The City of Truro-Cornwall's Bijou and Bustling Micro-Metropolis

Truro is a bustling micro-metropolis, a true city by virtue of its 19th-century cathedral, although in reality no larger than a medium-size town. In 1859, it made the decision to allow the far-reaching Great Western Railway into the town and never looked back, whereas Bodmin, 20 miles away to the east and officially Cornwall’s county town, rejected the GWR’s offer, living in retrospect to regret that decision ever since.

The city is a maze of alleyways, quaint back streets, and wide Georgian avenues reckoned to be the best outside of Bath. Indeed, the broad uphill sweep of Lemon Street is more akin to that city than Truro. Lemon Street has several pavement bars and bistros from where you can relax and watch the traffic and pedestrians go about their business.

Walsingham Place is a peaceful crescent in the heart of the city dating from 1815 and tucked away just southwest of the cathedral. Once the homes of well-heeled businessmen, it now houses an assortment of doctors, dentists, and private clinics.

The Royal Cornwall Museum in River Street has the best collections of any in the southwest, as well as providing in-depth displays of Cornwall’s history, geology, sociology, and wildlife. The wide, cobbled main thoroughfare, Boscawen Street is lined with shops, restaurants, up-market jewelers, and cafés. At the east end of the street is the old Coinage Hall, dating to the days of Truro’s importance as a Stannary town.

The cathedral itself is an imposing structure dating from 1880s, and whilst not to the same grand scale of those of Wells or Salisbury, boasts three magnificent towers that make it the focal point from everywhere in the city.

The broad River Kenwyn, one of the many offshoots of the Fal estuary, flows right into the city and afforded Truro water-borne trading links well after the railway’s arrival.

The best way to get to know Truro is to explore every little alley and street, where you will discover a gallery, pub, shop, or restaurant that will fulfill your requirements.

Quick Tips:

Truro has a vibrant theatre and music scene. It produces a regular information sheet detailing forthcoming productions. Many of the local pubs feature live music of every genre. There are also boards around town giving information regarding the galleries.

There is a large town plan situated close to the cathedral that lists all the sights and attractions very clearly. Nowhere in the city is more than a 20-minute walk from the cathedral other than the out-of-town shopping malls on the A390, close to the hospitals with the standard fare, i.e. supermarkets, furniture, DIY, etc.

The city can be toured with one of the Blue Badge Guides, an internationally recognised qualification for guiding, established to ensure visitors benefit from the highest standards of quality and professionalism in guiding. Call them at 01872 271257 to arrange your tour, e-mail blue.badge@kernow.net, or pop into the tourist office on Boscawen Street.

There are several hotels in the city, as well as many guesthouses, offering clean, decent accommodation for around £20 per night per person, including breakfast.

Best Way To Get Around:

Truro is situated at the head of the Fal Estuary and well positioned to explore west Cornwall. It sits astride the A39, one of the southwest’s major trunk routes. It is difficult to park even though there are several car parks. During the summer months, a bus service runs from the car park on the A390 by the hospitals into town. Daily parking here is around £3, including the bus ride, so it is the best alternative.

Regular bus services also run to Truro from St Austell, Falmouth, and Redruth. The mainline rail from Paddington to Penzance runs to the city, and you can catch a train from Truro to Penzance, where the line ends.

There are cycle hire shops in the city, although in reality the best and easiest way to explore the place is on foot. Truro is surrounded though by rolling countryside and tiny villages, making the "out-of-town" excursions for cyclists well worthwhile. Many of the Duchy’s gardens lie within close proximity to Truro, although if you seek a beach, you will have to travel to Falmouth or Pendower on the Roseland Peninsula or one of the many on the north coast, such as Porthtowan, Perranporth. or Newquay.

As with most cities, though it's a small one, Truro caters well in the food stakes to its summer influx of visitors. The city center is awash with cafes, espresso bars, patisseries, delicatessens and restaurants of every conceivable type.

There are literally dozens to choose from so I decided to explore for myself and whilst it was not physically possible to eat in every one I visited, the ones listed here were full of happy diners and imbibers, a sure sign that the fare was fine.

