You Must Visit Dolly's - Falmouth, Cornwall

 If you are lucky enough to have a day in the lovely town of Falmouth, on the south coast of Cornwall, you must end it with a visit to the charming and delightful Dolly's Tea Room, Wine House and Gin Palace.

Recently I had a lovely day exploring this town. With a population of around 24,000 Falmouth is big enough to offer plenty of attractions such as an art gallery, an aquarium and the very fine National Maritime Museum but small enough to feel comfortable and easy to get around. The town is also blessed with several golden sand beaches close by and some great coastal walks. 

Falmouth from the tower at the National Maritime Museum

I work as a part time guide at New Zealand's National Maritime Museum so I make a point of visiting Maritime Museums wherever I am.  It is always good to learn about the maritime history of different countries and the spacious and modern Falmouth Maritime Museum has much to offer.  It also has a tall lighthouse tower visitors can climb to enjoy expansive views across the beautiful harbour. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the museum and then took a walk through the town.

A replica fishermen's hut at the Maritime Museum

I had arranged to meet some of my fellow travelers at Dolly's on Church Street for end of day cocktails.  It was an enjoyable stroll. Church St is a very pleasant retail street with some lovely historic buildings and an interesting and eclectic mix of shops.

Dolly's

Dolly's - the green sign on the left

Dolly's is up a staircase from the street so look out for the sign and sandwich board outside. As a self named Tea Room, Wine House and Gin Palace it covers all bases, there is something for everyone.  Cream teas are served during the day and if you are looking for a late afternoon or evening tipple there is an amazing array of around 300 gins to choose from.  

Some of the huge array of gins on offer

You are transported to an earlier time as you make your way up the stairs, the decor giving a clue to what lies ahead.  Enter Dolly's and you will hear a sound track of old school jazz music on vinyl from the 30s and 40s and find a charming, comfortable space furnished with vintage mismatched furniture including chapel chairs and reclaimed tables. The walls are decorated with old posters, prints, mirrors and clocks. Some of the window side tables give a view out over the street below, a great spot for people watching. Dolly's is an oasis of calm and style and a delightful step back in time. 

At Dolly's with Liz, Tricia and Steven - great traveling companions

Our cocktails came in a vintage teapot and cups

My friends and I chose a table and promptly ordered cocktails, Liz and I both choosing a Hi de Hi which consisted of watermelon gin, lemon and mint, it was refreshing and delicious.  Most delightful of all was that our cocktails were served in teapots which we poured into vintage china cups. It was satisfying to have enough for top ups. 

We all loved the relaxing ambiance of Dolly's and felt happy and content as we discussed the great days' sight seeing we had enjoyed. This was the perfect end to our day. Dolly's is the cutest most charming cocktail bar I have ever visited and I would certainly make it an essential stop if I was ever in Falmouth again.  As I say, you must go there.

Right:  Some evenings you can go and listen to live music, now that would be fun!

Polperro - A Cornish village with a Smuggling Past

 One of the main things that attracted me to Cornwall was the idea of visiting the little fishing villages which tumble down hillsides and open out to the sea.  I love the sea and I love exploring tiny old villages. If you enjoy these things too you will be spoilt for choice in Cornwall.  There is so much to love about this beautiful county and we had already visited some wonderful places but  I was pretty excited when we arrived in Polperro, the first fishing village on my tour.

A great thing about Polperro is that it is carless, apart from the occasional delivery vehicle.  Vehicles must be parked at a carpark up the hill before a walk of about 750 metres down into the village. What joy - no traffic to dodge, no noise, no fumes, simply the wheeling calls of seagulls, the bubbling of the roadside stream and the gentle conversations of passers by.

Note: the hill is quite steep so it is not really suitable if you have mobility issues. 

Dating from the 14th century the village consists of narrow winding lanes and whitewashed cottages garlanded with colourful hanging baskets and fishing floats. But for the tourists it attracts, and the souvenir shops, it is as if time has stood still.  The beating heart of the village is the still busy fishing port, where fishermen keep their boats before heading out to sea to catch several varieties of fish, the main one being the ever popular pilchard. 

Left: Hanging baskets and fishing floats

Right: The Shell House decorated in the 1930s by a retired sailor

In the 18th century Polperro became infamous as a major smuggling centre.  At the time high governmental  taxes meant that the fishermen could not afford to buy even basic goods so  smuggling for extra income seemed like a good idea. They smuggled tobacco, brandy and gin which they on sold cheaply to help with their weekly budget.  When John Wesley visited the village in 1762 he reported that all the locals were involved in smuggling.  Today you can visit the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing to learn more.

The sheltered cove of Polperro - entry point for smugglers back in the day

As for me I just loved wandering the tiny lanes, admiring the cottages, peering in the windows of the antique shops and the ancient taverns and finally arriving down at the bay where the fishing boats head out to sea through a narrow, sheltered opening.  Unfortunately the tide was out during our visit so we didn't get the full glory of the boat harbour at its best. Nevertheless it was good enough for me.

The tide's out.

On my stroll back through the village to the carpark I met up with some fellow travelers and we sat and drank cool beer in the shady garden of the beautiful 18th century Crumplehorn Inn and Mill before heading to the bus.

Polperro didn't disappoint, it was just how I imagined a Cornish fishing village to be and I couldn't wait to see more.

We carried on to the tiny hamlet of Charlestown, famous as  a film location for a number of films and TV programmes, including The Onedin Line, which I loved. It was a brief visit and it was interesting to see the village as it is today, very different from the staged set I was familiar with on TV.

Above and below: The tiny hamlet of Charestown. The small stone building far right in the bottom photo is familiar from The Onedin Line