Penzance
Cornish: Pensans
Arms granted to the municipal borough of Penzance in 1934
Penzance shown within Cornwall
Population	20,255 (2001)[1]
OS grid reference	SW462269
District	Penwith
Shire county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PENZANCE
Postcode district	TR18
Dialling code	01736
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western
European Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	St Ives
Website: http://www.penzance-town-council.org.uk
List of places: UK • England • Cornwall

Coordinates: 50°07′08″N 5°32′13″W / 50.119, -5.537

Penzance (Cornish: Pensans, also Penzans, IPA: /pɛnˈzæns/) is a town, civil parish, and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, UK. For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. Municipal boroughs were a type of Local government which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974 in Northern Ireland from 1840 to Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Geography The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on Granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Truro postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Camborne, Falmouth, Hayle, Helston, Isles The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Devon and Cornwall Constabulary is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the counties of Devon and Cornwall in The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Cornwall County Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service covering Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Divisions & Stations The trust is split into 2 divisions West - Devon and Cornwall including West Divisional HQ 999 and PTS Control at South West England is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election St Ives is a County constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of all the Towns and Villages of Cornwall, United Kingdom. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Geography The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on Granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Granted various Royal Charters from 1512 onwards and incorporated in 1614,^[2] it has a population of 20,255^[1] people and is currently Penwith's principal town. A Royal Charter is a Charter granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Privy council to legitimize an incorporated body such as a city company A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to cities, counties, Towns Geography The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on Granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches

Situated in the shelter of Mount's Bay, the town faces south-east onto the English Channel, is bordered to the west by the fishing port of Newlyn and to the east by the civil parish of Ludgvan. This page is on the geographical feature For other meanings see Mount's Bay (disambiguation. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Newlyn (Lulynn is a town in southwest Cornwall, England, UK. The town forms a small Conurbation with neighbouring Penzance, History Like many communities in Cornwall the legendary origins of Ludgvan are attributed to the arrival of its patron saint in this case Saint Ludgvan (or Saint The town's location gives it a temperate climate that makes it warmer than most of the rest of Britain. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Bronze and Iron Ages 2.2 Middle Ages 2.3 Tudor and Stuart period 2.3.1 Plague 2.3.2 Spanish raids 2.3.3 Penzance as a town since 1614 2.4 19th century 2.5 20th century 3 Transport 4 Politics and government 5 Economy 5.1 Mining 6 Cityscape 7 Geography 8 Education 9 Culture 9.1 Festivals 9.2 Music and theatre 9.3 Art galleries 9.4 Religion 9.5 Sport 9.6 Media 10 Notable residents past and present 10.1 Sir Humphry Davy 11 Twinning 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

Etymology

Penzance (Pensans), or "holy headland" in the Cornish language, is a reference to the location of the chapel of St. Anthony that stood over a thousand years ago on the headland to the west of what became Penzance Harbour. Saint Anthony the Great (c 251–356 also known as Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Until the 1930s this history was also reflected in the choice of symbol for the town, the severed 'holy head' of St. John the Baptist. The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram. It can still be seen on the civic regalia of the Mayor of Penzance and on several important landmarks in the town. Regalia is Latin Plurale tantum for the privileges and the insignia characteristic of a Sovereign. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Originally a landmark literally meant a Geographic Feature used by explorers and The only remaining object from this chapel is a carved figure which is now largely eroded known as 'St. Raffidy' which can be found in the churchyard of the parish church of Penzance, St. Mary's near the original site of the chapel.

History

Bronze and Iron Ages

Evidence of Iron Age settlement can be found in Penzance in a number of sites including Lescudjack Castle, an Iron Age settlement within the current Penzance parish boundaries. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. Lescudjack Hill fort is the name given to the unexcavated Iron Age settlement located in Penzance, Cornwall.

Middle Ages

Evidence of historical settlement from this period can be found in the St Clare area of the town, where a chapel not unlike St Anthony's existed dedicated to St. Clare or Cleer. Throughout the period prior to Penzance gaining borough status in 1614 the village and surrounding areas fell within the control of the Manor of Alverton and was subject to the taxation regime of that manor. The Manor of Alverton was a former manorial estate located in Penwith, Cornwall, UK.

Although the first historical mention of Penzance (as a place for landing fish) was in 1322 in local manorial records,^[3] the town was, until the 17th century, overshadowed by its near-neighbour Marazion. History of Marazion Marazion is one of the towns claiming to be Britain's oldest town. (Marazion was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1088 and is the oldest chartered town in Britain, having been granted this status by King Henry III in 1257. The Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey Henry III (1 October 1207 &ndash 16 November 1272 was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 ) In medieval times and later, Penzance was subject to frequent raiding by Turkish pirates. The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language ^[4] The name of one of Penzance's oldest buildings 'The Turk's Head' pub is said to be a reference to these incidents. There is however, no written evidence to this effect.

Tudor and Stuart period

Plague

In the summer of 1578 Penzance was visited by the plague. Bubonic plague is the best-known manifestation of the bacterial disease plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis (formerly known as The burial registers of Madron (where all Penzance births, deaths and marriages were recorded) shows a massive increase in deaths for 1578, from 12 the previous year to 155. This is estimated to be about 10% of the population of the village at the time. The plague also returned in 1647 and the registers again show an increase of from 22 burials to 217 in one year. ^[5]

Spanish raids

Being at the far west of England, Penzance and the surrounding villages have been sacked many times by foreign fleets. On July 23rd 1595,^[6] several years after the Spanish Armada of 1588, a Spanish force under Don Carlos de Amesquita, which had been patrolling the Channel, landed troops in Cornwall. The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible Carlos de Amésquita (also Carlos de Amézola) was a Spanish naval officer from 16th century Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Amesquita's force seized supplies, raided and burned Penzance and surrounding villages, held a mass, and sailed away before it could be confronted. A detailed description of the Spanish raid of 1595 can be found here.

