Trenance Heritage Cottages

Serving up a slice of Old Newquay is Trenance Cottages, a trio of beautifully renovated, Grade II listed, Cornish cottages that are open to the public and free to enter – the only such row of pre-railway age dwellings found in Cornwall! 

Situated in the heart of the tranquil and award-winning Trenance Gardens, Trenance Cottages have been lovingly preserved, protected, and improved by a group of volunteers who have saved a piece of history to create a special visitor experience.  Just a short walk from the River Gannel and the Rose Gardens, this quaint trio of cottages offer a detailed insight into Newquay’s heritage. Built on the site of an old malthouse, the dwellings now offer a unique attraction where visitors can learn, relax, and unwind in an iconic setting away from the hustle and bustle of the beaches and town centre.  Or even get married!

The Cottages - a snapshot in time

Exploring the homesteads of Vine, Middle and Rose Cottage, one is invited to step back in time to experience the way Cornish ancestors once lived.   From the life of a lifeboat coxswain who would have climbed a steep hill before heading to sea, to the elderly spinster who fell through the ceiling in her bed one day, the museum contains a splendid collection of artefacts and information about the lives of past inhabitants.  The museum explores their family heritage and includes reference to the life of an evacuee who enjoyed six years in a garden paradise far from the London Blitz which threatened her home.

Careful thought has been given to the furnishings to give the cottages a 1920s and earlier feel.  Two of the heritage rooms still have the original cooking ranges in situ.  Upstairs there is a charming bedroom that shows off splendid brass bed-knobs which were popularly big enough to enclose messages of love between romantic partners! And the newly created Children’s Bedroom is set up as a replica of the bedroom that was once occupied by London evacuee, Mavis Fernee for six years between 1941 and 1947. 

The bedroom contains an accordion like the one Mavis’s father gave her, a doll in blue knitted outfit, an alphabet book and even a child’s gas mask like the one she arrived with on the train. Centrepiece is an authentic 1944 Triang dolls house, which was lovingly restored by the Charity, Trenance Cottages Newquay, who own and manage the site.  Mavis’s story is told in a panel on the wall and, quite a surprise as one enters the room, there is a short piece of audio in which Mavis describes her magical life, playing in the gardens and even climbing trees. “Not being an elegant child, I was something of a tomboy”. Fortunately, she does not repeat any of the ‘colourful language’ she brought down from the big city!

The museum gives visitors an opportunity to listen to other recordings from Newquay residents as well, all of whom recall their life and events, some from more than 100 years ago when the town was little more than a fishing village.  Visitors can also view artefacts from the 1900s, learn about the buildings’ history, and play a beautifully restored pianola!  All of this whilst reminiscing about the development of tourism in the town and celebrating the ongoing work of the charity and its army of magnificent volunteers who keep the cottages alive, all year round.