Penzance, Cornwall: Holidays, St Michael's Mount, and the Pirates

St Michael's Mount, near Penzance
Image by Sheila Russell

Penzance in Cornwall, known as Pen Sans ( the Holy Headland) in Kernowek, the ancient Cornish language, is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and in England.

The town is situated in Mount's Bay and faces south-east into the English Channel, giving it a temperate climate, which is milder than most of the rest of the country. Penzance's gardens  provide a colourful backdrop to the town from early spring to Late Autumn, with many sub-tropical flowers and palm trees.

The first recorded mention of the town, under the name of Pensans, was in the Assize Roll in1284, although there is evidence of Roman remains in the area.