| An icon to
match its location
©
Bob Berry |
In the 1880s Falmouth received the second highest annual total
of pilotage fees of any port in the UK, and the town was so important
internationally that 25 foreign consuls were based there.
Now, 120 years later, Falmouth is seeing its renaissance with the
opening of National Maritime Museum Cornwall, a world-class attraction
which achieves that 21st century goal of combining enjoyment with
education, interactivity with entertainment, and history with a
gaze into the future.
National Maritime Museum Cornwall is not only a landmark, but also
a watermark - reflecting Falmouth’s position as one of the
world’s premier harbours and sailing venues.
It is the centrepiece of an international leisure/tourism complex,
which wraps around a new waterside piazza holding up to 4,000 people,
created for concerts, exhibitions and major events. It will include
restaurants, shops and cafes. Also under development is an off-site
boat store and restoration facility plus a Park and Ride / Park
and Float scheme.
The magnificent harbourside building is designed by award winning
architects Long & Kentish to blend with and enhance the surroundings.
Its exterior oak-cladding reflects the history of wooden boat sheds
in the area, whilst its shape, form and orientation take full account
of its location between Falmouth’s historic buildings and
the ships and warehouses to be found in the docks. Internally, the
building has been custom-designed to bring to life the stories of
boats, maritime themes and Cornwall’s heritage, with an array
of small and large galleries unlike no other in the world.
Nowhere else in the country has such an intimate relationship with
the sea. Few other places in the world have such a long and proud
maritime history. And the Museum is committed to exploring that
relationship and history in ways that will captivate the hearts
and minds of all kinds of visitor, whatever their age, knowledge
or background.
For the very first time visitors will be able to see changing displays
from the National Small Boat Collection, donated by the National
Maritime Museum, Greenwich, of 150 historic and contemporary craft,
as well as hearing some of the human stories behind them. Boats
have a universal appeal, stretching back to a childhood fascination
with water and things that float, the why or when of the tides,
and how sailors know where to go.
But this isn’t just the story of boats and other inanimate
objects – it is the story of people, of the lives and times
of those who made and sailed them. There are boats used for war,
exploration, survival, work, competition, leisure and pleasure…from
the Inuit kayak, a deadly hunter’s tool of skin and driftwood,
with an unbroken pedigree stretching back 10,000 years, to the Mirror
dinghy, as much a part of the ‘60s social revolution as the
Mini car, the Pill, and Pop.
The Museum has sought the brightest minds available to tell the
stories within its walls; architects, builders, curators, woodworkers,
artists, designers, shipwrights, researchers, writers, film-makers,
digital imagers, computer programmers. The result is an experience
to compare with the best in the world, with 12 state-of-the-art
galleries each focusing on unique aspects of maritime life, combined
in a custom-designed architectural masterpiece on Falmouth’s
harbourfront.
By way of taster, there’s:
Set Sail - Experience racing in a regatta, the
fury of a storm at sea, or the relaxing calm of an estuary at dawn,
as visitors set off on their voyage around the Museum. Nine boats
tell their stories in an audio-visual immersive experience. Film
footage, sound tracks and still images, interviews with famous sailors
and designers - all vividly bring to life the stories of the boats
and the people that use them.
Flotilla - a magnificent ‘canyon-like’
gallery where visitors can take a close look at a selection of boats,
hanging in the air like the world’s largest boat mobile. For
2002/3, 27 boats highlight the diversity of the maritime life -
boats used for racing, work, pleasure, rescue; boats from around
the world, boats designed for specific purposes, boats used by famous
people … and every year the display will change to focus on
a different theme and provide fresh interest for repeat visitors.
Waterfront - Visitors can put theory into practice
in the Waterfront. Here a large pool with inbuilt fans blows wind
across the water, giving visitors the chance to try their hand at
sailing a radio-controlled boat up and down the pool, or race around
a course.
Tidal Zone - Nowhere else in the British Isles
can visitors experience life under the sea like this! In the Tidal
Zone you go underwater and look out into the harbour through 2 large
windows – if you stand there long enough you’ll see
the tide rise and fall! Visitors might even catch a glimpse of a
cormorant diving after a fish, see what a boat looks like from under
the water, or a conger eel on the hunt…
Nav-station - has something for all ages. Visitors
can try their hand at steering a boat through narrow channels; launch
a boat against the tide and try to get to the harbour; watch a weather
system pass over, find out the facts behind weather lore sayings.
Cornwall Galleries – Nowhere in Cornwall
is more than 16 miles from the coast. The Cornish people have always
had strong connections with the sea and in these galleries Cornwall’s
unique maritime heritage can be explored over three floors, each
focusing on different aspects of industry, work and communications.
That’s just a few highlights of the Museum’s range
of displays. There are many more, with comprehensive additional
information on the experience and visiting information to be found
on the Museum’s new website at www.nmmc.co.uk.
HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh were clearly impressed
when they previewed the Museum in May 2002 at the start of their
Golden Jubilee tour. We are sure you will share their enthusiasm.
The Museum opened on the 4 December 2002 for ‘Sea Trials’,
offering free entry 5 days a week, Wednesday to Sunday, until February
19. It celebrated its official opening by the Duke of York on 14
March and will begin to charge for entry from Wednesday 19 February.
Note to Editors: New photography available
Funding for National Maritime Museum Cornwall has come from the
South West Regional Development Agency, the Heritage Lottery Fund,
the European Regional Development Fund under the 5b funding programme
and National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, with additional support
from individuals and corporate sponsors.
For further information, please contact:
Tamsin Loveless,
Corporate Relations Manager
Tel: 01326 214536/313388
E-mail: tamsinloveless@nmmc.co.uk
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