His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited Penzance today (Wednesday 13 May) accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho, spending time at the Gardeners’ House in Morrab Gardens and the nearby Morrab Library.
The visit began at The Gardeners’ House, where The Duke of Gloucester met staff, volunteers and partners, and gained an insight into the organisation’s growing programme of community, heritage and wellbeing activity.
During the visit, the visitors were able to see fermentation workshops hosted by New York Times bestselling author and fermentation expert Sandor Katz, part of Fermentation, Foraging and the Field, a month-long celebration of land, food and local producers being hosted by the community charity.
The programme reflects the Gardeners’ House’s commitment to connecting people with nature, heritage and sustainable practices, bringing together local voices with internationally recognised practitioners.
Miki Ashton, director of the Gardeners’ House, said: “We were delighted to welcome The Duke of Gloucester to the Gardeners’ House. It was a pleasure to share the work we’re doing here, from our community engagement with vulnerable people in West Cornwall to events like Fermentation, Foraging and the Field..
“We were especially pleased to show our visitors the breadth of our community work here in Penwith and the passion of the people who make it possible. We very much enjoyed the opportunity to share the story of our wonderful new renovated building and garden and the impact it has on the people that use it everyday.”
Following the visit to The Gardeners’ House, The Duke and Colonel Bolitho proceeded to The Morrab Library, where they were given a tour of the historic building and its collections. The visit included a display of rare books and archive materials, offering an insight into the Library’s significant collection, as well as an opportunity to meet staff and volunteers. A light lunch was served during the visit.
Harry Spry-Leverton, Honorary Librarian at the Morrab Library, said: “It was an enormous privilege to welcome His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester to the Morrab Library today, to meet our staff and volunteers, and to inspect some of the treasures, archives and books in our collections built up over some two hundred years. The Morrab Library is Cornwall’s only independent library, one of less than fifty now across the country, and this Royal visit both confers recognition and will be remembered as a memorable and historic occasion.”
The visit highlighted the importance of Penzance’s cultural organisations in preserving heritage, supporting learning and fostering community engagement across West Cornwall.
All photos: Gavan Goulder
