Falmouth Hotel History

History of the Greenbank Hotel

Dating from 1640 the Greenbank is Falmouth’s oldest hotel and is a fascinating collection of sympathetically and beautifully restored buildings perched on the sea wall and private quay. Falmouth itself lies at the mouth of the world's third largest natural harbour and the Fal estuary's sheltered anchorage has been of strategic importance to the defence of Britain since Tudor times. Henry VIII built the twin castles of Pendennis and St Mawes to protect this anchorage.

The sea has always played a part in the history of the Greenbank Hotel. In 1688, the Post Office chose Falmouth as its principal port for handling mail and for the next 162 years the Falmouth Packets, fast and lightly armed against attack, sailed on regular schedules with mail, passengers and important cargo. Throughout this period the great Sea Captains of the day kept lodgings here whilst in the 1930’s the hotel hosted the owners of the J class yachts as they raced the waters of the Fal.

The Greenbank Hotel has had its share of famous visitors. Kenneth Grahame's classic "Wind in the Willows" began as a series of letters sent to his son. The first two were written at the Greenbank Hotel while Grahame was a guest in May 1907. Reproductions of the letters are on display in the hotel along with Florence Nightingale's entry in the register.

We often wonder how many souls have spent their last night on home soil here before descending the sweeping staircase and embarking on adventures and new lives in foreign lands? This is a place with many a story to tell. Nightlife and wildlife, landscape and seascape, history and mystery – Falmouth hotels don’t get much better than this.