The first one I looked into was "The Feast", a vegetarian restaurant and tea- shop situated in the center, close to the cathedral (everything is close to the cathedral in Truro, such is its dominance over the city). Whilst "veg" is not my scene, the menu looked full and appetizing, with daily specials listed on a board outside. Prices were reasonable starting at £2.50 for the soup and rising to £8.50 for the many choices of main course. I peeked inside and found the place to be busy with early lunchtime diners, quite oblivious to this nosey person looking over their shoulders.

Next stop was at the lower end of Lemon Street at the "Citron Vite" deli and patisserie. I availed myself of a large, delicious baguette here stuffed with meat and salad and washed it down with an ice- cold coke. A very pleasant atmosphere, good service and polite, efficient staff. There are a couple of outside tables, as can be seen from the picture, with two guys insisting on waving for the camera as I focused for my shot.

Further on up Lemon Street, on the same side is "Bustopher Jones", a real find. Stuffed from my baguette, I passed on any more food but had a pint inside this bustling food and wine bar. Diners filled the place, testament to its reputation as "the best in town". As readers will notice from the banner flying above the door, I missed the Real Ale and Pie Festival by one day, in all likelihood probably just as well! Inebriation beckons readily in this city with it’s pubs, bars and brewery. Bustopher Jones was great, very friendly and quick service despite the mountain of folk inside.

Walking back down Lemon Street towards Boscawen Street, I felt thirsty from all this perambulation and in need of a coffee so I popped into "The Boston Tea Party", an espresso house on the main drag serving light snacks as well. It too was busy (everywhere was…) but with overflow seating upstairs, I took my coffee and sat in the window seat watching Truro hurtle by. Take your pick here from espresso, cappuccino, latte, etc., as well as many speciality teas. A buzzing place full of office staff having their hurried lunches.

These were the four I sampled, all were recommendable, friendly, reasonably priced, good atmospheres, decent service and above all, good food and drink. You can’t stay hungry for long here.

Truro’s cathedral sits square in the middle of the city, surrounded by roads and pavements, quite unlike its counterparts in Wells and Salisbury, which enjoy peaceful church gardens and cloistered precincts away from the hustle and bustle of the modern city. It is a relative newcomer to the city by any standard; requests over the centuries for Cornwall to become an independent See were finally granted in 1880, when the foundation stones were laid by the Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VII.

Cornwall originally had its own Bishop of St Germans near Saltash until the late 10th century. The Cornish Diocese (or See) was held jointly with the Devon Diocese at Exeter until 1050, when it ceased to be a separate entity. More than 800 years later, in 1877, after more than 30 years intensive lobbying, the Cornish Diocese was re-established at Truro and is responsible for all of Cornwall; the Isles of Scilly; and rather strangely, two parishes in Devon.

The cathedral’s architect was J L Pearson, who decided upon its Normandy Gothic style with high vaulting and three steeples, the tallest of which towers 250 feet above Truro’s busy streets. The build was completed in 1910, making Truro the capital of Cornwall in all but name. The cathedral is built entirely of Cornish granite, with all statues in Bath stone, and rather surprisingly, the entire amount required for its construction was raised by public donation.

It is reckoned to best enter the cathedral via the chancel doorway, where the carved Bath stone reredos make a wonderful initial impression. Unfortunately, due to massive restoration work on one of the two west towers, there was no access to the cathedral on the day of my visit, which was disappointing.

On the north choir aisle is a terracotta relief of Christ, the Romans, and the crowd on the way to Calvary, presented to the cathedral by a thanks-giver for the safe return of his two sons from the Boer War. The Chapter House that extends into the lawn to the north was only finished in 1967 and awarded a Civic Trust Award for its design.

Edward White Benson was the first bishop here from 1877 to 1883. He was previously Headmaster of Wellington College before becoming Chancellor of Lincoln cathedral. It was his vision that led to the establishment of the cathedral at Truro and the Cornwall Diocese, and after he relinquished his role here, he became Archbishop of Canterbury until his death in 1896.

It is certainly unusual to see such a magnificent building centre stage in such a relatively small place as Truro.

Take the time to visit this fantastic museum situated on River Street in Truro, generally regarded as the best in Cornwall. Entrance is free to the lovely old Georgian building, with its portico front doorway. The Royal Institution of Cornwall was founded in 1818 and moved here in 1919 to the site of the former Truro savings bank.

