15/07/2012

Falmouth, in Cornish Aberfal, is a bustling town and port on the south coast of Cornwall with a population near 22,000.  Its port and ship repair yard are both busy but don't dominate the scenery or the attractive older parts of town.

The main barrack block at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth.  This castle was started by Henry VIII and continued to be developed and used up to the Second World War.

A line of cannons on the ramparts guarding the harbour - with a modern odd one out near the far end of the line, I think this is used for the noon gun firing every day.

A WWI vintage gun, originally the gun here was mounted so that it sank down after firing so being concealed whilst being loaded but this slowed the rate of fire too much.

A 6 inch gun at Pendennis, a pair of these were the last guns used in anger here, in 1944

Back to older weaponry, a traversable cannon covering the approaches to Falmouth Harbour.

The original, 1588, Henirician castle's keep.

A view from the castle walls over the beach area of Falmouth.

Looking out over Falmouth Bay towards the mouth of the Helford River.

Another view of the Henrician keep.

The view from the old keep over Falmouth town, beach and harbour.

Another view from the keep of the 19th century castle buildings with the town and harbour behind.

The view over Carrick Roads from the castle walls, this stretch of water has been used for laying up ships, forming Atlantic convoys in WWII and preparing for D-Day.

Looking across the mouth of the Fal to St Mawes with its castle providing an answering battery to Pendennis's.

Down into Falmouth with this view towards the Pendennis headland from the harbour side.

Looking up river from one of the small piers showing some of the many yachts that are moored in this area.

The St. Mawes ferry alongside the pier, the Adrian Gilbert used to operate the British Railways service between Kingswear and Dartmouth, it was like seeing an old friend when she appeared here.

Another passenger ferry service from Falmouth is across the inlet to Flushing.

The Adrian Gilbert on her way across the river to St Mawes.

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