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

FALMOUTH

SW8132NW TOWN QUAY 843-1/8/210 Custom House Quay, King Charles Quay 10/09/68 and North Quay

GV II*

Quay walls. 1670, by Peter Killigrew and some later remodelling. Vertically-set killas dry-stone rubble, built on quarried ledges of bed-rock on the landward side; granite ashlar at intervals in places and granite ashlar used for the south-east end of North Quay; granite steps, and copings linked with iron cramps; some areas of cobbles on the quay surface. PLAN: North Quay has a slender hammer-head end. To the south-east, running roughly parallel, is the longer Custom House Quay, L-shaped on plan with its foot continuing past the nearest extremity of North Quay so as to leave a narrow channel but protecting the enclosed harbour. Recessed steps near the inner west angle of North Quay, also to the seaward side and an L-plan flight to the south-east side towards the shore, more steps near the inner and outer east angle and the seaward side of Custom House Quay; steps also to the seaward side and at the north-west end of King Charles Quay which fronts the foreshore running north-west. HISTORY: the construction of these quays, and other C17 quays along the Falmouth foreshore, enabled the development of this town as a port, first rivalling the other ports of the Fal Estuary and then becoming the most important one. Their particular construction is said to have been copied from Dutch examples.

Listing NGR: SW8110532609