Penzance as a town since 1614

The reason for Penzance's relative success probably stems from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries when Henry IV of England granted the town a Royal Market. Henry IV (3 April 1367 &ndash 20 March 1413 was King of England and Lord of Ireland (1399&ndash1413 ^[7] Henry VIII later granted the right to charge harbour dues,^[8] and King James I granted it the status of a borough. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James

During the English Civil War Penzance was sacked by the forces of Sir Thomas Fairfax apparently for the kindness shown to Lord Goring and Lord Hoptons troops during the conflict^[9]

Penzance borough council undertook several major projects, including the building of the Market House (which was the home of the Corn Exchange and the then Guildhall), and the harbour, the first pier of which was built in 1512. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Thomas Fairfax 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 1612 &ndash 12 November 1671 was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. George Goring 1st Earl of Norwich ( 28 April, 1585 &ndash 6 January, 1663) was an English soldier Ralph Hopton 1st Baron Hopton (1598 &ndash September 1652 was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. ^[10] The southern arm of the pier was built in 1766 and extended in 1785. ^[11]

Civil improvements in this period included the construction in 1759 of a reservoir which supplied water to public pumps in the streets. ^[12]

Penzance has a long-standing association with the local parish of Madron. History Evidence of early medieval habitation at Madron is in the form of one or two inscribed stones Madron Church was in fact the centre of most religious activity in the town until 1871,^[13] when St. Mary's Church (prior to this period a Chapel of ease) was granted parish status by church authorities. A chapel of ease (sometimes 'chapel-of-ease' is a church building other than the main church (the Parish church) of a Parish.

In 1755 the Lisbon earthquake caused a tsunami to strike the Cornish coast over 1,000 miles away. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, took place on November 1 1755 at around 940 in the morning A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The sea rose eight feet in ten minutes at Penzance, ebbed at the same rate, and continued to rise and fall for 5 hours. ^[14]

19th century

At the start of the 19th century (1801), the town had a population of 2,248. The census, which is taken every ten years, recorded a peak population in 1861 of 3,843, but it then declined, as in most of Cornwall, through the remainder of the century, being just 3,088 in 1901. ^[15]

By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, Penzance had established itself as an important regional centre. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall was founded in the town in 1814^[16] and about 1817 was responsible for introducing a miner's safety tamping bar, which attracted the Prince Regent to become its patron. The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall is a geological society based in Cornwall in the United Kingdom.

The pier had been extended again in 1812 and John Matthews opened a small dry dock in 1814, the first in the South West. In 1840 Nicholas Holman of St Just opened a branch of his foundry business on the quayside. Mining The ancient settlement has a strong Mining history and was during the 19th Century one of the most important mining districts in Cornwall both for Copper and ^[17] These facilities proved valuable in supporting the steamships that were soon calling at the harbour in increasing numbers.

Gas lighting was introduced in 1830 and the old Market House was demolished in 1836. Its replacement, designed by W. Harris of Bristol, was completed at the top of Market Jew Street in 1838. St Mary's Church, another prominent feature of the Penzance skyline, was completed in 1836, while a Roman Catholic church was built in 1843. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Another familiar building from this period is the eccentric Egyptian House in Chapel Street, built in 1830. The first part of the Promenade along the sea front dates from 1844.

After the passing of the Public Health Act (1848), Penzance was one of the first towns to petition to form a local board of health, doing so in September that year. "Board of Health" redirects here This page describes the defunct bodies in England and Wales which used that name not any modern ones "Board of Health" redirects here This page describes the defunct bodies in England and Wales which used that name not any modern ones Following a report by a government inspector in February, the Board was established in 1849 which led to many facilities to enhance public health. The report^[18] shows that most streets were Macadamised or sometimes paved, and the town was lit by 121 gas lamps from October to March each year, although they were not lit when there was a full moon. Macadam is a type of Road construction pioneered by the Scotsman John Loudon McAdam in around 1820 Water was supplied from 6 public pumps, and there were a further 53 private wells. There were no sewage pipes at the time, waste being collected from the main streets by a refuse cart.

Penzance railway station, the terminus of the West Cornwall Railway, opened on 11 March 1852^[19] on the eastern side of the harbour, although trains only ran to Redruth at first. Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. The West Cornwall Railway is a former railway company in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Redruth (Rysrudh is a town and Civil parish in the district of Kerrier (traditionally in Penwith Hundred) Cornwall, England From 25 August 1852 the line was extended to Truro, but the Cornwall Railway linking that place with Plymouth was not opened until 4 May 1859. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Truro (ˈtruːrəʊ Truru is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration leisure The Cornwall Railway was a Broad gauge (7 feet 025 inch railway from Plymouth in Devon to Falmouth in Cornwall, United Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Passengers and goods had to change trains at Truro as the West Cornwall had been built using the 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge, but the Cornwall Railway was built to the 7 ft 0¼ in (2,140 mm) broad gauge. The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. Broad gauge Railways use a Rail gauge (distance between the rails greater than the Standard gauge of. The West Cornwall Railway Act included a clause that it would be converted to broad gauge once it had been connected to another broad gauge line, but the company could not raise the funds to do so. An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament.

