(^80) Cornwall Life: August 2019
NATIONAL MARITIME
MUSEUM CORNWALL
For centuries, Falmouth’s deep,
natural harbour secured its
place on global trade routes with
cargoes arriving at their first port
of call in England and was the
home port of the famous Packet
Ships which carried mail around
the British Empire and beyond.
This seafaring past makes
Falmouth the perfect location
for the Cornish outpost of the
National Maritime Museum.
There’s plenty of history and
adventure to keep the grown-ups
happy with more than 100 boats
on permanent display alongside
artefacts collected over 150
years by the Royal Cornwall
Polytechnic Society. It is home
to the National Small Boat
Collection – all craft less than
30ft long.
Younger visitors can head for
the Awesome Adventurers Play
Zone to dress up and join HMS
Adventure, explore a deserted
island with an underground cave
and waterfall. There are sessions
throughout August for little ones
to learn how to become pirates.
And head up for the Look Out and
down for a chance to see below
the waves.
The Titanic Stories exhibition,
which had been due to close
in January this year has been
extended to 2020. It includes rare
objects and artefacts which have
never been seen before alongside
personal stories of victims and
survivors, including those
from Cornwall.
nmmc.co.uk
TATE ST IVE S
St Ives has provided a haven for
artists for centuries, attracted
by the special quality of the light
produced by the combination
of sea, sky and sun. Since
Victorian times the town has
been associated with generations
of artists including Barbara
Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Patrick
Heron and Mark Rothko.
Tate began an association with
St Ives in 1980 when it took on
the Barbara Hepworth Museum
and Sculpture Garden and a
permanent gallery soon followed
on the site of a former gasworks
overlooking Porthmeor Beach.
It opened in 1993 and
welcomes around 240,000
visitors a year. In 2017 the
gallery doubled the size of
its exhibition space.
This summer Tate Create
sessions will encourage young
visitors to make colourful and
crazy costumes. The concept
is inspired by the exhibition
of work by Lebanese
artist Huguette Caland.
FOR FOODIES
Colwith Farm Distillery
Learn how to make your own gin
at Cornwall’s first plough to bottle
distillery. The distillery opened a
year ago to produce Stafford’s Dry
Gin from their award-winning Aval
Dor Vodka, made with their own
potatoes. The gin features seven
Cornish botanicals and joins other
spirits with a local flavour –including
a limited edition Aval Dor Rose and
Hibiscus Vodka.
colwithfarmdistillery.co.uk.
Camel Valley Wine
Former RAF pilot Bob Lindo
turned his passion for wine from
a hobby into a thriving business
when he created his vineyard at
Nanstallon near Bodmin in 1989.
Camel Valley are now recognised
as makers of good English wine and
champions of a Champagne method
sparkling wine which beat the more
established winemakers of France
and Italy. The Camel Valley Sparkling
Rosé has been named the best in
the world three times. Throughout
August there are Grand Tours and
Tastings and the shop is open for
wine sales and you can enjoy a glass
on the terrace overlooking the vines.
camelvalley.com
Healeys Cyder Farm
Children will love the farm animals
and tractor rides and grown-ups
can learn all about the production
of Cornish cyder. There are acres of
beautiful orchards, the first distillery
to be built in Cornwall in 300 years
and new production facilities to
explore. Entry to the farm is free, but
it’s worth paying for a guided tour of
the orchards, the Cyder Museum, the
jam and cyder-making facilities and
enjoy sampling some of the produce.
The farm shop has lots of local food
and drink and there’s a restaurant
serving up cream teas. You can also
press your own apples, for a small
donation to charity.
healeyscyder.co.uk
ABOVE LEFT:
Learn how to
make your own
gin at the new
distillery at
Colwith Farm
ABOVE RIGHT:
The wonderful
Tate St Ives
overlooks the
seafront at St Ives
Picture: Hufton and Crow
‘St Ives has
provided a
haven for
artists for
centuries,
attracted
by the
special
quality of
the light
produced
by the
combination
of sea, sky
and sun’
barry
(Barry)
#1