Falmouth and St. Mawes

The town of Falmouth on the southwest coast of England is Cornwall’s largest port. It boasts a National Maritime Museum plus two fortresses built by King Henry VIII. But we took a break from sightseeing one morning to browse through the town’s shops and soak up the seaside ambience. And I was delighted with the fishing village across the harbour, picturesque St. Mawes.

The commercial heart of Falmouth runs along the waterfront. Here you can lunch on a traditional Cornish pasty or hand picked crab sandwich; buy a book about Sam and the Seagulls or a bottle of Poldark wine.

In the afternoon we took a 20-minute ride on the St. Mawes Ferry, cruising through Falmouth Harbour past Henry VIII’s two coastal fortresses, Pendennis Castle and St. Mawes Castle. (The latter appeared as Fort Baton in the original 1970s Poldark series.)

National Maritime Museum

Pendennis Castle

St. Mawes Castle

The pastel thatched cottages of St. Mawes looked out over the sea while families passed the afternoon poking around in tidal pools in search of crabs.

St. Mawes, Cornwall

Thatched Cottages

Tavern Beach

Searching for Crabs at Low Tide

Crabbing Bucket

The Waterside Gallery had the perfect bird by local potter Tony Worthington to add to my collection.

Tony Worthington Pottery

We also took time to indulge in a Cornish cream tea. 

Cornish Cream Tea at the View Café

The Moyana Charter Boat in St. Mawes Harbour

Back in Falmouth I satisfied my craving for seafood at the Harbour View Restaurant and later quenched my thirst with a fresh and fruity Cornish Orchards cider, made from local apples.

Harbour View Restaurant View

Grilled Cornish Scallops in the Shell

Dressed Cornish Crab

Cornish Orchards Cider on Tap

After a relaxing day exploring Falmouth we would board our Back-Roads motor coach again and head inland for a private garden tour at England’s only tea estate, Tregnothnan.

Next:  England’s Tea Plantation

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