Places to visit Cornish Riviera

Fowey with it’s natural sheltered harbour has been an important port since Roman times and dates back to the Iron Age. The Fowey Museum, set in an historic part of the town, is well worth a visit for anyone interested in history and archaeology. The local history includes attacks by the Spanish in the 14^th century and by the French in the 15^th century and there are important 14^th century defensive ‘Blockhouses’ at the entrance to the harbour structures between which hung a chain that prevented attacking ships entering the harbour. The museum presents visitors with an array of important artefacts which bring alive the Town’s seafaring history and tell of the visits by Cook, Drake, Raleigh and Frobisher, all important figures in the naval history of England. The museum is open from Easter until mid-October during Monday to Friday from 10.30am to 5.00pm. For more details visit: http://www.museumsincornwall.org.uk/museums/fowey-museum

The Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing is located right by the side of Polperro Harbour, housed in a building that was once a Pilchard Factory, one of three that existed in Polperro for the processing and barrelling of pilchards for export. The museum, which is open every day between March and October has a remarkable array of exhibits depicting life from the 18^th & 19^th centuries when smuggling and pilchard fishing thrived in Polperro, itself a Conservation village oozing with history.

In 2002, Truro gained a new theatre, the Helford Theatre, a brand new 300-seated venue situated on the Truro College site. The theatre has its own resident theatre company, ‘Stage Company Trucco’,  made up of final year students on the BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts course. The Box Office can be reached by calling 01872 262466 and the website shows current and future productions.

Hall for Cornwall was built in 1846 to house the Town Hall, magistrates and stannary courts, police offices (and cells) and the fire brigade. In 1991 the Hall, which was in a state of advanced decay, was leased to a group to create a professional theatre. The redevelopment of the Hall was completed in 1997 and today Hall for Cornwall in Truro attracts around 150,000 theatre-goers each year.  Rambert Dance Company and The Royal Shakespeare Company are amongst those companies that have graced the stage of the Hall for Cornwall and 2006 appearances include The Zutons and The English Touring Opera. Tickets can be purchased by calling 01872 262466 between 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.

The World of Model Railways in Mevagissey is a great place to visit. There are a number of model railway exhibitions and an excellent model shop. The main exhibition has over thirty 00 gauge trains which travel through a wide range of landscapes and the childrens' 'Junior Junction' exhibition has Thomas The Tank engine and friends! The Garden Railway (indoors !)gives you a chance to operate the trains yourself and to dream about transforming your garden into a large scale model railway. For full details of opening times throughout the year, visit their website by clicking the link provided.