Custom House Quay King Charles Quay North Quay Quay Walls And Steps

The quay walls at Custom House Quay, King Charles Quay, and North Quay in Falmouth were built in 1670 by Peter Killigrew, with some later remodelling. They are made of vertically-set killas dry-stone rubble, constructed on quarried ledges of bedrock on the landward side. There are intervals of granite ashlar in places, with granite ashlar used at the south-east end of North Quay. The quays feature granite steps and copings linked with iron cramps, along with some cobbled areas on the quay surface.

The layout includes a slender hammer-head end at North Quay, which runs roughly parallel to the longer Custom House Quay. The latter is L-shaped, extending past the nearest point of North Quay to create a narrow channel that protects the enclosed harbour. There are recessed steps near the inner west angle of North Quay, steps on the seaward side, and an L-plan flight of steps leading to the shore. Additional steps are located near the inner and outer east angles and the seaward side of Custom House Quay, as well as at the north-west end of King Charles Quay, which faces the foreshore.

The construction of these quays, along with other 17th-century quays along the Falmouth foreshore, facilitated the town's development as a port, initially competing with other ports in the Fal Estuary and eventually becoming the most significant one. The design of the quays is said to have been inspired by Dutch examples.