Truro (England) - city in Cornwall, United Kingdom

Truro (Cornish: Truru) is a small cathedral city (population 22,000) in the Duchy of Cornwall, of which it is the administrative capital.

Understand

Queen Victoria designated Truro a city in 1876, but it is the size of a small town.

Get in

By train

Truro station 📍 is on the Cornish Main Line from Plymouth to Penzance. The station is a fairly long, steep downhill walk to the city centre. If you've got luggage, plan ahead and know the buses or book a taxi. If you're travelling from elsewhere in Cornwall, you may well find the bus more convenient as it stops more centrally, and all branch line trains (except for the Falmouth branch) will require a change of train to get to Truro. There is no lift for the footbridge between platforms.

Generally, there are trains every half hour on the branch line from Falmouth. Trains on the mainline are more esoteric, but there's usually an hourly stopping train between Penzance and Plymouth calling at every station en-route, then usually at least one long distance train every hour calling at main stops only en-route to somewhere upcountry. All trains stop at Truro. There are direct trains from London Paddington (including the Night Riviera sleeper), Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham New Street and beyond, including an agonising 13-hour direct service from Aberdeen (once a day) - which is not a sleeper.

When you leave Truro, if you are going to be taking an eastbound service (towards Plymouth / Exeter / London) then do not enter the main station building. Instead, cross the tracks at the level crossing. You can enter the eastbound platforms directly via the ramp in the car park.

By car

Truro is at the junction of the A39 and A390 arterial roads, some north of Falmouth. There is a park and ride system available, with a western car park off the A390 at Langarth / Threemilestone (sat nav postcode: TR4 9AN), and an eastern car park off the A39 at Tregurra (sat nav postocde: TR1 1RH). Parking free, shuttle bus £2

By bus

Almost all services passing though or terminating/starting at Truro will run through the main bus station at Lemon Quay, right in the middle of town. Municipal services and services within Cornwall are mostly run by either First Kernow or Go Cornwall. BusTimes.org is your friend.

National Express services provide sporadic services to and from places outside of Cornwall, including Heathrow Airport and London Victoria.

By plane

The nearest airport is Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY). As of Jan 2023, it welcomes flights from many major UK cities and some destinations in mainland Europe: Aer Lingus (Dublin, Belfast City), Ryanair (London Stansted, Dublin, Portugal and Spain), Easyjet, SAS (Copenhagen), Eastern Airways (London Gatwick, other domestic), Loganair (the North of England and Scotland), Edelweiss (Zurich), and Eurowings (Düsseldorf). Skybus flies from the Isles of Scilly.

There's no direct public transport available; take A9 bus to Newquay and change for one of several routes going to Truro.

Get around

Most attractions are within walking distance. Lemon Quay is the hub for bus services, including shuttles for the Truro Park and Ride service. There are departure information screens, and inside the station building you can grab a Cornwall-wide printed timetable, where there are some comfy chairs and vending machines to ease the wait. The station building is an "island", and there are departure bays on both sides, so make sure you know where your bus is departing from, as it's easy to miss it if you're on the wrong side. The bus station is not anywhere near the train station, which is a long way out from the town centre.

