Perranwell

Perranwell is a village in the Fal valley, roughly midway between Truro and Falmouth. The village has a station on the Falmouth Branch Line, opened as “Perran” in 1863 and renamed “Perranwell” the following year to avoid confusion with nearby Penryn. It once had two platforms either side of a passing loop and a distinctive signal box mounted on girders above the track, though the loop and box closed in 1966; the line still provides rail connections to both towns.

The village sits within the parish of Perranarworthal, and the surrounding area is known for its wooded creeks and mild climate; lanes to the south lead down to Restronguet Creek, a wooded arm of the Fal within the parish. A few minutes away on the A39, the Norway Inn is a roadside pub built around 1828 and named for the Norwegian ships that once landed pine timber at Perran Wharf, used to shore up shafts in Cornwall’s tin and copper mines.

Trelissick Garden, a National Trust property overlooking the Fal Estuary, is about 4 miles east. The Carrick Roads waterway, the world’s third-largest natural harbour, is accessible from several points nearby. Truro is about 5 miles to the north-east and Falmouth about 4 miles to the south-east, making Perranwell a well-connected base for exploring south Cornwall.