History enthusiasts: you don’t need to hit up one of Cornwall’s mega museums if you’re just looking for a couple of hours learning about the region. There’s a plethora of mini museums across the county that are nowhere near the size of the biggies but are equally fascinating. Perranzabuloe Museum is one such facility. Small and mighty, just like Perranporth itself.
Perranzabuloe Museum, which is in the heart of Perranporth on the edge of Perranporth Beach, is a charity that’s run exclusively by local volunteers. It looks into the rich history of the Perranzabuloe parish that doesn’t just include the town but also covers villages and hamlets like Callestick, Perrancoombe, Goonhavern and Penwartha. This is a parish with a colourful past that’s well captured in this small-yet-fascinating museum.
It’s free to explore Perranzabuloe Museum, which was established in 1986 in Perranporth in Oddfellows Hall on Ponsmere Road. Prepare to browse a collection that includes maps, photographs and objects that document this parish’s past from the legendary arrival of Cornish patron saint St Piran hundreds of years ago to the tourist haven it is today.
One of the jewels in the museum’s crown is its replica Cornish kitchen that shows what life was like for home cooks more than 100 years ago. Then there are old images of kids collecting water from a nearby well and even an old hand grenade that was made in a munitions factory in the First World War just outside Perranporth. There’s plenty of mining exhibits here too, as well as fishing, railway and even surfing objects on display.
The museum opens from 12.30pm until 4.30pm every weekday from Easter to October. Check ahead to see if there are any special exhibitions on show as the team regularly organises new ones on local themes. And, just so you know, Winston Graham, who lived in Perranporth and created the famous ‘Poldark’ novels, was president of the museum until his death in 2003. An extra bit of ‘Poldark’ history added to a museum which is already packed to the rafters with fascinating glimpses of this beautiful area’s rich past.