As part of the recent Hall for Cornwall refurbishment, I was commissioned to research and write content around ten different story points as an invitation to visitors to explore the history of the Civic Hall and its place in Truro life.
Within the walls of the Hall lie stories, mysteries, anecdotes and memories. Ten different moments from the past, present and future are illustrated throughout the ground floor.
From the Origo Mundi – one of the oldest surviving play scripts in the world to how the Hall is drawing on the Cornish landscape to create an inclusive future, there’s stories and trivia to keep anyone interested in delving deeper into Truro’s past entertained.
Photos by Sean Hurlock
Like the stories of the old Fatstock shows where heavy bulls fell through rotten floorboards in the marketplace and once a scared bullock even caused havoc by charging through town, pulling a farmer behind him like a water-skier!
Or tales form when the hall was a courthouse, with transportation to Australia occasionally dished out as punishment. In 1846 Redruth labourer James Lampshire, aged 19, was charged for stealing a black mare, and 54-year-old brush maker Michael Allen on suspicion of receiving a quantity of brushes he knew to be stolen. Both were transported for 10 years.
Take a closer look around at hallforcornwall.co.uk/heritage/storypoints
Photos by Sean Hurlock
