catting’ and chorus of breath ‘being taken in sharply’ as another inexperienced yacht makes a mistake in front of the cringing audience. (been there! done that!)
Pubs
There is no lack of pubs in Falmouth but the 2 you should try are Verdant (see above) and The Front.
The Front is extremely popular with those who support the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). It hosts a variety of real ales and ciders from many of the breweries in Cornwall and further afield. It is so popular because it has a selection of garden furniture that can be moved on to the pier to extend the pub’s drinking area in good weather (or bad weather…that doesn’t seem to stop the locals!)
It also benefits from a policy of allowing folk to bring their own food. The Front is adjacent to a local pastie shop, The Dog and Smuggler and the Harbour Lights chip shop, so there is an excellent synergy between the three locations.
Hand
The pub and brewery that supplies some of Verdant’s beers.
This is at the North end of town near the famous clock that spans the road.
Places of Interest
National Maritime Museum
This is a little pricey but worth of a visit depending upon the display being shown. The history element is always comprehensive and there have been recent features of Tony Bulimore’s yacht survival story and more recently, the journey of the James Caird from Elephant Island to South Georgia complete with the replica of the Caird that was used in the television programme documenting the journey.
Beerwolf
The combination of bookshop and cafe bar (Genius!!!), Beerwolf is a little off the beaten track for Falmouth being tucked away in one of the back street. for those that are familiar however, it is a great venue and the wifi is free and high speed.
Pendennis Castle
An imposing castle on the south Entrance to the River Fal, Pendennis Castle is a fortress built by Henry the VIII. Used consistently as a defence to the anchorage and harbour the castle also has some gun emplacements from more contemporary conflicts. Worth a visit and particularly fun if there is an event such as jousting taking place.
Gig Racing
In the summer months, Gig racing is a common sight and most nights you can see the teams practising in the harbour, frequently with the ‘sea dog’ mascot in the stern, monitoring proceedings with a critical eye!
Transport
Water taxi and ferry facilities:
There are several water taxis that operate in the harbour and also several small ferries that take you between St Mawes, Flushing and Falmouth.
In some cases there is a walk to get to those ferries. I spent time at Mylor and the ferry to Falmouth departed from flushing and this was a 40 minute walk.
Taxis:
The taxi market is very competitive in Falmouth so shop around if you want to save money.
Shopping and Supplies
There are several small shops and convenience stores in Falmouth.
There are Tesco express stores at either end of the town and a Spar shop that also hosts a Post Office.
Take away food is readily available and convenient for the sailor varying from KFC to a popular burrito bar. Pasties are also a staple (See Below).
Boat Spares and Chandlery
Trago Mills
Trago Mills has a small selection of chandlery items plus tools, ropes, clothing and other useful items. The merit of Trago’s is the price! All items seem to be very reasonable and certainly better than the higher costs venues in town.
MacSalvor’s Boatyard
A short walk (1.5 miles) from Falmouth is MacSalvors boatyard…A much more comprehensive and yet affordable chandlery for the yacht in particular. It is certainly worth the pilgrimage to Penryn for any parts you need.
Bosun’s Locker Chandlery
The name “Bosun’s Locker” suggests that this is a full service Chandlery but there is a very limited equipment stock in store. It appears to sell more fashion and accessories rather than chandlery and boat spares. They do stock the basics and can order in some items. But I’d visit the other 2 options first or order online and items delivered to the Marina or to an Amazon Pick Up location (any of the 3 sub post offices provide this service).
Pasty League
The Cornish Pasty has been a staple in the South West of England since the 13th century. So it is with some pride that Cornwall has a competitive and eclectic selection of pasty purveyors. Here then is the Archie Pellago, not very scientific, assessment of the Falmouth pasty options.
A not very scientific review of pasty shops revealed the following scores:
Mary’s (St Mawes) – 5 Stars
Oggy Oggy Pasty Company – 4 Stars
The Dog and Smuggler (Independent) – 4 Stars
Warren’s – 4 Stars
Rowes – 3 Stars
Cornish Bakery – 3 Stars
Having said there…I have lived in Cornwall for a nearly a decade I can genuinely say that there is no such thing as a bad ‘Cornish’ pasty! Accept no substitute.