Penzance, Lee's 3 X great Grandmother, and St. Michael's Mount...

Tuesday, 31st May - (Catch-up)

Today we thought we'd venture down to Penzance and perhaps Land's End, which is a round trip of around 80 miles if we go that far. (There are always best intentions, but on some days when the tiredness catches you, or things take longer than you think they will, then you just have to bite the bullet and forego seeing some things.)

It was cool but sunny and we left about 9.00am and went via King Harry's Ferry. The signs all call it King Harry Ferry, but in a book on the area, it is called King Harry Floating Bridge, and it says " there has been a ferry on the site for more than 500 years, and was established by charter". It crosses King Harry's Reach, which is part of the Pilgrim's Way to St. Michael's Mount, and is named for King Henry VI, the Lancastrian king.The chain ferry was established in 1888.

It's a good drive down to Penzance, with a few windy sections, and we got some glimpses of the Mount on the way. There is an enormous car park near the waterfront, some of which is used for cars, etc for the ferry to the Scilly Isles, and we parked there, and looked for coffee first, (as you do), and then went to find St Mary's church where some of Lee's forebears were either married, baptized in or buried. Thomas Jennings and family had lived in Customs House Lane, and we asked a local where that was and she showed us, and the church was quite near, and we found some stairs leading up to where the church is.

The church itself was locked, so we wandered around the grounds, looking for headstones, and it wasn't looking hopeful but we finally found a Jennings headstone, and it was for Lee's gt.gt.gt Grandmother, Sarah Jennings, so we cleaned up some of the lettering and took some photo's.

 
This was a real treat as it means that both Lee and I have found actual headstones, and therefore tangible things which relate to our family histories. 

We then headed towards the town, with me taking photo's of doors along the way. I have become fascinated with doors, and there are so many different ones and there is an "industry" surrounding them and you can find postcards and posters in many places, with beautiful shots of all sorts of doors.
We walked down Custom House Lane, and found New Street, where Thomas Jennings was living in the 1851 census, and this led us into the main street of Penzance, which is quite steep, running down to the wharf area. Nice shops, and lots of people about, and we had our coffee in a really nice bakery, with the pervading odours of fresh bread and home-made Cornish pasties. Yum!

Tried to find the Information centre to get a street map of Penzance to perhaps help with the history, but it is closed (permanently). Took some distant shots of the Mount from the wharf area, and then headed back to the car, which by this time was one of hundreds in the carpark, and headed for the town of Marazion, which is the village across from the Mount.

 There were a lot of people around by this stage and we parked in a large area near the beach, and then you walk across quite firm sand to the causeway, which are large cobbled stones, and not easy to walk on for a distance. It was apparently half-term break for the local schools, so lots of children about.

The mount is so spectacular and mysterious looking, and so all these thousands of people were heading for it, to make the trek to the castle at the top. We used our National Trust passes, and headed for Pilgrim's Path, which is the way to the top. NOT easy, and many people were struggling, and of course some people had the most inappropriate footwear, which didn't help their cause. It is a long way to the top, but having come this far, we were determined to do it, and once you get up there, it is so worth it, just for the views, but also the castle itself which is very interesting.

 Having reached the top you then get to wander through the castle, which with all the people around, was not easy. The castle is mostly 19thC, but the church and rectory are older and some parts go back to the 16thC.

The tour is self-guided, and roped off from parts you cannot go, but you have to move with the flow and can't skip bits and get out easily.

The ramparts and courtyard at the top, at least allow some breathing room and you can take in all the scenery.

The way out was tedious because of all the people and we were stuck in a small corridor, just slowly ambling along with the mob, so it was good to be out in the fresh air again. 

Slowly picked our way down and thought of having some lunch, but there was no room at the inn, so we left to go back.

You would have thought there would be an announcement about the rising tide, but we didn't hear one, and so when we got to the causeway, water was already lapping over it and some hardy souls were now shoeless and picking their way back across to the beach. We opted for a boat ride from the castle wharf, and down some very steeps steps into the boat, and had a really nice ride back to the beach. I asked the boatman how long the tide would close the causeway, and he said eight hours, so there were already thousands up on the mount, and this ferrying would continue for some time!

The causeway before the tide came in.

Back on the beach we headed up to a small cafe and shared a fresh ham and cheese baguette, and then headed back to St.Mawes, and remembered to stop at a layby we'd seen on the way out, and got some fresh strawberries and eggs from the stall there.

All in all a good day and a sense of achievment in having done the mount.
Pasties and then strawberries with double Channel Island cream for dinner. Yummo!