The museum covers the full range of geology, archaeology, social history, wildlife, and engineering, as well as the decorative arts, such as pottery, sculpture, and paintings.

As you enter the main chamber, you are confronted by a dazzling array of exhibits depicting life in Cornwall since prehistoric times, along with various artifacts unearthed during excavations at sites all over the county. Farther along is a superb display of the Duchy’s geology and how that has affected land use from tin mining to farming.

There are several displays relating to Cornwall’s most famous son of the Industrial Revolution, Richard Trevithick, inventor of the steam engine. A glass case contains a superb scale model of his "Locomotion," originally devised to haul wagons up from the tin mines that littered the Cornish landscape 200 years ago.

Cornwall has always suffered the ignominy of being one of the poorest counties in the UK, and this is amply illustrated with the displays showing how the falls of the mining industry and, latterly, the fishing industry have exacerbated this situation. Fortunately, since the late ‘50s, tourism has filled many of the gaps, but again, the storyboards also tell how the massive influx of visitors has shaped the finances of the local folk, not always necessarily for the better.

The wildlife section is a delight and details in great depth the flora and fauna of the county, home to many rare plant species, some of which will only grow in this mild maritime climate.

Upstairs is the art department, and I have to be honest and say that whilst the works on display were fascinating and featured talented artists, this has never really been my scene (do I hear cries of "Phillistine"?).

Back downstairs, there is a spacious café area serving drinks and snacks and a well- stocked shop selling souvenirs and guidebooks.

The museum is but a 5-minute stroll from the city centre and will really give you a valuable insight into life in Cornwall over the years.

Being a real ale aficionado, no trip to Truro would be complete without a visit to Skinners Brewery. This family-owned company was only founded in 1997 and has risen quickly to become one of the premier breweries in the southwest.

Skinners offer a full range of both cask-conditioned and bottled ales, many named after old Cornish folklore figures. I took the organised trip around the brewery. There’s no need to book, just turn up at their office for either the 11am or 2:30pm tour, Monday to Friday. Cost is £5 per adult. The tour is very interesting and deals with every aspect of brewing, from the malt cracking all the way to the finished barrels of ale.

After the tour, you will be ushered into the beautifully furnished and decorated "hospitality suite," where, believe me, things can get rapidly out of hand if you don’t have the responsibility of a car to get you home. All their ales are on pump here, and after the complimentary pint of your choice, you are free to sample as many of the others as you wish. Try the delights of Spriggan Ale, Keel Over, Cornish Blonde, and Figgy's Brew.

Next to the suite is the brewery shop that sells all the bottled ales, as well as T-shirts, baseball caps, sweaters, mugs, and so on, at reasonable prices.

The whole atmosphere is very relaxed and epitomises the family-run business. If you like beer, this tour is definitely for you. Let’s hope Skinners remains in family hands and is not hijacked by one of the big boys. Be prepared for a headache tomorrow morning as well.

For an area of the country generally associated as being far from wealthy, Truro gives off a resplendent aura of well-being. Its streets are lined with jewellers, designer clothes shops, and upmarket galleries offering art by local painters and sculptors. There are many specialist shops offering a wide range of goods for sale such as top-notch shoes, expensive luggage, and outdoor wear.

I took the time to stroll around the maze of alleys as well as the main shopping streets, Boscawen St. and Pydar St. and was amazed at the wide variety of consumer goods on sale. There is nowhere else like this anywhere in the Duchy and I would imagine that the majority of these up-market emporia are targeting the swathes of visitors who come to see what this miniscule city has to offer.

Truro Goldsmiths occupies a tiny cottage-like building in the heart of the city. Indeed, if the window displays were removed, you would think this was a private dwelling with it’s stable front door, white-washed walls, and moss-covered slate roof.

On Kenwyn Street, you will find a marvelous little shop, "County Maps and Minerals", at number 22, offering, as its title implies, modern and ancient maps of the area, as well as a stunning selection of rocks and minerals, some semi-precious, dug from the local area. Also along here, you will find the bold red and black building that once housed the Redruth Brewery. The original signage is still in place although the premises now house a surf shack.

