Paradise in Penzance

Cool harbour dips and geothermal waters: Ella Foote explores this arty Cornish town.

I am ashamed to say that Penzance has never really been a destination for me. Growing up on the Great Western Railway line, I knew it as the place you ended up if you fell asleep on the train home from London. Or more commonly, as a place for pirates. The last time I was in Penzance it was to use the local laundrette, Suds & Surf, to ensure I had dry, clean kit for the second half of a campervan trip. Paranoid that someone would steal my favourite swim stuff, I didn’t stray too far from the laundry, so I barely explored the town.

The only other time I had ventured to the south-western town was when I met with the Battery Belles and Buoys swimming group four years ago. Even then, it was while I was passing through to somewhere else. Until recently Penzance was a useful place to connect to other places in Cornwall and I didn’t imagine it to be much more than that. 

Taking the train, despite the climate crisis, isn’t something I do often either. But there is something quite romantic about a long train trip. I had forgotten the simple joy of sitting back and watching the landscape, without having to worry about traffic jams or reading maps. London to Penzance is an investment of time and money, but one that pays off as soon as the train rolls out of Reading and thrusts you into the countryside. There is a real thrill at the first sight of the sea when the train curls around the Dawlish coast and ducks under the red stone cliffs; you can feel your stress ease the closer you crawl towards Cornwall. By the time you reach the Tamar Bridge, it feels like you are almost there, despite having another hour or so to go.

Boutique hotel, Chapel House

Like many Cornish towns, Penzance has transformed over many years. The name is derived from the Cornish words Penn Sans, meaning holy headland. It is believed the name comes from a chapel built on the western headland. Seems fitting as I am heading for Chapel Street to stay at Chapel House.

The boutique hotel is home to Susan Stuart who renovated the property and opened the business in 2015. In its first year Chapel House was awarded best B&B in the UK in The Sunday Times ‘Ultimate 100 Hotels’ list and on entering through the front door I can see why. It feels like being welcomed into an old friend’s house.

Two large rooms with comfortable sofas, marble fireplaces and 11 feet high ceilings draw you in from the wild Cornish wind. Homely smells waft up from the kitchen downstairs and incredible light floods through large windows despite the grey clouds outside. I can understand why this was home to The Penzance Arts Club before Susan took it over. I am shown to a room on the top floor, where white painted wooden floors lead me to a warm and cosy space with a sea view.

Jubilee Pool: a seawater lido and geothermal pool

A short walk from Chapel House is the famous Jubilee Pool, the largest surviving seawater lido in Britain. Opened in 1935, the pool is fed by the sea and often is a victim to it too. In 2014, after significant storm damage, it was restored and became a community run enterprise. In 2020, after £1.8 million investment, a geothermal pool was opened too; the first of its kind in the UK. The geothermal water enables year-round opening and offers a more relaxing experience at 30oC temperature. The pool café and shop also make it a great destination year-round.

In the strong wind, the warm waters of the geothermal pool offer a welcome place to submerge my shoulders and wash away the train journey. Despite the weather, typical for the time of year, it is still a spectacular place to visit. Cool sea air and warm water is a great combination.

As night falls thoughts turn to food and Penzance has a lot to offer. As well as the usual Cornish produce there are several highly rated restaurants, too. The Tolcarne Inn, sheltering behind the sea wall near Newlyn’s fish market, offers fresh fish dishes produced by Chef Ben Tunnicliffe. A chalkboard displays catches of the day spun into delicious meals. Despite the difficulties facing the hospitality industry, Ben is determined to offer value and quality, encouraging people to support their local pubs and restaurants.

Home-made bread and pillow-soft scallops satisfy my hunger briefly before I move onto plump hake fillets with mushrooms and broccoli. The fish is so fresh it’s like it jumped straight out of the sea onto my plate.

A brisk dip in the harbour 

The sound of seagulls stir me awake the next morning as the sun rises to create a pink sky. I join other Chapel House guests for a morning swim before breakfast, guided by Kate Jamieson who works with Susan at the hotel. 

We follow Kate to the sea in our hotel-loaned DryRobes and strip off with the locals for a cold- water fix. Kate is also an artist, and her work adorns the walls of the kitchen. In fact the whole of Chapel House displays excellent artwork, all of which can be purchased and so it’s ever changing.

Breakfast is an indulgent offering from fresh fruit, yoghurt and pastries to local smoked bacon, black pudding, sausages and fresh eggs. Susan and her team whip up everything we eat in the stylish kitchen as we sit adjacent enjoying the chat and performance of it all. Everything is outstanding.

Chapel Street is home to an incredible selection of independent shops. A few doors away from Chapel House you can browse local art, makers and brands. Swimming bags, towels and kit or watery inspired gifts, there is so much to see and buy. Local shopkeepers offer stories and tales behind products and their brands.

Sun soaks the streets, but black clouds loom and a desire to plunge into the hot tub at Chapel House is overwhelming. Between the ground floor and kitchen, there’s an entrance to the garden where a sauna and hot tub awaits. Overripe pears hang off a wintering tree and the last blooms of the year display bright petals as I dip between the sauna and hot tub, the sea breeze in my hair.

There is an option to have a treatment while I stay and more delicious food to come. Have I found paradise in Penzance? I watch starlings swoop and shape above me in the sky and wonder when I can return.

Plan your trip to Penzance

A two-night package at Chapel House Retreat includes:

• B&B, unlimited tea/coffee/cake and an early evening drink
• Guided early morning swim (each day)
• One geothermal pool session
• One spa treatment
• Unlimited access to sauna and hot tub
• Manifestation session
• One lunchtime meal

From £600 single occupancy; from £900 double

This article is from the January 2023 issue of Outdoor Swimmer. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.