The line was sold to the Great Western Railway and its "Associated Companies" (the Bristol and Exeter Railway and South Devon Railway) on 1 January 1866. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West The Bristol & Exeter Railway was a railway company formed to connect Bristol and Exeter. The South Devon Railway Company built and operated the Railway from Exeter to Plymouth and Torquay in Devon, England New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The new owners quickly converted the line to mixed gauge using three rails so that both broad and "narrow" trains could operate. Dual-gauge or mixed-gauge Railway is a special configuration of railway track, allowing trains of different gauges to use the same track Broad gauge goods trains started running in November that year, with through passenger trains running to London from 1 March 1867. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting ^[20] The last broad gauge train arrived at 8. 49pm on 20 May 1892, having left London Paddington station at 10. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station 15 that morning. The two locomotives, numbers 1256 and 3557, took the carriages away to Swindon railway works at 9. The 1076 Class were 266 double-framed 0-6-0 tank locomotives built by the Great Western Railway between 1870 and 1881 the last one was withdrawn in 1946 The 3521 Class were forty tank locomotives designed by William Dean to haul passenger trains on the Great Western Railway. Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway in 1841 in Swindon in the English county of Wiltshire. 57, and all trains since have been standard gauge. ^[21]

The ability of the railway to carry fresh produce to distant markets such as Bristol, London and Manchester enabled local farmers and fishermen to sell more produce and at better prices. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The special "perishable" train soon became a feature of the railway, these being fast extra goods trains carrying potatoes, broccoli or fish depending on the season. The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae In August 1861 1,787 tons of potatoes, 867 tons of broccoli, and 1,063 tons of fish were dispatched from the station. ^[22] Fruit and flowers were also carried, the mild climate around Penzance and on the Scilly Isles meant that they were ready for market earlier and could command high prices.

The completion of the railway through Cornwall made it easier for tourists and invalids to enjoy the mild climate of Penzance. Bathing machines had been advertised for hire on the beach as early as 1823,^[23] and the town was already "noted for the pleasantness of its situation, the salubrity of its air, and the beauty of its natives". ^[24] The town's first official guide book was published in 1860 and the Queen's Hotel opened on the sea front the following year. It was so successful that it was extended in 1871 and 1908.

At the same time as the railway was being built more improvements were being made to the harbour, with a second pier on the eastern side of the harbour, the Albert Pier, completed in 1853 to provide even better shelter for shipping,^[25] and a lighthouse built on the Old Pier in 1855. A lighthouse is a Tower, building or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or in older times from a fire and used as an The Scilly Isles Steam Navigation Company was founded in 1858 and placed in service the first steam ship on the route, SS Little Western. In 1870 the new West Cornwall Steam Ship Company joined the route, taking over the Scilly Isles Company the following year. The West Cornwall Steam Ship Company was established in 1870 to operate ferry services between Penzance, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly. ^[26]

Penzance, with its dry dock and engineering facilities, was chosen as the western depot for Trinity House that serviced all the lighthouses and lightships from Start Point to Trevose Head. The Corporation of Trinity House is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England Wales and other British Territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland A lightvessel, or lightship, is a Ship which acts as a Lighthouse. It was opened in 1866 adjacent to the harbour and the Buoy Store became the Trinity House National Lighthouse Museum until 2005 when Trinity House closed the museum.

In 1875 a local newspaper described the railway station as a large dog's house of the nastiest and draughtiest kind^[22] but a series of works improved this part of the town during the 1880s. The original station was rebuilt with the present buildings and train shed over the platforms (1880). For other uses see engine shed and Goods shed A train shed is an adjacent building to a Railway station where the tracks The lower end of Market Jew Street was widened and a new road was built to link the station with the harbour over the Ross Swing Bridge (1881), allowing the construction of proper sewers beneath. A swing bridge is a Movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring at or near to its center about which the turning A larger dry dock replaced Matthews' original facility (1880), and a floating harbour was made (1884) with lock gates to keep in the water at low tide. A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal Waterways.

Around the headland, public baths were opened on the Promenade in 1887 and the Morrab Gardens with its sub-tropical plants was opened two years later. A bandstand was added to the gardens in 1897. ^[22]

20th century

In 1901 the town had a population of 3,088 The census taken every ten years recorded a continuing decline in population until 1921, when just 2,616 people were recorded, after which it climbed rapidly to 4,888 (1931) then 5,545 (1951) - the population had more than doubled in twenty years and was now larger than at any time in the past. ^[27] (The census boundaries changed in 1981 so these figures do not directly compare with those stated for the current population)

A proposed electric tramway along the Promenade to Newlyn, which would then have continued as a light railway to St Just, failed to gain authorisation in 1898, instead motor buses were put into service on 31 October 1903. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Newlyn (Lulynn is a town in southwest Cornwall, England, UK. The town forms a small Conurbation with neighbouring Penzance, Light railway refers to a Railway built at lower costs and to lower standards than typical "heavy rail" Mining The ancient settlement has a strong Mining history and was during the 19th Century one of the most important mining districts in Cornwall both for Copper and The Great Western Railway road motor services operated from 1903 to 1933 both as a feeder to their train services and as a cheaper alternative to building new railways in rural areas Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting ^[28] These linked Penzance with Marazion and were operated by the Great Western Railway, being introduced only 11 weeks after the railway's pioneering service between Helston and The Lizard. History of Marazion Marazion is one of the towns claiming to be Britain's oldest town. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Helston (Hellys or Henlys is a small Town and Civil parish in the Kerrier district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom The Lizard is a Peninsula of Cornwall, and contains the most southerly point of mainland Cornwall and of the island Great Britain, Lizard They were considered a success, carrying 16,091 passengers by the end of the year, so were followed the next spring by further routes to Land's End and St Just. Land's End ( Cornish name Penn an Wlas) is a headland on the Penwith Peninsula, located near Penzance in Cornwall These services developed into the First Devon and Cornwall bus network that stills serves the area and is still centred on a terminus alongside Penzance railway station. Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK.

