For Cornish art and historical artefacts that children and adults will both learn from and appreciate, Penlee House Gallery and Museum is a treasure trove. Visitors come from far and wide to spend hours here browsing a fine collection of local artworks and archaeological gems.
Penlee House, in the heart of Penzance, was built in 1865. This Victorian home and estate passed through the Branwell family for many years before it was sold to Penzance Borough Council in 1946 and opened as Penzance District Museum in 1949. The name was later changed and now Penzance Town Council owns and operates the venue, which is a beautifully set out gallery and museum within a pretty park. The name of the game here is showcasing Cornwall’s rich cultural heritage to all visitors.
There’s an ever-changing programme of exhibitions on in the gallery, each celebrating the artists and paintings of West Cornwall in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Much of the work hails from artists of the Newlyn School, which was an art colony in the nearby fishing village that thrived in the 1880s and 1890s, and the Lamorna Group, a bohemian art collective in the nearby coastal village of Lamorna around the same time. Famous names on display include ‘father of the Newlyn School’ Stanhope Forbes and his equally talented wife, Elizabeth. A rolling programme of craft activities for families is also held during children’s holidays in the gallery.
The museum, on the other hand, covers more than 6,000 years of West Cornish history. There’s a wealth of archeological items on display alongside pieces of more recent social history and photographs of the region between the 1860s and 1960s. Fashion is also put under the spotlight in the museum and there are some wonderful ceramic pieces that need to be admired in their historical context.
After your tour of the museum and gallery, chill out with a homemade cake and coffee in the venue’s café, The Orangery, and purchase books, gifts and souvenirs in the on-site shop. There’s a lot to learn about West Cornwall’s history and art and you’ll come away from Penlee House knowing much more about the region’s rich cultural heritage than you did before.