Adventures around Trurowith PlusBus
The spires and arched windows of a fine late Victorian cathedral tower over the quays and cobbled alleys of Truro, southernmost city on the British mainland. A centre for river trade and later for tin mining, this area of Cornwall has some great things to see, from sparkling quartz in the museum to a riverside village in the woods. Ask for PlusBus when you buy your train ticket and you can explore all day.
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1. Royal Cornwall Museum
A room full of multicoloured rocks that celebrate the Cornish mining industries: delicately-branching copper ore, shining purple ruby cuprite and long crystals of tin ore. There is an eighteenth-century coach and an Ancient Egyptian Mummy case, Cornish gold and Roman glass. The neoclassical halls of the Royal Cornwall Museum house eclectic displays of local and international treasures.
- Jump on bus T1 from right outside the station and you’re off. One stop later, get off outside the museum. Many buses run to the museum.
- An interactive wildlife gallery explores birds and animals that live in the Cornish countryside. There are stone, metal and ceramics from Cornwall and elsewhere and paintings too on the upper floor.
- The pretty Victoria Gardens and impressive cathedral are both close by, a short walk away, through streets full of shops and cafés. The great Truro cafes near the museum include Bread and Butter and the Cornish Vegan.
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2. Skinners Brewery
With a terrace for tasting their beers and regular tours of the brewery, Skinners riverside HQ is well worth a visit. You can find out how the beer is made and enjoy a pint of Betty Stoggs on a terrace by the tidal River Truro.
- Skinners Brewery visitor centre opened its revamped tasting room and Tap Yard bar in the summer of 2021 with a big, flowery outdoor space with wooden benches.
- Inside, there are displays with old ceramic jugs and tankards, posters from the brewery’s history and a window onto the areas where the magic happens.
- Catch almost any bus from outside the railway station or museum to Truro bus station. The brewery is a five-minute walk from here.
- Exit from the bus station onto Green Street and turn left towards the carousel on the huge open quayside area. You’ll find markets here and the Hall for Cornwall for plays and concerts. The old City Hall became an entertainment venue in 1997 and a new theatre was opened there in October 2021.
- Turn left into the tunnel under the main road, left up the ramp on the far side and right along the riverside walkway. Simply stroll beside the Truro River until you see Skinners with its sign saying “More than just a Brewery”.
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3. Along the Truro River to Malpas
Trees fringe the wide estuary near the village of Malpas where the Truro and Tresillian Rivers meet. There is the Heron Inn and a café/farm shop for refreshments, views of the river, and some peaceful wooded walks beside the water. The Malpas Road is a bit busy to walk along comfortably, but there are lots of paths nearby and your PlusBus ticket is valid as far as Malpas.
- A few times a day (not Sundays) from outside the Royal Cornwall Museum, bus 496 heads along the river for fifteen minutes to Malpas. The bus passes waterside Boscawen Park with its colourful flowerbeds and great playgrounds. You can choose to get off at Sunny Corner and follow the unofficial path through ferns and tall trees on a narrow cliff above the river that runs parallel to the road.
- Look out for wading birds in the river, like oystercatchers, redshanks and curve-billed curlews. The mudflats on the Truro River are a great place for wildlife.
- The sleepy village of Malpas was once a bustling port and there are still ferries and boat trips heading to the Roseland peninsula and Tregothnan estate. You can take a trip back on a sailing barge or classic boat and see Truro from the water.
- There are more walking options: along the Tresillian River or inland over the hills like this circuit if you’re feeling really energetic. You can also simply follow the footpaths for two miles via the village of St Clement to creekside Tresillian, where regular bus 22 or bus 27 run back to Truro. Your PlusBus ticket is valid to Tresillian too.
- If you choose to stay in Malpas, perhaps lingering over a pint-with-a-view at the Heron, the afternoon buses from Malpas back to Truro currently leave at 1.30pm or 4.30pm from opposite the inn and wind through the woods and houses to Truro bus station. From here, several different buses (or a ten-minute walk) will get you back to the railway station, including bus U1, T1 and T2.
- For more car-free adventures in the area, see our Good Journey guide to Falmouth.