The dry dock was sold on 25 August 1904 to N. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Holman and Sons Limited, the engineering business that had been trading in Penzance since 1840. New workshops were built during the 1930s and the facility continued to provide facilities for the Scilly ferries and other merchant ships, as well as Trinity House, the Royal Navy and Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Organisation The RMAS merged with the former Port Auxiliary Service in 1976 to form a component of the Naval Service that is known as Marine Services In 1951 a new vessel for the King Harry Ferry on the River Fal was launched, built on the keel of an old landing craft. The King Harry Ferry is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the Carrick Roads reach of the estuary of the River Fal in the United Kingdom county The River Fal flows through Cornwall, United Kingdom, rising on the Goss Moor (between St Landing craft are Boats and seagoing vehicles used to convey a Landing force ( Infantry and Vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an In 1963 they even built a steam tug, the Primrose. ^[29]

Land was reclaimed beside the Albert Pier in the 1930s to allow the railway station to be further enlarged at a cost of £134,000. ^[22] The 1880 building was retained but extra platforms and sidings were provided to enable it to handle more perishable goods, and also the increasing numbers of tourists travelling to the area.

In 1905 a new bandstand had been built on the Promenade opposite the Queen's Hotel, and the Pavilion Theatre opened nearby in 1911, complete with a roof garden and cafe. ^[30] Travel to Penzance was easier than ever, with the Great Western Railway introducing the Cornish Riviera Express on 1 July 1904, which left London Paddington at 10:10 and arrived in Penzance just 7 hours later, two hours faster than the previous quickest service. The Cornish Riviera Express is an express passenger train that has run between London and Penzance, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom since 1904 "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station ^[31] (In 2007 it leaves Paddington at 10:05 and takes 5 hours and 5 minutes. ) The railway actively promoted local tourism with the production of postcards that were sold at its stations, and the annual publication of a guide book, The Cornish Riviera, in which SPB Mais described it as "a suburb of Covent Garden, and a great fishing centre . The Cornish Riviera Express is an express passenger train that has run between London and Penzance, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom since 1904 Stuart Petre Brodie Mais (1885 - 1975 was a prolific British author journalist and broadcaster . . there is always something going on in its harbour". ^[32]

1923 had seen a new road link the harbour area and the Promenade, and in 1933 the St. Anthony Gardens were built, followed two years later by the Jubilee Bathing Pool opposite. Tourists could now make full use of the whole seafront between Penzance and Newlyn harbours.

Transport

Penzance is located approximately 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the end of the A30 road and 286 miles (460 km) or 5 hours^[33] by car from London. The A30 is an old Trunk road (main road which runs from central London to Land's End, the westernmost point of the mainland of southern Great Britain ( though London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Penzance railway station is situated at the bottom of Market Jew Street and close to the harbour. Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. It is the western terminus of the Cornish Main Line which runs above the beach to Marazion, affording passengers good views of St. The Cornish Main Line is a Railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct Michael's Mount and Mount's Bay. Most services^[34] are operated by First Great Western, both local services to St Erth, St Ives, Hayle, Camborne, Redruth, and Truro, and direct trains linking Penzance with Plymouth, Exeter St Davids, Bristol Temple Meads, Reading and London Paddington. First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates St Erth railway station serves the village of St Erth, Cornwall, UK. St Ives railway station serves the busy coastal town of St Ives Cornwall. Hayle Station serves the town of Hayle, Cornwall, UK. The station is operated by First Great Western and is north east of Penzance Camborne railway station serves the town of Camborne, Cornwall, United Kingdom. Redruth Station serves the town of Redruth, Cornwall, United Kingdom. Truro Station serves the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. It is the situated on the Cornish Main Line and is the junction for the Maritime Plymouth railway station serves the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station The Night Riviera train offers an overnight sleeping car service to and from Reading and London. Service The service is usually hauled by one of four dedicated Class 57 locomotives The sleeping car or sleeper is a railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another primarily for the purpose of making Journey time to Plymouth is typically under 2 hours; to Bristol around 4 hours, and London less than 5½ hours.

CrossCountry run a small number of services (departing in the morning, returning in the evening) via Bristol and Birmingham New Street to Glasgow Central via Preston and Carlisle, also to Dundee via Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley. CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise Birmingham New Street is a major railway station located in the centre of the city of Birmingham, England. Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line Railway terminals in Glasgow, Scotland, and is managed by Network Rail. Preston railway station serves the city of Preston in Lancashire, England and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line. This article is about the English railway station for the Australian station see Carlisle railway station Perth Carlisle railway station Dundee Railway station serves the city of Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. Leeds railway station (often known by its official name Leeds City) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, This article is about a railway station in England For the similarly named subway station in Brooklyn, New York City, see York Street (IND Sixth Avenue Newcastle Central railway station is the mainline railway station in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Edinburgh Waverley railway station, commonly referred to as just " Waverley " locally is the main Railway station in the Scottish capital The journey time to Birmingham is just under 5½ hours, and nearly 10 hours to Glasgow.

