West Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly - Devon and Cornwall - page 490

farmers who lived and worked around Penwith in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Key figures of the movement included Stanhope Forbes, Norman Garstin and Walter
Langley ( Click here for more on the art of this region).
There's no permanent collection, so what you see is down to a bit of pot luck. Even if
the art's not your thing, the lovely Morrab Gardens are well worth a stroll.
Across the gardens from the gallery, the Morrab Library ( 01736-364474;
www.morrablibrary.org.uk ; £3 for non-members; 10am-4pm Tue-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) is another little-
known gem of old Penzance: a Georgian lending library with a wonderful collection of
dusty old books, including many local interest titles and a super photographic archive. The
library also holds regular readings and other literary events.

The Exchange
MAP

GALLERY

GOOGLE MAP

( www.theexchangegallery.co.uk ; Princes St; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat Easter-Sep, Wed-Sat Oct-Easter)
Housed in Penzance's former telecoms building, this cool gallery hosts regular exhibitions
of contemporary art. The pulsating light installation outside is by the artist Peter Freeman.
It's the sister gallery to the Newlyn Art Gallery, a mile west along Penzance's prom.

Newlyn Art Gallery
( www.newlynartgallery.co.uk ; 10am-5pm Mon-Sat Easter-Sep, Wed-Sat Oct-Easter) On the edge of
Newlyn, this historic gallery was founded in 1895 to display the work of the artists of the
Newlyn School, but since 2007 the gallery's focus has been on contemporary art.

GALLERY

Chapel St
The cream of Penzance's heritage architecture can be seen along Chapel St, which is lined
with a wealth of beautifully preserved Georgian buildings.
At the top end of the street is the bizarre Egyptian House MAP GOOGLE MAP , which looks
like a cross between a Georgian townhouse and a sarcophagus, and was originally built
for a wealthy mineralogist, John Lavin, as a geological museum.
Further along the street is the Union Hotel MAP GOOGLE MAP , the first place to receive
news of Nelson's death after the Battle of Trafalgar. It's also home to a Georgian Theatre
dating from 1787, although this is not open to the public.
Also of interest is the little house which once belonged to the family of Maria Branwell ,
the mother of the Brontë sisters.

HISTORIC AREA