Cornwall’s only city, with a Victorian cathedral, cobbled lanes of independent shops and the creeks of the River Fal all around.
Truro is Cornwall’s only city, and its capital in all but name. It became a city in 1877, when a new diocese was created for Cornwall, and its great cathedral was built soon after. In earlier centuries it was a busy river port and a centre of the tin trade.
Today Truro is an elegant, compact city of Georgian streets, independent shops and cafés, set at the head of the creeks that run down to Falmouth and the sea. It is a perfect base for exploring the gardens, beaches and harbours of Cornwall. This guide covers six things to see and do.
1. Truro Cathedral
Truro Cathedral was built between 1880 and 1910, designed by the architect John Loughborough Pearson in the Gothic Revival style. It was the first new cathedral built on a new site in England since Salisbury in the thirteenth century. Its three spires rise high above the rooftops of the city.
The cathedral incorporates part of an older parish church, St Mary’s, which stood on the site. Its interior is tall and full of light, with fine stained glass windows. The windows tell the story of Christianity from the Bible to Cornish history.
The cathedral is at the heart of the city, surrounded by narrow streets. It holds services, concerts and events, and its choir has a fine reputation. There is a café.
Entry is free, with donations welcome. Guided tours are available. At Christmas, the cathedral is especially beautiful.
2. The Royal Cornwall Museum
The Royal Cornwall Museum, on River Street, is the oldest and largest museum in Cornwall. It tells the story of the county, from prehistoric times to the present day. It is a good place to learn about Cornwall before exploring.
The museum has one of the finest collections of minerals in the world, reflecting Cornwall’s long history of mining. It also has collections of archaeology, art and natural history. An Egyptian mummy is a favourite with children.
The art galleries include paintings by artists of the Newlyn School, who painted Cornish fishing communities in the late nineteenth century. There are changing exhibitions. The museum has a café.
Check opening times and prices before you go. The museum is a short walk from the cathedral. Allow a couple of hours.
3. Lemon Street and the lanes
Lemon Street is one of the finest Georgian streets in England, lined with elegant houses built in the late eighteenth century, when Truro was wealthy from the tin trade. It climbs gently up from the city centre. At the top stands a tall column in memory of the explorer Richard Lander, who was born in Truro.
The city centre is a maze of lanes and small streets, known locally as opes, full of independent shops, cafés and restaurants. Truro is known as one of the best places to shop in Cornwall. The Pannier Market and Lemon Street Market have stalls and small shops.
Boscawen Street, the widest street in the city, has the grand Victorian City Hall. The Hall for Cornwall, the county’s main theatre, is in the old City Hall building. It stages big touring shows.
Every November, Truro holds the City of Lights, a lantern parade through the streets, with huge handmade lanterns lit up in the dark. It marks the start of the Christmas season. It is a magical event.
4. Trelissick and the King Harry Ferry
Trelissick is a beautiful garden and estate looked after by the National Trust, a short drive south of Truro. It stands on a hill overlooking the River Fal, with wonderful views down the estuary to the sea. The gardens are full of plants that thrive in Cornwall’s mild climate, including camellias, rhododendrons and hydrangeas.
The estate has woodland walks along the river, and a grand house that is partly open to visitors. It is especially beautiful in spring, when the gardens are in full bloom. There is a café and a gallery.
Below Trelissick, the King Harry Ferry, a chain ferry, carries cars across the river to the Roseland peninsula. It is one of the few chain ferries in England, and the crossing is short and scenic. It saves a long drive around the estuary.
On the other side, the Roseland peninsula has quiet villages, beaches and the harbour town of St Mawes. A car makes it easy to explore, and to combine Trelissick with the ferry.
5. The River Fal and Falmouth
The River Fal runs from Truro down through a beautiful wooded estuary to Falmouth and the sea. Boat trips run along the river in season, between Truro, Falmouth and St Mawes. It is one of the loveliest boat trips in Britain.
The river is tidal, and at low tide boats leave from Malpas, a little way downstream, rather than from the city itself. The journey passes creeks, woods and grand houses, with herons and egrets along the banks.
Falmouth, at the mouth of the estuary, has one of the largest natural harbours in the world. It has the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Pendennis Castle, built by Henry VIII, and lovely beaches. It is a lively town with a university and a harbour full of boats.
St Mawes, across the water, is a pretty harbour village with its own castle. Ferries link Falmouth and St Mawes. A car or a boat trip makes it easy to explore the estuary.
6. The Eden Project and the gardens of Cornwall
The Eden Project, about forty minutes east of Truro, is one of the most famous attractions in Britain. It is built in a former clay pit, with huge biomes, giant greenhouses shaped like bubbles, containing a rainforest and a Mediterranean garden. It is an extraordinary place.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, about half an hour south east of Truro, are gardens that were abandoned for decades and rediscovered and restored in the 1990s. They have jungle gardens, kitchen gardens and woodland walks. They are magical.
Cornwall has many other great gardens, thanks to its mild climate, including Trewithen, Caerhays and Glendurgan. The north coast, with beaches at St Agnes and Perranporth, is about twenty minutes away. Cornish pasties, cream teas and fresh seafood are everywhere.
Cornwall is best explored by car, and a driver by the hour lets you see several places in a day without worrying about narrow lanes. The roads can be very busy in summer.
Getting there and getting around
Truro station has direct trains to London Paddington in around four and a half hours, and to Penzance, Plymouth and Exeter. There is also an overnight sleeper train to London.
Cornwall Airport Newquay is about twenty miles north, around forty minutes by road. The A30 and A39 link Truro with the rest of Cornwall and Devon. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Truro, the airport and the station, and to explore Cornwall.
Ride with ZeroLanes. From your door, the station or the airport to anywhere in Truro, at a price fixed before you confirm. Travelling between cities? Get a fixed price for the journey, or keep a car and driver for the day with hourly hire.