The bus and coach station is adjacent to the railway station from where National Express operates coach services to London Victoria (taking around 9 hours) via Heathrow Airport. National Express Group plc ( is a UK -based Transport group with headquarters in London that operates Bus, coach, rail London Victoria is a major London Underground, National Rail and Coach station in the City of Westminster. Local bus services run by First Devon and Cornwall connect Penzance with most major settlements in Cornwall, including Truro, St. Ives, St Just, St Buryan, Land's End, and also Plymouth in Devon. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Truro (ˈtruːrəʊ Truru is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration leisure St Ives (Porth Ia is a seaside town, Civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom Mining The ancient settlement has a strong Mining history and was during the 19th Century one of the most important mining districts in Cornwall both for Copper and St Buryan ( Cornish: Eglosborrie) is a village and Civil parish in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. Land's End ( Cornish name Penn an Wlas) is a headland on the Penwith Peninsula, located near Penzance in Cornwall Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name

A ferry service is operated between Penzance Harbour and the Isles of Scilly by The Scillonian III, carrying both foot-passengers and cargo. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Scillonian III is a passenger ship based at Penzance in Cornwall, England United Kingdom run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company. Sailing time is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. Alternatively, a passenger helicopter service operates from Penzance Heliport to the Isles of Scilly^[35] run by British International Helicopters. History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys. Penzance Heliport is located 06 Nautical miles (11 km northeast of Penzance, Cornwall, England, UK. British International Helicopters (Veritair Limited is an Airline based at Penzance heliport in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom Flying time is approximately 20 minutes. A bus service run by the Skybus Airline Service connects with Land's End Airport for fixed wing flights (15 minutes) to the Isles of Scilly. Land's End Airport, situated in St Just, Cornwall, is the most south westerly airport of mainland Britain. This service operates from the railway station, near the taxi rank, rather than the bus station. A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride

Newquay Airport^[36] is 41 miles (66 km) away and offers flights to Gatwick, Stansted Dublin and Cork airports. Newquay Cornwall Airport is the main commercial Airport for Cornwall, South West England, 4 miles northeast of Newquay on Cornwall's north coast Gatwick Airport is London 's second largest Airport and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. London Stansted Airport is a passenger Airport located in the Uttlesford District of the English County of Essex about 38 miles (61 Plymouth Airport^[37] is 77 miles (124 km) away has services to Gatwick, Bristol, Dublin and Manchester airports. Plymouth City Airport is an Airport in Plymouth, Devon, in England. Bristol International Airport is the commercial Airport serving the city of Bristol, England and the surrounding area Manchester Airport is a major Airport in the vicinity of Manchester, England, and the largest airport in the United Kingdom outside the

Politics and government

Until 1934 the Borough of Penzance referred only to the town, but has since been extended to include the nearby settlements of Newlyn, Mousehole, Gulval and Heamoor. A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people A seal can mean a wax seal bearing an impressed figure or an embossed figure in paper with the purpose of authenticating a document but the term can also mean any device for A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice Newlyn (Lulynn is a town in southwest Cornwall, England, UK. The town forms a small Conurbation with neighbouring Penzance, See Mousehole (drilling for the Drilling term Mousehole (ˈmaʊzəl to rhyme with "cows'll" Porthynys ( is a village Gulval is a village in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. Heamoor (formerly Hea is a Village in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The Civil Parish of Penzance was further extended in 2004 under District of Penwith (Electoral Changes) Order 2002^[38] to include Eastern Green, formerly part of the Ludgvan civil parish area. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. History Like many communities in Cornwall the legendary origins of Ludgvan are attributed to the arrival of its patron saint in this case Saint Ludgvan (or Saint

In 1974 the Penzance Borough was abolished and replaced, first by the Penzance Charter Trustees and then from 1980 by Penzance Town Council. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. In England and Wales, Charter Trustees are set up to maintain the continuity of a Town charter or City charter after a district with the status Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or Parishes A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch The principal local authorities in the area are now Penwith District Council and Cornwall County Council. Geography The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on Granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar For the purposes of election to the Cornwall County Council, Penzance returns 3 councillors to the Penzance Electoral Division.

Penzance Town Council does not have in place a system of political registration so councillors do not form groups of any kind and technically act independently, however the current political composition of the council (as of 3 May 2007) is as follows: independent 10, Liberal Democrats 7, Mebyon Kernow 3. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal Political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by merging the Mebyon Kernow ( Cornish for "Sons of Cornwall" often abbreviated MK) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Nine won by election and 11 were elected unopposed.

Penzance also elects a mayor every year in May from the members of Penzance town council. office of Mayor of Penzance was established under Penzance Charter of incorporation of 1614 granted by James I. Although mayors have a political affiliation, this position is largely ceremonial.

The current mayor-elect is Roy Mann an Independent and the deputy mayor-elect is Richard Clark, of Mebyon Kernow

Economy

The economy of Penzance has, like many Cornish communities, suffered from the decline of the traditional Cornish industries of fishing, mining and agriculture. Mebyon Kernow ( Cornish for "Sons of Cornwall" often abbreviated MK) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Penzance now has a mixed economy consisting of light industrial, tourism and retail businesses. However, like the rest of Cornwall, housing remains comparatively expensive, wages low and unemployment high within the parish area. Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar House prices have risen 274% in 10 years the fastest rise in the UK. ^[39] The fishing port of Newlyn, which falls within the parish boundaries, provides some employment in the area, but has also been greatly affected by the decline in the fishing industry over the last 30 years. Newlyn (Lulynn is a town in southwest Cornwall, England, UK. The town forms a small Conurbation with neighbouring Penzance, In the 2004 index of deprivation Penzance is listed as having 3 wards within the top 10% percent for employment deprivation, Penzance East (125th most deprived in England) Penzance West (200th most deprived in England), Penzance Central (712th most deprived in England)^[40] 18-31% of households in the parish being described as "poor households". ^[41] The Penzance East Ward also has one the highest unemployment rates in Cornwall stated as 15. 4%. ^[41]