See

• Truro Cathedral (The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro), 14 St Mary's St, TR1 2AF, 50.264117°, -5.051249°, +44 1872 276782. M-Sa 7:30AM-5PM, Su noon-4PM, Bank Holiday 9:30AM-5PM. Completed in 1910. There is a disabled ramp at the entrance and a disabled restroom near the restaurant. Free admission, but £5 donations recommended for upkeep 2017-04-19
• Royal Cornwall Museum, River Street, TR1 2SJ, 50.263807°, -5.054821°, +44 1872 272205, enquiries@royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk. Tu-Sa 10AM-4:45PM, Su 10AM-4PM, closed Mondays except Bank Holiday Mondays & school holidays: 10AM-4:45PM. Includes the Courtney Library and exhibitions devoted to the history, culture and geography of Cornwall. Wheelchair accessible toilets and nappy changing facilities available Adult: £5.50 for a day pass, child (under 16): free 2017-04-19
• Victoria Gardens, St. George's Road, TR1 1EA (Nearest Car park - Edwards Street.), 50.264997°, -5.057327°, +44 1872 274766. Dawn until dusk. Created to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, Victoria Gardens is filled with exotic trees, shrubs & flowers. 2017-04-19
• Trelissick Garden, Feock, TR3 6QL (south of Truro), 50.217241°, -5.0337821°, +44 1872 862090, trelissick@nationaltrust.org.uk. 10:30AM-5:30PM. Garden under the care of The National Trust. £10.90, children £5.45, parking £4 2017-04-19

Do

• Attend a performance at The Hall for Cornwall, Back Quay, TR1 2LL, 50.262666°, -5.050579°, +44 1872 262466. A wide variety of music, theatre, and dance productions rotate through the Hall for Cornwall continually. Its a regular stop for National Theatre productions. In downtown Truro, the signs are easy to spot.
• Watch a film at The Plaza Cinema, Lemon Street, TR1 2PN, 50.261891°, -5.052155°, +44 1872 272894. Courtesy of WTW Cinemas, opened in 1938 and now with four screens.
• Take a river trip to Falmouth. Enjoy the sights of the river Fal

Buy

There is a good number of shops, including a rather large Marks and Spencer's.

• Marks and Spencer's, Lemon Quay, TR1 2LW, 50.261794°, -5.04928°, +44 1872 271511. M-Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 10:30AM-4:30PM. 2016-11-02

There are two covered markets. One leads off the Piazza with several small traditional stalls. The other leads off Lemon St (near the cinema): the little shops here would appeal more to the eco/organic minded, with a pleasant coffee shop and art gallery upstairs, where you can usually find a seat.

On Saturday mornings, a great farmers' market on the piazza has good local produce, including delicious Cornish ducks, cheeses, bread, rose veal and plants to take home. Wednesday's market, in the same place, is smaller.

The Lander Gallery is recommended for those wishing to purchase Cornish artwork, both old and new.

• Lander Gallery, Lemon Street Market, Lemon St, TR1 2QD, 50.262091°, -5.052295°, +44 1872 275578. M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM. 2016-11-02

Eat

• Charlotte's Teahouse, 1 Boscawen Street, TR1 2QU (On the top floor of the Coinage Hall), 50.263266°, -5.049841°, +44 1872 263706. M–Sa 10AM–5PM. This old fashioned tea room offers cream teas, sandwiches, cakes, savouries. The tea is grown in Cornwall. 2018-07-26
• Cornish pasty: Bakeries include W.C. Rowe's on Victoria Square and Lemon Quay, Oggy Oggy on River Street, and Warrens on New Bridge Street and the cathedral square. All the pasty shops do a variety of different pasties, the traditional beef and vegetarian pasties and for the more adventurous there are the more unusual fillings to try. Particularly recommended to try are W.C. Rowes.
• Saffron buns: Delicious sweet fruit buns flavoured with saffron, from the bakers above. Also "tea treats" (bigger than a bun) and saffron cake, like a fruit loaf, to be sliced, and sometimes toasted and buttered.
• Tabbs Restaurant, 85 Kenwyn St,, 50.2627°, -5.0574°, +44 1872 262110. 2018-07-28

