It says in the tourist material on Truro that the town was originally called Tri-Veru, meaning Three Rivers. This always puzzled me as there are only two obvious rivers that flow into the Truro River - the Allen and the Kenwyn. Recently however, not far from where I live, a thoroughfare called Tinney Drive was created. It's not exciting as roads go; it crosses a stream that our cat likes to drink from, then goes up the hill to the other side of the housing estate.
It seems the stream is the Tinney, and it's the missing 'river'! And if you think that's strange, the town of Truro is officially a city...
Located on the south-west side of Cornwall, Truro is the county's capital, with a distinctive cathedral at its centre. Truro began life as an Iron Age settlement, then a Norman castle is recorded, then a town developed around it with a market and a port. By the 12th century, copper and tin mining were well-established in Cornwall and in the 14th, Truro was one of several coinage towns - assayers for tin and copper.
For many years there was competition between Truro and Falmouth over harbour rights. Up until the mid-17th Century, Truro was the principle port of Cornwall. However politics and rivalry eventually moved shipping downriver to Falmouth. Truro continued to occupy the coinage role until the 18th century and prospered, especially throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, as mining methods improved and Truro became a fashionable place to live.
Prior to 1876, Truro was a parish, with a rather nice church as its centrepiece. Upgraded to diocese status, the first official Bishop of Truro took office in 1877 and as a result the town was declared an official City by Queen Victoria that same year. Consequently the church was upgraded to become a cathedral. One original church aisle remains.
Truro today is the centre of Cornwall's business and administration, plus a tourist attraction with many visual features of note - pretty Georgian streets, parks, public gardens and riverside walkways, the piazza (Truro's newest feature) and the Cathedral itself, the main focal point.
There are of course the usual supply of mainstream shopping areas; however Truro also has market-type environments hidden away waiting to be discovered, outdoor vendors with flowers or home crafts and pretty little side streets with specialist and old-style shops, plus a variety of places to eat catering for all tastes.
Places of interest that are well worth checking out - and I've tested them! - are the Royal Cornwall Museum on River Street (free in summer); the Cathedral at High Cross (open to the public most days, free); the City Hall and Hall for Cornwall buildings on Boscawen Street and Back Quay (municipal and theatre activities under one roof - also a flea market 3 times a week in the main foyer); the piazza on Back Quay (for sitting out and watching the world go by) and the 'Enterprise' ferry travels to Falmouth and back during the summer months - an enjoyable trip along the Truro and Fal estuaries.
My personal preferences include half an hour's free internet use at the library in Pydar Street, novelty stalls in the Pannier Market, movie night at the cinema on Lemon Street, the Hall for Cornwall has all kinds of venues from Shakespeare to panto night!, the sushi in the food hall where I work is totemo oishii (that means 'very tasty'!), the health food shop in Frances Street avoids calorific coverings on its nibbles, the main bookshop on Boscawen Street has every variety of book you could ever want, Victoria Square's pasty & bakery shop has a variety of wholesome fillings and 'Truro Bowls' at the end of St Clement's Street is a good place for a night out with the gang. Don't tell Mum about me and the pasty shop though, OK?
A town crier advertises local events and places to visit in summer. Street performers are another feature of the town. The best times to catch a performance is during the holiday months when entertainers from Britain and overseas can be found outside the Cathedral or on the piazza - such as steel bands, mimes, skiffle groups and folk singers. There are also a variety of piazza based events throughout the year which can include anything from vintage vehicles to the local farmer's market, to charity concerts and parades.