Mining

Following Sir Humphry Davy’s contribution to the mining industry, The Miners' Association began mining classes in Penzance. Sir Humphry Davy 1st Baronet FRS MRIA (17 December 1778 &ndash 29 May 1829 was a British Chemist and inventor The Miners Association was founded in 1858 by Robert Hunt FRS, and the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body As mining in the area became more complex the Penzance Mining and Science School was founded in 1890. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The school continued to teach mining until 1910 when it was amalgamated with Camborne and Redruth Mining School forming the School of Metalliferous Mining in Camborne, which is now known as the Camborne School of Mines. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The School of Metalliferous Mining was formed in 1910 by the amalgamation of all the mining schools in Cornwall, England The Camborne School of Mines (in Cornish Scoll Balow Cambron) commonly abbreviated to CSM, is a specialist department of the University of Exeter This institution has now moved to the Combined Universities in Cornwall campus at Tremough, Falmouth. The Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC is a project to provide Higher education in Cornwall, one of the few counties in the United Kingdom Tremough Campus is a University Campus situated in Penryn, Cornwall. Falmouth (Aberfal is a town Civil parish and Port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, UK. Penzance from 1663^[42] was a coinage town, responsible for the collection of tin taxation on behalf of the Duchy of Cornwall it held this status for 176 years. The word stannary is historically applied to A Tin mine, especially in Devon or Cornwall A region containing tin works The Duchy of Cornwall is with the Duchy of Lancaster, one of the two Royal duchies in England. ^[43] According to William Pryce in his 1778 book Mineralogia Cornubiensis Penzance coined more tin than the towns of Liskeard, Lostwithiel, and Helston put together. Liskeard ( IPA /lɪˈskɑd/ — correctly stressed on the second syllable but often wrongly on the first (Lys Kerwyd or Lyskerrys is an ancient stannary and Lostwithiel (Lostwydhyel is a Civil parish and small Town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the Estuary Helston (Hellys or Henlys is a small Town and Civil parish in the Kerrier district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom Penzance also had its own sub-marine mine situated off the coast of the town next to the area known as Wherrytown. Wherrytown is a settlement in Cornwall, UK situated between Penzance and Newlyn. The mine known as 'Wheal' Wherry was worked from the period 1778 to 1798 and again from 1836 to 1840. ^[44] Founded by "a poor 57 year old miner" named Thomas Curtis, the mine was said to be "very rich at depth" and was connected to the shore by a wooden bridge; the ore being transported by Wherry boat. A wherry (meaning "boat" is type of Boat that was traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers on Rivers and Canals in England The mine suffered considerable damage in 1798 when an American ship broke anchor off nearby Newlyn and smashed into the bridge and head gear. Newlyn (Lulynn is a town in southwest Cornwall, England, UK. The town forms a small Conurbation with neighbouring Penzance, Later attempts at mining were not as profitable. ^[45] During the 19th century and until 1912, Penzance had the largest tin smelting house in Cornwall, operated by the Bolitho family. Chemical reduction, or smelting, is a form of Extractive metallurgy. The smelting works were situated at Chyandour. Chyandour is a small settlement within the boundaries of the parish of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. ^[46] As a consequence of this concentration of mining wealth Penzance also became a centre for commercial banking. The Bolitho Bank (now part of Barclays Bank)^[47] and the Penzance Bank were two of the largest, although the latter collapsed in 1896. Barclays PLC is a major global financial services provider operating in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Latin America, Australia

Cityscape

Large sections of the Penzance Parish are classified as conservation areas under the Penwith local plan^[48] and are subject to special planning laws. The current conservation area forms most of the core of the town of Penzance and the historic harbour areas of Newlyn and Mousehole. A conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded ^[49]. A number of Georgian and Regency buildings are present in the town. However, the majority of developments in the town centre itself are of mixed date, including several 20th century buildings - one of which, the former Pearl Assurance building (now the Tremenheere Wetherspoons pub), was subject to comment by Sir John Betjeman^[50] who wrote, in 1963:

“

Penzance has done much to destroy its attractive character. J D Wetherspoon plc (commonly referred to as Wetherspoons or Spoons) is a British Pub chain, founded by Tim Martin in 1979 Sir John Betjeman, CBE ( 28 August 1906 &ndash 19 May 1984 was an English poet writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who The older houses in the narrow centre round the market hall have been pulled down and third-rate commercial 'contemporary', of which the Pearl Assurance building is a nasty example, are turning it into Slough. Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England.

”

There are three large residential council estates in Penzance: Penalverne, Treneere (both built in the 1930s) and the Princess Royal estate at Alverton (built in the early 1950s). A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development Treneere is a residential Council estate on the outskirts of Penzance, Cornwall, built in the 1930's Much of the housing with this area is owned and operated by Penwith Housing Association. Penwith Housing Association is a Social housing provider based in Cornwall, UK. The sub-tropical Morrab Gardens, has a large collection of tender trees and shrubs, many of which cannot be grown outdoors anywhere else in the UK. The Morrab Gardens cover approximately three acres (12000 m² and are set in the centre of Penzance, Cornwall. Penzance Regency and Georgian terraces and houses are common in some parts of the town. The Regency style of Architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840 Penzance's former main street Chapel Street has a number of interesting features including the Egyptian House, The Union Hotel (including a Georgian theatre which is no longer in use) and The Branwell House, where the mother and aunt of the famous Brontë sisters once lived. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one The Brontë sisters (ˈbrɒnte Charlotte (21 April 1816 &ndash 31 March 1855 Emily (30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848 and Anne (17 January 1820

