Arts and Crafts

Historically famous for its arts and crafts which fill the local galleries and shops, the special quality of light found in Falmouth & South West Cornwall has made this region a natural home for artists and crafts people throughout the years. The Cornish Crafts Association has made its home here, with galleries at Trelissick and Trelowarren, while the Falmouth School of Arts has built an international reputation for the quality of its teaching. Visit the galleries in Falmouth, Camborne, the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro and, of course, the Tate Gallery at St Ives and uncover hidden treasures at small local galleries and craft centres dotted throughout the region.

Cornwall has been an inspiration to writers and poets for centuries and has led to a fantastic diversity of arts events. From Byron to Beatrix Potter, Du Maurier to Poldark and Wycliffe, this region has fuelled creativity - and that magic continues. It seems that there is always something interesting going on, if only you knew where to look . . .

There are concerts in churches and village halls, with excellent local groups staging everything from opera to farce, and a myriad of professional performers giving their all both indoors and out in the elements. Cornwall is blessed with some lovely theatres: from the

Hall for Cornwall in Truro, with a thousand seat capacity and staging some of the biggest names in show-business, to the Minack open-air theatre - one of the most famous stages anywhere, with a matchless view from the dramatic Cornish cliffs. The Arts Centre in Falmouth is a prime example of an intimate theatre with an interesting mix of live events, movies and gallery displays.

Across the summer, the many beautiful gardens and amphitheatres become a stage for Cornwall's glorious mix of music, dance and drama. In particular, look out for the amphitheatres at Carn Marth near Redruth and St Piran's Round in Perranporth, as well as the many famous public gardens. Just take a cushion and a picnic and leave the rest to us. In Falmouth & South West Cornwall we guarantee the best in touring ballet and contemporary dance, classical concerts and blues gigs, big-name stars and traditional Cornish language in some of the most beautiful surroundings anywhere. So look out for the events listings - you never know what you might be missing!

Cornish Food

Family-run vineyards thrive in the warmth of this region with local cider, beer and ale on hand to tantalise your taste buds! Local produce can be bought from market stalls and grocers, while seafood, fresh from the ocean, is a speciality in our award-winning restaurants and pubs. Oysters are still harvested in the Fal and Helford Rivers using the traditional Working Boat method and the industry is celebrated annually at the Falmouth Oyster & Seafood Festival in early October. Sweet toothed connoisseurs can indulge themselves in a traditional Cornish cream tea with lashings of clotted cream and spoonfuls of jam - or perhaps a slice of fruity saffron cake. The traditional favourite is, of course, the Cornish pasty! A meal-in-one, the crimped pastry edge was used by tin miners to hold the Pasty in their arsenic stained fingers. Still sold in vast quantities today, there are few culinary experiences to equal a freshly baked 'oggy'.

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Falmouth and South West Cornwall Guide

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