The Historical Harbour Town of Falmouth: A Guide to its Seafaring Past
About the Tour
Nestled along the strategic perch of the English Channel, Falmouth’s story is intertwined with the ebb and flow of the sea.
On this walking tour, you’ll find out how the establishment of this harbour in the early 1600s helped shape its destiny. You’ll also hear how this natural deep water port quickly became a hub for shipping, and Falmouth a crucial naval station.
The tour starts in the tranquil expanse of Falmouth Moor, a training ground for military exercises during the Napoleonic Wars. You’ll wind through Falmouth’s charming streets and stop at the iconic Greenbank Hotel, a beacon of luxury that overlooks the harbour’s brilliant blue waters.
You’ll traverse the Prince of Wales Pier, home to the historic Flushing Ferry which traces its roots back to the 1600s, and the bustling Market Street. I’ll show you Custom House Quay and tell you about the art of oyster dredging, a tradition as old as the sea itself.
After you’ve paid homage to the town’s founder, Sir John Killigrew, at his towering monument, the tour ends at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Here, stories of Falmouth’s seafaring identity come to life in captivating detail.
On this 75-minute tour, you’ll get the chance to:
- Learn about the enduring legacy of Sir John Killigrew, a visionary landowner who played a pivotal role in Falmouth’s future by establishing its first harbour
- Take in Jacob’s Ladder, the captivating 111-step stairway that bridges the gap between a local businessman’s terrace properties and his business in town
- Walk by the Poly (the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society), a key cultural hub housing a library, art gallery, and performance space
- See where packet ships (vessels that shipped mail throughout the British colony) once docked, and hear how this cemented Falmouth’s importance as a port town
- Stand before Nelson’s Stone on Fish Strand Quay, where the town heard of Lord Nelson’s demise at the triumphant Battle of Trafalgar
- Pass the Falmouth Arts Gallery located within the ancient confines of the Old Library building, and hear about the different civil institutions it’s housed
- Gaze upon Arwenack Manor, once the oldest and grandest home in Falmouth
By the end of this tour, you’ll have unravelled the captivating maritime tales that are anchored in Falmouth’s history. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a culture buff, or simply a curious traveller, there’s something nautical and magical for everyone in Falmouth.
Tour Producer
Penelewey Tours
Hi, I’m Becky Frost, a proud Cornish storyteller and founder of Penelewey Tours and Penelewey Audio Story Tours, also known as PAST. I create immersive walking audio tours and GPS guided audio experiences on the VoiceMap platform, bringing history, culture, and place vividly to life across Cornwall, the South West of England and beyond.
I specialise in historical walking audio tours, indoor audio guides, and place based storytelling for heritage sites, cultural organisations, cities, and coastal towns. My work covers research, scriptwriting, narration, and delivery of audio tours from concept through to launch, ensuring each experience is authentic, accessible, and thoughtfully paced.
As a fisherman’s daughter raised by the sea, storytelling has always been part of my world. My work is rooted in landscape, memory, and the voices of ordinary people, those whose stories are often walked past rather than truly heard. Through carefully researched and locally voiced audio tours, I invite listeners to slow down and connect with the layers of history beneath their feet.
My greatest fascination lies in the Celtic period, shaped by the movement of people, ideas, trade, and shared culture, alongside Cornwall’s long history of resilience and its ongoing fight to retain identity and land. These themes run quietly through my work, blending local history with wider European narratives in a way that feels grounded and human.
I have been commissioned to create audio interpretation for one of Cornwall’s most significant historic religious buildings, alongside developing audio tours for towns, cities, and coastal places across the region. Accessibility and inclusivity sit at the heart of everything I do, audio tours allow people to explore independently, at their own pace, using their own devices, supporting different learning styles and access needs.
My narration is delivered in a clear English accent with a soft Cornish tone, warm, calm, and welcoming, designed to feel like walking alongside a local rather than being lectured. I write, research, and voice my tours myself, ensuring clarity, care, and authenticity from start to finish.
We don’t walk past history with audio tours, we walk through it.
Preview Location
Location 36
Fish Strand Quay
On November 4, 1805, this very location bore witness to a momentous event... Read More
How VoiceMap Works
Major Landmarks
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The Cornish Bank
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The Poly
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Church of King Charles the Martyr
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Custom House Quay
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Arwenack Manor
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Falmouth Event Square
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National Maritime Museum Cornwall
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Old Ambulance station
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Falmouth Art Gallery
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Falmouth Library
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Jacobs Ladder
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Royal Cornwall Yacht Club
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Prince of Wales Pier
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Killigew monument
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationFalmouth TR11 3QA, UK -
Total distance3km -
Final locationDiscovery Quay, Falmouth TR11 3QY, UK -
Distance back to start location842.37m
Directions to Starting Point
The tour begins on Falmouth Moor, this is the main hub for buses arriving into the town. There is a short stay car park on the moor but the best car park is in the Quarry Car Park which is on the left of The Moor as you are driving into the town.
Trains arrive into Falmouth either at Penmere or Falmouth Town, Falmouth Town is at the end of the tour route and Penmere is approximately a 25 minute walk from the start point.
Tips
Places to stop along the way
Falmouth Arts Gallery is a creativity hub and welcomes visitors, The Greenbank Hotel is a great place to stop for a coffee or a drink with the most beautiful views of Falmouth's harbour. the shops along Market Street and Arwenack Street have a Bohemian vibe and cater for all tastes. the National Maritime Museum at the end of the tour is a must sea whilst you're in Cornwall.
Best time of day
The best time to walk the audio tour is between the times of 10am and 5pm if you would like to enter the National Maritime Museum, if not any time from dawn until dusk.
Precautions
Falmouth can be a busy bustling town that is not pedestrianised so please keep your attention for cars moving along the streets. The Cornish weather can be unpredictable so make sure you bring your rain coat, sun screen and a drink!
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