Located in the county of Cornwall, and around 32 miles east of Land's End, is the town of Falmouth.

Geographically, the town is situated at the mouth of the River Fal (hence the name, though the river's name origin is uncertain). Prior to the 17th century, the area we now refer to as Falmouth was a small fishing village. It was fortified in the 1540s by the construction of Pendennis Castle, which was ordered by Henry VIII. The castle is situated at the tip of the peninsula about a mile southeast of the town centre, and is Grade I listed.

In 1613 naval officer and local landowner Sir John Killigrew founded the town of Falmouth after successfully petitioning King James I to create a port here. Initially it was called Pennycomequick, an Anglicised version of the Celtic Pen-y-cwm-cuic, meaning 'head of the creek'. In 1662 work began on the building of the Church of King Charles the Martyr, which was consecrated in 1665. This is unusual in being dedicated to a king rather than a saint - in this case Charles I who was executed during the English Civil War. The naming of the church was in recognition of Charles's son, Charles II, granting Falmouth a charter in 1661. The church features just after the 11-and-a-half minute mark.

In 1688 Falmouth was made the Royal Mail packet station. As such, it became responsible for the packet ships delivering news from around the world. Falmouth became the information hub of the British Empire, and the town prospered from this point forward. One notable event came in 1805 when news of the United Kingdom's naval victory at the Battle of Trafalgar first reached England's shores via Falmouth. From here the message was delivered by Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotière to London after a 271-mile journey that took 37 hours and 21 horse changes.

During the 18th and early 19th centuries, Falmouth became a hotbed for smuggling owing to its rugged coastline. This came during a period when imports were subject to high taxes, providing smugglers with the incentive. One vestige from this time features at the 6-minute mark, namely the King's Pipe. This dates from 1814 and was used for the public burning of contraband tobacco.

In 1863 the railway arrived in Falmouth. This came courtesy of the Cornwall Railway who built a line from Plymouth to Falmouth which it eventually sold to the Great Western Railway in 1889. A second station opened in 1925 just west of the town centre, known as Penmere, and a third station opened in 1970 which became known as Falmouth Town, while the original is today known as Falmouth Docks. All three are situated on the Maritime Line to Truro, of which Falmouth Docks is the southern terminus.

During the Second World War 31 people were killed in Falmouth by German bombs. The town became one of several bases along the south coast for American troops preparing for the D-Day landings, serving as a training ground and an embarkation point for troops and supplies.

Falmouth's harbour is said to be the third deepest natural harbour in the world, and the deepest in Western Europe. It has been the start and finish point for various round-the-world voyages, including those carried out by Robin Knox-Johnston (from 1968 to 1969) and Ellen MacArthur (from 2004 to 2005).

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Filmed: 29th August 2023

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/v7rbBQof1vkdR...

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Discovery Quay
1:38 Grove Place
2:46 Bank Place
3:33 Arwenack Street
3:56 Custom House Quay
6:16 Arwenack Street
7:14 Quay Street
10:06 Arwenack Street
11:32 Church Street
15:01 Fish Strand Quay
17:11 Market Street
19:28 Killigrew Street
22:44 Market Strand
23:08 Prince of Wales Pier
25:02 Market Strand
25:29 High Street