7 amazing reasons to visit Penlee House Gallery & Museum

This Penzance gallery celebrates the history and culture of west Cornwall, along with the legacy of the Newlyn School of artists 

Penlee House Gallery & Museum seen from outside. Image: Penlee House Gallery & Museum 

Where can you find Penlee House?

This beautiful Victorian building sits within the Cornish port town of Penzance, set back from the bustle of the seafront. Built in 1865, it was the home of John Richards Branwell, a prosperous miller and merchant who wished to build an Italianate dwelling befitting his elevated status. The house can be accessed through the formal gardens and park, which are filled with semi-tropical plants, including the ancient Ginkgo biloba.

The Rain it Raineth Every Day, an 1889 work by Norman Garstin, showing Penzance promenade on a rainy day. Image: Penlee House Gallery & Museum 

Why should you visit?

While preserving the sense of a Victorian home, the museum is dedicated to celebrating all things Cornish, with a focus on artists who lived and worked in the area during the 19th and 20th centuries. A changing programme of exhibitions inspires a wonder at the sea and the working ports of Penwith, while permanent displays focus on social history and ‘oddities’ commonly sought after in the Victorian era. The collection was founded by the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society in 1839; it includes pieces such as a fragment of a Pompeiian mosaic, photographs of the local mines and a selection of seaside postcards.

Artist Roger Beck’s work, inspired by a painting in the gallery’s collection called Zandvoort Fishergirl, 1884, byElizabeth Forbes. Image: Penlee House Gallery & Museum 

Which exhibits are a must-see?

The latest Penlee Inspired exhibition (until 22 April) showcases work by local adults and children who have been inspired by the museum’s collection, thanks to a collaborative submission process that includes working with local schools. The artists’ pieces are shown alongside many of the paintings that served as creative inspiration. 

Take a tour inside the gallery. Image: Penlee House Gallery & Museum 

What’s on this month?

Look out for the regular free guided tours with Penlee House volunteers, who offer valuable insight into the current exhibition programme. Tours take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11.30am.

The Inner Harbour – Abbey Slip, 1921, by Stanhope Forbes. Image: Penlee House Gallery & Museum 

Any artistic connections? 

Penlee House Gallery & Museum is celebrated for its collection of Newlyn School artists, with famous members including Stanhope Forbes, Frank Bramley and Laura Knight. The small town of nearby Newlyn (as well as St Ives) became a hotbed of artistic creativity from the 1880s to around 1940, thanks to a new railway line, affordable accommodation and a relative lack of industrialisation. Artists came with Impressionistic ideas and a love for the landscape, where painting en plein air was key. Penlee is the perfect place to see many Newlyn School masterworks. 

Lunch at the Orangery Café. Image: Penlee House Gallery & Museum 

Make a day of it

After viewing the gallery and museum, take a break in the Orangery Café before heading out for a stroll around Penzance. Highlights include the façade of the incredible Grade I listed Egyptian House. Originally built as a museum and a geological shop, it dates from around 1835. Today it is managed by The Landmark Trust and you can book to stay in it. Just down the road, the Admiral Benbow pub, once the haunt of smugglers and pirates, offers nautical flair, with cavernous rooms and heavily laden décor. For contemporary art, the Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange offer an impressive array of shows, while a trip to St Michael’s Mount is a must for the heritage minded. This island castle, with its gardens and small community, is only accessible by boat at high tide; it recently served as a dramatic location for the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon.  

Here’s a fun fact…

Following a campaign by the then mayor Robert Thomas, the Penlee Estate was bought by public subscription in 1946 for £13,000, and subsequently designated as a war memorial. The Memorial Garden and Chapel are still preserved as an area for contemplation and reflection. 

Find out more 

At penleehouse.org.uk

Do you live close by – then why not join the local Arts Society?

Local Societies include: 

The Arts Society West Cornwall theartssociety.org/westcornwall

The Arts Society Truro truro.theartssociety.org

The Arts Society Falmouth theartssociety.org/falmouth

Upcoming events feature The art and culture of fin de siècle Vienna by Gavin Plumley, organised by The Arts Society Truro, and a lecture on The cultural representation of Ethel Rosenberg and the making of an American icon by Anne Sebba, organised by The Arts Society West Cornwall.