Also of interest is the seafront with its promenade and the open-air seawater Jubilee Bathing Pool (one of the oldest surviving Art Deco swimming baths in the country), built at the beginning of the 20th century during Penzance's heyday as a fashionable seaside resort. An esplanade is a long open level area usually next to a river or large body of water where people may walk A lido, in the United Kingdom, Portugal and some other countries refers to a public outdoor Swimming pool and surrounding facilities or part of a beach Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939 affecting the decorative arts such as Architecture, Interior design, and Industrial A seaside resort is a Resort located on the Coast. Where a Beach is the primary focus for Tourists it may be called a beach resort The pool was designed by Captain F. Latham, the Penzance Borough Engineer and opened in 1935, the year of King George V's Silver Jubilee. A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary ^[51] Penzance promenade itself has been destroyed in parts several times by storms. The most recent example was on the 7th of March 1962 (Ash Wednesday), when large parts of the western end of the promenade, the nearby Beford Bolitho Gardens (now a play park) and the village of Wherrytown suffered severe damage. ^[52]

Geography

Penlee Quarry which is within the boundaries of the Penzance parish is a geological SSSI. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom.

Education

Penzance is home to two state run comprehensive schools (Mount's Bay and Humphry Davy School) and one Church of England independent school (Bolitho School). A comprehensive school is a Secondary school and State school for children from the age of 11 to at least 16 that does not select children on the basis of academic Humphry Davy School is a comprehensive school in Penzance, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Bolitho School was founded in the early 1990s following the financial collapse of the former School of St. Clare. Post 16 education is catered for by Penwith College, founded in 1981 from the sixth form departments of the former Penzance Girls' Grammar School and the Humphry Davy Grammar School. A grammar school is one of several different types of School in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries ^[53] Throughout the Penzance parish there are 8 primary schools including the newly created Pensans Primary School which was formed in 2006 from the former Penzance Junior School and the Lescudjack Infants School. See also Primary education A primary school (from French école primaire) is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory A junior school is a type of School which caters for children often between the ages of 4 and 11 There is also a special educational needs school within the parish boundary named Nancealverne.

Culture

Festivals

Every June since 1991, the Golowan Festival (which includes Mazey Day) has been held in the town. The election of a Mock Mayor is British folk tradition found in a number of communities throughout the British Isles Golowan (sometimes also Goluan or Gol-Jowan is the Cornish language word for the Midsummer celebrations in Cornwall, UK Widepsread prior to Before the 1930s Penzance was the scene of large May Day celebrations, which saw local children making and using tin 'May horns' and 'May whistles'a small revival of these traditions will take place on May 4th 2008. The West Cornwall May Day celebrations are an example of folk practices found in the Western part of Cornwall, United Kingdom associated with the coming of spring The Feast Day of Corpus Christi was also celebrated in Penzance. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Corpus Christi ( Latin for Body of Christ) is a Christian feast. The Corpus Christi fair has been a long standing event in the town, and is currently undergoing attempts to revive it in a more traditional format.

Allantide, a Cornish version of Halloween, was also a popular activity in the town. Allantide ( Cornish Calan Gwaf or Nos Calan Gwaf is a Cornish festival that was traditionally celebrated on 31 October elsewhere known as Hallowe'en Many of these customs were recorded by local antiquarian M. A. Courtney and have influenced historical views of traditional Cornish cultural activities. Margaret Ann Courtney (born 1834 was an author resident in Penzance, Cornwall, UK in the late 19th century

Every December Penzance holds the Montol Festival a community arts event reviving many of the Cornish customs of Christmas including Guise dancing. The Montol Festival is an annual arts and community festival in Penzance, Cornwall held between the 14th and 22nd of December each year Guise dancing (sometimes known as goose or geese dancing is a folk practice celebrated between Christmas Day and Twelfth Night (traditionally also Plough Monday

Music and theatre

Penzance is the home of the pirates in Gilbert and Sullivan's opera The Pirates of Penzance. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of Librettist W The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty is a Comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and Libretto by W At the time the libretto was written, 1879, Penzance had long been a peaceful town, so the very idea of it being overrun by pirates was amusing. Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Penzance is home to the Acorn Theatre sited within a former Methodist chapel. The theatre provides a mixture of theatre, film, dance music and cabaret and is partially public funded. The Savoy is an independent cinema located in the town which opened in 1912 and was originally named the Victoria Hall Music Hall, The Savoy is one of the locations of performances sponsored by the Penwith Film Society (an arts cinema society based in the Penwith area). It is reputedly the oldest continuously used cinema in Britain. Prior to World War II, Penzance was also home to a further 3 cinemas and at least 2 theatres, one of which, the Pavilion Theatre, is now home to an amusement arcade.

