Located in the heart of Redruth and next door to the Penventon Park Hotel lies, Kresen Kernow, Cornwall’s brand new state-of-the-art archive centre. Previously the Brewhouse of the former Redruth Brewery, the incredible building is a new public space for Cornwall. With bright research rooms, exhibition space, learning rooms and over 850 years of history, Kresen Kernow stands as the world’s largest collection of books, maps, documents and photographs related to Cornwall’s history.
Whether you want to research your family history, browse an exhibition or explore the archives with your family, Kresen Kernow is the place for you. Kresen Kernow is home to more than a million documents that have been developed over the last 60 years and should cover every area of ancestry line in Cornwall, and the people connected to it.
Considering there’s so much to discover the archive and local studies centre offers a number of handy guides to get you started as well as on hand support. Along with family records the centre holds documents about agriculture, art and mining to Cornish language, business records and crime. There are also plenty of interactive features for the younger ones in the family to enjoy and learn from.
Recently some of our Penventon Park Hotel team visited the archive centre and were ecstatic to discover that the hotel features across some of the displays. We did our own research into the history of the Penventon Park Hotel and can’t wait to find out more! Here’s what we found…
Since 1867 Sir Arthur and Lady Edith Carkeek took over the residence of The Penventon House. The Penventon became frequented with wealthy and influential local titled families, who enjoyed attending garden events at the grounds, consisting of tea treats, the playing of instruments by a local band and marquee events. Sir Arthur and Lady Edith were the last residents to occupy The Penventon as a private home. Lady Edith was a vivacious lady who entertained extensively and gave soirees in the music room.
Everyone is welcome to carry out research in the archive and library spaces and there is no need to book ahead. There is however the option to pre-order documents before your visit if you know exactly what you’re looking for. Kresen Kernow is open from 9.30am – 4.30pm from Tuesday – Saturday and the centre is fully accessible. You may also bring your own devices such as tablets and laptops as WIFI is available throughout the whole of the building.
The Penventon Park Hotel sits proudly next door to Kresen Kernow, making our hotel the perfect place to stay whilst you delve into the realms of Cornish and family history. Make sure to check their website for up-coming exhibitions before planning your trip! To book now visit www.penventon.co.uk and visit kresenkernow.org for more information
