Penzance Historic & Curious Penzance Part 2
Walk Details
● Start Point – In Front of Lloyds Bank,main door, Penzance.
● Grid Reference – SW 473 303
● Parking – Try the Harbour Long Stay car park – TR18 2JX ///boasted.commenced.remake
● Distance – 3 miles
● Toilets – next to the skatepark on Western Promenade
● First walked – Fred, Gerry and Mini Gendall 2023
● Author – Fred Gendall
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023
This is the second part of a stroll around Penzance hopefully taking in some features that you may not have seen before.
Start the walk by leaving Lloyds Bank or Market House west to Green Market. This is the original centre of Penzance and used to measure the half mile to its original boundaries. The Market Cross was located here and subsequently moved to Penlee Gardens, which you will pass later was used as the centre point for Penzance’s boundaries.
Walk through Green Market and turn left down Union street,(sorry no street sign) with its taxi and hairdressers. Turn right into North Parade,cross Morrab Road into the 2nd part of North Parade. At the end turn left into Park Corner with it’s interesting row of cottages..
Turn right and head for Penlee Park gates, go through them and keep left past the open air theatre and Penlee House where the Market Cross is now located. Turn right at the cross and left to leave the park by a small gate at the top of Penlee View Terrace (SW 469 299).
At the bottom turn left and follow the road until you reach Cornwall Terrace where you turn right.
Go past the Bath Inn (probably one of the best public houses in Penzance), turn right onto Western Promenade Road and stay on the right to see the grand casino and the beautiful bronze lions – they like their ears rubbed!
Cross Alexandra Road and bear left, you can then cross over Western Promenade Road and onto the prom.
Turn right and follow the prom, the tall concrete structure coming out of the car park is a ventilation shaft for the new “clean sweep” sewer tunnel that was bored from Newlyn to Penzance.
Pass the skatepark on your right until you reach the steps down to the pebble beach. (There is a good toilet on your right if needed). Cross over Western Promenade Road again and continue towards Newlyn.
Bear right into Lariggan Road for a few yards before turning right into “The Rotary Boating Pool”. Keep to the left side of the boating pool and, when you reach the 2nd round boating pool, bear left and go out the gate, turn left and then sharp right uphill into Love Lane. On the right, behind the high walls, are probably the most protected allotments in Penzance!
Follow Love Lane taking note of Love Lane cottage.
After Love Lane Cottage turn right and left and follow the lane until you pop out onto Alverton Road next to the Pirate Inn. The Pirate Inn also has strange markings on the outside.
Walk past the Pirate keeping on the right pavement, opposite Ivy Lane, cross over Alverton Road and you will see one of Penzance’s boundary stones embedded in the wall. This one is a replacement for the original 1687 one – it was placed there in 1865.
Follow the raised footpath called Greenbank towards the town centre until you reach the roundabout at the top of Alexandra road and walk down the steps to cross into Alexandra road.
Follow Alexandra road on the left hand side until you reach Trewithen Road. Turn left up Trewithen Road, keeping right until you reach the gates of Penlee Park. To the left of the gates is a narrow lane, take this lane which leads to an original Penzance well on the left. Continue up the lane until you reach another lane and then up 2- 3 steps on the left.
Take this lane slightly upwards until you reach Alverton Road again. Cross over the road and turn right.
Continue on the pavement until a small road with a post appears on the left. Turn up here into Stanford Terrace.
Walk up Stanford Terrace and you will pass on the left, two terrace streets called Alverne Buildings, but known in Penzance as “Forty Town” because there are forty houses.
At the top, turn left into Penalverne Ave.
Walk up Penalverne Avenue keeping on the left-hand pavement. Between numbers 4 and 5 Penalverne Avenue is a small back lane. This looks like a service lane for the houses but turn left into it, turn right then left into a small wood. As you enter on your right is the head of a lady in copper lying on her side.
Follow the slightly muddy path through the trees to arrive at a path and turn right uphill. Follow this passing Penzance Hockey pitch and fire station on the left.
At the end turn right into St Clare Street and follow the road past Chy an Mor Post office to the top of Causeway Head.
Cross the road junction and continue into Causewayhead shopping area. Walk down Causewayhead taking special notice of the Savoy cinema, until you reach the Market House (Lloyds Bank). Keep to the left of the Market House and look up to see another John the Baptist head on the building.
This leads you back to your start.