Art galleries

Penzance is home to the new Newlyn Art Gallery establishment "The Exchange" which opened in 2007. Newlyn Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in Newlyn, Cornwall, UK. Penzance is also the home of Penlee House, an art gallery and museum notable for its collection of paintings by members of the Newlyn School. An art gallery or art museum is a space for the exhibition of art, usually Visual art. A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the Painting (pān'tīng in Art, is the practice of applying Color to a Surface (support base such as e The Newlyn School is a term used to describe a colony of artists based in or near to Newlyn, a fishing village adjacent to Penzance Cornwall, from the 1880s until Within Penzance town centre there are a growing number of commercial art galleries. Renouk (talk) 21:14, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

Religion

Like other Cornish towns Methodism is the predominant Christian denomination. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Prior to the 1980s Penzance had six Methodist churches, but this number has now been reduced to three. Penzance is also home to a Salvation Army citadel, a Roman Catholic church, two Church of England parish churches (formerly three), a Christadelphian meeting hall,^[54] two Evangelical independent churches, the Penwith pagan moot, an independent Baptist church and a Buddhist meditation group. The Salvation Army is a Christian charity and church that is internally organised like a military service. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Christadelphians (from the Greek for Brothers of Christ / Christ's Brethren: Christou Adelphoi; cf Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices

Sport

Penzance was, until recently, the home of Cornwall's most successful rugby team, the Penzance Pirates (Penzance and Newlyn RFC). The National Division 1 side relocated to Truro in 2005 in a bid to reach the Premiership and was renamed as the Cornish Pirates. The Cornish Pirates are a British professional Rugby union team who play in National Division One of the English rugby union league and are the In 2006 the side relocated again this time to the home ground of Camborne Rugby Club. Not to be confused with Cambourne in Cambridgeshire. Camborne (Kammbronn Penzance is also home to Mount's Bay RFC a new rugby club founded in 1999. Mounts Bay RFC are a Cornish rugby club formed in December 1999 based in Penzance, UK. As at 2008 this team plays in National League 3 South.

Former England and Surrey cricketer Jack Richards (born Clifton James Richards) was born in Penzance. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Clifton James "Jack" Richards (born August 10, 1958, Penzance, Cornwall) is a former English Cricketer who Although he only played 8 test matches, Richards was the wicket keeper during England's Ashes win in 1986. Test cricket is the longest form of the Sport of Cricket. It has long been considered the ultimate test of playing ability between cricketing nations Cricket wicket keeperjpg|thumb|300px|A wicket-keeper in characteristic position ready to face a delivery The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia.

The Mini Transat 6.50 (now the Transit 6. Mini Transat 650 also known as Transat 650 is a solo Transatlantic Yacht race 50) transatlantic yacht race started from Penzance (hosted by Penzance Sailing Club) from its conception in 1977 to the fourth edition of the race in 1983.

Media

The local newspaper is The Cornishman, published weekly. The Cornishman is a weekly Newspaper, based in Penzance, Cornwall, United Kingdom. Both ITV television (Westcountry Television) and BBC Radio Cornwall have small news studios in the town. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Westcountry Television, is the ITV franchise holder in the South West of England replacing its predecessor TSW (Television South West, on 1 January 1993

Notable residents past and present

Penzance has been home to numerous persons of note over the years including actress Thandie Newton, model Jean Shrimpton and cricketer Jack Richards (For a full list see List of notable residents of Penzance). Thandiwe Adjewa "Thandie" Newton (born 6 November 1972) is a BAFTA - and SAG Award -winning English actress. Jean Shrimpton (born 7 November 1942 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an English Supermodel and actress Clifton James "Jack" Richards (born August 10, 1958, Penzance, Cornwall) is a former English Cricketer who List of notable residents of Penzance, a town in the Penwith district of Cornwall, UK. Arguably Penzance's most famous son, though, was Sir Humphry Davy. Sir Humphry Davy 1st Baronet FRS MRIA (17 December 1778 &ndash 29 May 1829 was a British Chemist and inventor

Sir Humphry Davy

Main article: Sir Humphry Davy

Penzance was the birthplace of the famous chemist Sir Humphry Davy. Sir Humphry Davy 1st Baronet FRS MRIA (17 December 1778 &ndash 29 May 1829 was a British Chemist and inventor Sir Humphry Davy 1st Baronet FRS MRIA (17 December 1778 &ndash 29 May 1829 was a British Chemist and inventor Davy was President of the Royal Society and invented the process of electrolysis, was the first person to isolate sodium, as well as proving (with Michael Faraday) that diamonds are made of pure carbon. The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 In chemistry and manufacturing electrolysis is a method of separating chemically bonded elements and compounds by passing an Electric current Sodium (ˈsoʊdiəm is an element which has the symbol Na( Latin natrium, from Arabic natrun) atomic number 11 atomic mass 22 Michael Faraday, FRS ( September 22 1791 – August 25 1867) was an English Today he is possibly best known as the inventor of the Miner's Safety Lamp, or Davy Lamp. The Davy lamp is a Safety lamp containing a candle devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. There is a statue of Davy at the top of Market Jew Street, near the house in which he was born. One of Penzance's secondary schools is also named after the scientist [8].

Twinning

Penzance is twinned with the following towns^[55]

• Concarneau, Brittany, France
• Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
• Nevada City, California, USA

From 1967 to 1974 Penzance was twinned with

• Cuxhaven, Germany

This twinning arrangement was passed to the Penwith District in 1974. Concarneau (Konk Kerne meaning Bay of Cornwall) is a commune in the Finistère department in Bretagne in northwestern France Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Bendigo is a regional city in central Victoria Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Nevada City (formerly Deer Creek Dry Diggins, and Caldwell's Upper Store) is the County seat of Nevada County, California, USA 60 California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cuxhaven is a large independent town and seat of the Cuxhaven district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Geography The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on Granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches

See also

• HMS Penzance
• List of topics related to Cornwall
• The Pirates of Penzance

References

External links

• Picture Penzance online pictorial
• Penzance - Wikitravel
• Morrab Library
• Penzance OCS
• Penzance Online
• Official Website of the Golowan Festival
• Penzance & Newlyn RFC
• Mounts Bay RFC
• Postcards of the Penzance Area
• Penzance Town Council
• Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Penzance

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