Truro

Did You Know?

Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town and only city and centre for administration, leisure and retail.

The name Truro is said to have derived from the Cornish term “Tri-veru”, meaning three rivers. Three rivers can be found in Truro: the Kenwyn, the Allen and the Truro. The river Truro eventually becomes the River Fal. Another theory suggests that it derives from “Tre-uro”, meaning settlement on the river Uro.

Truro wasn’t Cornwall’s first choice for a capital, in fact it wasn’t even the second. But when Lostwithiel and Launceston gave up the reigns, it became the cultural home of Cornwall.

A settlement has existed in Truro since prehistoric times. However, it wasn't until the construction of a castle by the Normans that a small port town grew up.

During the  Civil War in the 17th century, Truro raised a sizeable force to fight for the king and a royalist mint was set up. Defeat by the Parliamentary troops came in 1646 and the mint was moved to Exeter.

Truro once had its own mint, established in the 1640s by royalists to pay the troops. A silver crown minted in Truro can now be worth as much as £1400, so check your spare change pot!

Truro is home to more than 220 acres of land declared to be part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You can find some beautiful gardens both in and near the city, including Tregothnan and Trelissick Gardens.

The 6th century inscribed stone attributed to King Arthur and now housed in the excellent Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro which has free admission. The stone was unearthed at Tintagel Castle and is part of the permanent collection of local archeological treasures. Other points of interest include a 25th Dynasty Egyptian mummy and the largest piece of liroconite ever found.

The city is famous for its impressive range of stunning architecture, featuring Gothic and Georgian styles, located down the ancient, cobbled and narrow streets of Truro. The oldest church in the city is the Kenwyn Parish Church in the northern outskirts of the city, dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries.

The Royal Cornwall Museum can be found in Truro, displaying many important artefacts from Cornish history, including the Arthur Stone.

As with the rest of Cornwall in the past, Truro was greatly boosted by the tin mining industry. While other areas mined the tin and copper, Truro became the main port in Cornwall for exporting the metals overseas from the surrounding mining towns. This port was established during the 14th century and quickly turned the (then) town into the central hub for trading in Cornwall.

With plenty of amenities for the full enjoyment of leisure and with, all around it, beautiful and historic Cornish countryside, Truro has a great deal to offer all who come to see it - be they tourists, intending residents or future industrialists. A warm welcome awaits them all.