Living in Falmouth

Falmouth is a port before it is a postcard. Ships, the dockyard, the marina and the chain ferry sit in a harbour that is deep enough to work in winter. Pendennis looks over the entrance. The high street climbs away from Custom House Quay, and the university brings a younger crowd in term time that the town does not have in August.

Day to day you walk more than you expect. The town is hilly, the car parks fill, and a lot of ordinary life happens up the hill in the residential streets rather than on the water. Truro is a short ride for the hospital and the bigger shops. The main line is at Truro, not on the quay.

It suits people who want neighbours, a swimming club, a maritime college and a harbour that is still used. It is a poor fit if the dream is a quiet cove with a cottage and nowhere to buy a school shoe in January.

Who it suits. People who want a real town on the water, not a village that empties in November.

The catch. Hills, wet winters, and a housing market pulled by second homes and term-time demand.