Not far from here I found a small store that catered for the dope smokers amongst the community, its window boldly displaying all manner of bongs, pipes, papers, and paraphernalia; in fact, they have everything other than the weed itself!

In St Mary’s Street, close to the cathedral, you will find Truro Galleries, a bright yellow exterior making it’s whereabouts easy to determine. Furniture, paintings, porcelain, militaria, bric-a-brac, you name it, it’s here. I browsed for half an hour and was made welcome. Not far away is "Cornish & Celtic Jewellery", my favourite, selling gifts and art by local artists at fair prices.

The word limit here means I can only describe some of the marvellous stores in the city but there is a surprise around every corner. Window shopping in Truro has to be up with the best that anywhere can offer.

As with many old market towns and cities, the back streets of Truro play host to some fine old ale houses, many of them occupying their sites for hundreds of years. Having my car with me meant that caution had to be applied this time but I did try a few of them and found them all to be decent establishments, some still catering for the locals whilst others looked to the visitors for custom with elaborate menus and modern furniture.

My favourite and the first one I tried was the ancient old "Crab and Ale House" in New Bridge Street, tucked away behind the cathedral. I was greeted as if I’d patronized the place for 20 years, always a good sign of a proper pub. There was a choice of several real ales including Cornish locals, as well as a good menu featuring everything from freshly caught fish to sandwiches. Low beams and a good level of background conversation, all-in-all, the sort of pub that everyone should enjoy.

Next up was the "Wig and Pen" in St Clement Street, slightly more modern than my first port of call but nearly as good. Again, real cask-conditioned ales were on offer, and they were well-kept and just at the correct temperature. There was a decent lunchtime menu available and judging by the number of folk in the place, it was obviously a popular meeting place and watering hole.

The next stop was at the "Market Inn" on Lemon Quay, which used to be home to the weekly market. This was packed to the rafters although it had a much more olde-worlde feel to it than the other establishments and appeared to be patronized mainly by locals, judging by the high level of "Cornish Brogue" in the air, all "yes, my handsome" this and "no, my flower" that, quite delightful and as sing-song a regional dialect as any Scandinavian tongue. Once again, well kept real ales (what a delight this city is!) and a lunchtime menu varying from snacks to the full shebang.

With the 2:30pm tour around Skinners Brewery beckoning, I bode a fond farewell to these pubs, having thoroughly enjoyed my experience and the easy conversations struck up with fellow drinkers in all three of them.

There has been a town on this site since the 12th century. It derives it’s name from the Cornish "tri-veru" meaning three rivers. During the reign of Henry II, a castle was built in the town by Richard Lucy, Chief Justice of England, remains of which were found during excavations for the cattle market some years ago.

In the 1300s, Truro was already an important inland port and one of the county’s five stannary towns. Tin and copper were assayed and stamped twice a year prior to shipping. The Black Death arrived in the late 1300s, resulting in a mass exodus from the town and years of total neglect. Eventually, Parliamant passed a petition excusing residents from paying rent which led to a gradual return to the town, once free of the plague.

The town was granted Charter by Elizabeth in the 16th century that permitted self-government, i.e. the election of a Mayor. By this time, Truro was thriving and also controlled the port of Falmouth to the south-west. During the Civil War, the Royalists established a mint in Truro and the town began issuing it’s own bank notes, many examples of which can be seen in the museum. The Royalists surrendered at Tresillian, east of the town in 1642 and Prince Charles fled via Falmouth.

In the 18th century, Truro was very industrialised with various factories in the town producing pottery, leather, carpets, wool, tin and iron, all shipped by way of the rivers that flowed into the town. It was during the late 18th and early 19th centuries that the town flourished. Tin prices soared and the wealthy mine owners built grand houses. Truro was known as "The London of Cornwall". The first Bishop came here in 1877 and decided that the town needed it’s own cathedral. Queen Victoria granted Truro city status, also in 1877, three years before the cathedral was commissioned, to be built on the site of the 16th century parish church.

Many important people figure in Truro’s history--Sir William Lemon, a wealthy mining magnate and county MP who gave the land upon which Lemon Street was built and Silvanus Trevail, an architect who designed many of the buildings still here today.