Drink

• Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm, 50.31168°, -5.13313°. A farm with a cider brewery and a distilery making premium 7 year old whisky. Whisky production started in 2003, and was the first in England for 100 years. Tour the farm, brewery and museum. 2021-01-21
• Old Ale House, 7 Quay Street, TR1 2HD (just on the corner by the bus station), 50.263042°, -5.048784°, +44 1872 271122. The old ale house, is a great place to go for traditional ales and a quick game of pool. 2015-10-28
• The City Inn, Pydar St, TR1 3SP, 50.266449°, -5.056602°, +44 1872 272623. Traditional pub under the viaduct on Pydar Street. 2016-11-02
• The Rising Sun, Mitchell Hill, TR1 1ED, +44 1872 240003. A refurbished pub on Mitchell Hill. 2016-11-02
• William IV, Kenwyn St, TR1 3DJ, 50.262975°, -5.054567°, +44 1872 273334. A nice gastropub in the centre of Truro, which serves good food and fine ale, considered among the best pubs in town. 2016-11-02
• The Wig and Pen, 1 Frances St, TR1 3DP, 50.263695°, -5.055696°, +44 1872 273028. Spacious pub situated near Victoria Square, often open later at the weekends. 2016-11-02
• Try Dowr, Lemon Quay, TR1 2LW, 50.262151°, -5.050484°, +44 1872 265840. No real deviation from the Wetherspoon formula; cheap and cheerful, with no shortage of cheer, open early and late. 2016-11-02
• Bunters Bar, 58 Little Castle St, TR1 3DL, 50.263254°, -5.05531°, +44 1872 241220. A sports bar that shows the football and can get pretty lively at weekends, worth a visit. 2016-11-02

Sleep

• Mannings Hotel, 82 Lemon St, TR1 2QB, 50.262694°, -5.051337°, +44 1872 270345.
• County Arms, Highertown, 50.2612°, -5.0733°, +44 1872 273972. 2018-07-25
• The Alverton Hotel, Tregolls Rd, 50.2663°, -5.0443°, +44 1872 276633. 2018-07-25
• Premier Inn Truro, Old Carnon Hill, Carnon Downs, 50.2263°, -5.0832°, +44 871 527 9106. 2018-07-25
• The Nare, Carne Beach, Veryan-in-Roseland TR2 5PF, 50.207°, -4.939°, +44 1872 501111. Upscale hotel looking onto the bay. Visitors are divided on whether it's worth the steep price. B&B double £400 2020-06-06
• Tresanton, 27 Lower Castle Rd, St Mawes TR2 5DR, 50.158°, -5.020°, +44 1326 270055. St Mawes is the little resort facing Falmouth on the Roseland peninsula ten miles south of Truro. Tresanton is an arty upscale hotel in five houses along the hillside, great dining. B&B double £230 2020-06-09
• The Idle Rocks, Harbourside, Tredenham Rd, St Mawes TR2 5AN, 50.159°, -5.013°, +44 1326 270270. Attractive hotel on seafront of St Mawes. B&B double £150 2020-06-09
• St Mawes Hotel nearby on Harbourside is also part of Idle Rocks.
• Driftwood Hotel, Rosevine, Portscatho TR2 5EW, 50.193°, -4.970°, +44 1872 580644. Charming small hotel on coastal path, some stairs and rooms cramped, the food is outstanding. Open Feb-Dec, no dogs. B&B double £200 2020-06-11

Go next

• The A390 trunk road leads into St Austell
• First Devon & Cornwall number 14 & 18 buses run up to every fifteen minutes (this is very good for anywhere in Cornwall, even central Truro); destinations include Truro Railway Station, Camborne, and Redruth, and can be caught at the bus station on Lemon Quay or Victoria Square.
• Truro Railway Station is a short but uphill walk from the centre. InterCity trains are frequently run to Penzance and Plymouth, and less frequently to London and the Midlands. There is a half-hourly service to Falmouth all day and hourly into the evening; a single journey takes half an hour and the return fare is £4 per adult. It is quite busy in the peaks, with traffic mostly living in Falmouth and commuting to Truro. Visitors will find Falmouth Town station the most convenient of the three in Falmouth (Penmere, Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks); Penmere is a commuter stop at the back of the town on a steep hill and Falmouth Docks is beyond the town centre, though convenient for Pendennis Castle.