I was a little surprised when the kids suggested the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre at Charlestown as their wet day suggestion.  It turned out they were attracted by references to the most recent Titanic film.  The centre has the necklace worn by Kate Winslet on display!

Getting There

Charlestown is a small town on the South Cornish coast.  It’s not difficult to find or get to, being just a stones throw off the main A380.  Even today though (Thursday in July), the town was remarkably busy.

Aerial View of Charleston

On the way into the town there were a large number of cars parked on the road.  Presumably this was to avoid paying for parking but the distance involved would be too far for anyone with mobility problems.

Down by the harbour were two quite large car parks.  Other than this, all parking is reserved for local residents.

I didn’t fancy trying to park the motorhome in either of the car parks so I managed to find some double yellow lines just outside the Centre.  There was certainly plenty of room without causing an obstruction but there wasn’t room for many vehicles.  Both the car parks were within a reasonable distance of the Centre, so it should have been easy if we had a car!  Unfortunately I cannot comment on spaces or cost of the car park.

Access To The Centre

Considering where this centre is built and the way it incorporates some of the tunnels used to load ships in the harbour, they have done a remarkable job of making the centre accessible.

At the entrance were two manual wheelchairs for loan.  Due to problems with my own chair, I took advantage of this service and found the chair more than adequate for the purpose.

There is one flight of steps on the route round but an alternative, Disabled route, is well signposted.  Since you can get to both the bottom and the top of these stairs there is nothing missed by using this alternative route.  In fact the only inaccessible exhibit is the ex-RNLI Lifeboat at the beginning.  It’s easy enough to hear the description through the loud speakers but not possible to climb the stairs to see inside.

The main section of the centre has no steps, just ramps.  However, some of these ramps are steep and have to be negotiated going up and down.  For this reason I would advise that a fit helper be available, just in case!

What’s To See?

Image via Wikipedia

The Heritage Centre has a number of displays depicting life in a Cornish port town over the years.  There are also displays and information about the local China Clay quarry and how the clay was transferred to boats in Charlestown harbour before being taken all over the world.

On the Shipwreck side, there is a big collection of artefacts from various wrecks including the Lusitania, HMS Edinburgh and a wide range of British and foreign military and trading vessels.  The wrecks featured go back at least as far as the Mary Rose and come right up to the present day.

As mentioned earlier, Kate Winslet’s necklace, The Heart of the Ocean is given pride of place on the Titanic display.  This is despite the fact that the necklace was never on the Titanic and certainly had nothing to do with it sinking!

In addition to the necklace, there are a number of objects that do come from Titanic!

Admission Costs

Adults – £5.95
Concession (inc. Disabled) – £3.95
Children – £2.95  –  Under 10′s are free with a full paying adult.

We also had a £1 voucher from a Cornwall “holiday guide”.

So, £11.85 for my family plus £1.50 for a guide book.  Tickets are valid all day, so you can leave and return if you wish.

Conclusions

I think the kids made a good call choosing the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre.  If you have an interest in the sea and all things on/in it, then there is bound to be something of interest for you here.

The kids were given a quiz sheet on entry that kept them amused.  Without it, I think they might have struggled to maintain interest right to the end.

Access was good throughout but a fit carer would be a definite bonus to help with some of the steeper ramps.

Car parking was reasonably close but very tricky for anything bigger than a car.  The double yellows I parked on would only manage a couple of vehicles.

Overall I think the centre offers good value for money.  It was interesting and engaging, easy to get about and the kids enjoyed it too!

Over to You

Have you been to the Charlestown Shipwreck and Heritage Centre?  Is there anywhere else in Cornwall worth a visit?  Let us know your thoughts.