Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
orge V's silver jubilee. Since falling into disrepair in the 1980s, the triangular pool has
been impeccably renovated and is now a listed monument - it even boasts its own
poolside cafe. The views over Mount's Bay are utterly glorious, and on a sunny day you
could almost convince yourself you're on the French Riviera - although the temperature
of the water will shatter the illusion soon enough.
The rocky shoreline around the pool known as
Battery Rocks
has recently become the fo-
cus of a heated dispute over controversial proposals to transform it into a new terminal for
ferries to Scilly. The issue was finally scuppered in 2011 when the Department for Trans-
port decided that the environmental damage to the area would be too great, and shelved
the plans indefinitely.
Festivals & Events
Golowan Festival
(
www.golowan.com
)
Ten days of music, art and Cornish culture, plus a big street parade on
Mazey Day. Held in Penzance in late June.
FESTIVAL
Newlyn Fish Festival
(
www.newlynfishfestival.org.uk
)
Newlyn celebrates its piscatorial heritage at this festival, held
over the August Bank Holiday.
FESTIVAL
POLGOON VINEYARD
Braving the vicissitudes of the Cornish weather, former fish merchants John and Jim Coulson set up the Polgoon
Vineyard (
www.polgoon.com
) on a derelict farm just outside Penzance in 2006. Since then they've developed a
suite of vintages: the current crop includes a rosé and a red, as well as Peren (sparkling pear) and Aval (a
champagne-style cider, also available in raspberry).
There are guided tours of the vineyard every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 2pm (£10 with 5 tastings), or
you can guide yourself with a free map (£5 with 3 tastings). All Polgoon's vintages are on sale in the wine shop.
Sleeping
Penzance YHA
( 0845-371 9653;
penzance@yha.org.uk
;
Castle Horneck, Alverton; dm from £14; )
Penzance's excel-
lent YHA is inside an 18th-century house on the edge of town. It's a rambling and friendly
HOSTEL
£
