Welcome to Penzance, a picturesque town located in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. As the most westerly major town in Cornwall, Penzance offers breathtaking views of Mounts Bay and the English Channel. With a population of 21,200, this charming town is full of history and culture.
One of the most fascinating areas in Penzance is Chapel Street. Here you can find a plethora of interesting features, including the Egyptian House, The Admiral Benbow public house, and Branwell House, where the mother and aunt of the famous Brontë sisters once lived. Regency and Georgian terraces and houses are common in some parts of the town.
For those who love nature, a visit to Morrab Gardens is a must. This sub-tropical garden has a large collection of tender trees and shrubs, many of which cannot be grown outdoors anywhere else in the UK. Another highlight of Penzance is the seafront with its promenade and the open-air seawater Jubilee Pool, one of the oldest surviving Art Deco swimming baths in the country.
Penzance has a rich history dating back to prehistoric times. Today, you can still see evidence of the past at Lescudjack Castle, an Iron Age defensive earthwork. The town also has a connection to Roman history, as two coins from the reign of Vespasian and a coin depicting Sol, the Roman sun god, have been found in Penzance.
Penzance has been immortalized in popular culture as the base of the pirates in Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance. At the time the libretto was written, Penzance had become popular as a peaceful resort town, so the idea of it being overrun by pirates was amusing to contemporaries.
Come and experience the beauty and history of Penzance for yourself. Explore the town’s charming streets, soak up the stunning scenery, and discover the many cultural treasures that make Penzance such a special destination.