Come and explore our Library's Archives
2026-03-12 10:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London) | Morrab Library
Join us once again as we delve into The Morrab Library’s archive collection to bring you some more of its treasures. The Archive Open Day will be held in the Reading Room between 10am-3pm on Thursday 12th March.
At this Open Day, you’ll be able to see a variety of fascinating items from our extensive archive collections. These include a design plan of the Morrab Gardens from 1889, Christmas cards sent to and from Lamorna Birch, pages from the minutes of the Penzance Ladies Book Club established in 1770, a scrapbook capturing information about the solar eclipse of 1999, and much, much more…
The archive collections have been donated and collected over the last 200 years and this is an opportunity to get to know about the some of the important and special items we care for.
You don’t need to book, just drop in, and if you are inspired to make a donation towards the care of these incredible collections on the day, we would be very grateful.

Free tour of The Morrab Library
2026-03-13 14:00 - 15:30, 2026-03-27 14:00 - 15:00
All are welcome to join a free guided tour of The Morrab Library every Friday at 2pm. This is an opportunity to learn more about our beautiful independent Library and the collections within.
The tour begins at 2pm, it is drop-in and there is no need to book. If you plan to bring a large group (6+ people) please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk and we will do our best to accommodate you.
For accessibility information, please click here.
We also welcome visitors to the Library at any time during our opening hours (10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday) when you are welcome to pick up a map of the Library at the front desk and explore the library

Shelter From The Storm: Cornish Saints and Winter Tales - a workshop and talk
2026-03-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Morrab Library
Join local historian Evie Bond on Saturday 14th March for a talk and workshop, as she explores the tales of Cornish saints who offered protection and guidance through wild winter weather.
Evie will talk on the legends of saints whose stories speak of storms weathered, seas calmed, and winter’s passing.
Following the presentation, and inspired by these stories, you will create small artworks using copper foil embossing.
This event offers an atmospheric blend of history, storytelling and creativity before the arrival of spring— perfect for those who love hearing unique Cornish stories.
Booking:
Tickets cost £15, including supplies for the workshop, and spaces can be booked directly with Evie via email at : cornwallhist@outlook.com

Library Talk: ‘Dartmoor Elements – the ecological poems and play extracts of Mark Beeson’ by Tom Greeves
2026-03-18 14:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
Mark Beeson (1954-2022) was trained as a classicist and primatologist. From 1989-2022 he was artistic director of Manaton & East Dartmoor Theatre (MED Theatre) which he founded. Mark’s greatest legacy is his creative and ecological writing of poetry and plays relating to Dartmoor. As long ago as 1980 his epic poem – The Walk – won a prize in an international poetry competition, where it was admired by Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney, Charles Causley and Philip Larkin.
Dartmoor Elements (published in 2025) brings together 133 of Mark’s poems and poetic play extracts, which are intimate reflections on his familiar environment of Dartmoor, drawing on decades of keen observation of his surroundings and of the creatures (both animal and human) who inhabit it, as well as on his deep knowledge of the moor’s folklore and culture. With Gillian Webster, Tom Greeves edited Dartmoor Elements, which forms the most significant collection of Dartmoor poetry ever published. The poems are accessible and often deeply moving, and contain much ecological wisdom.
TICKETS
Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or telephone 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot.The balot closes on Monday 9th March.
Entery to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support the library (suggested £5).
Refrehments will be provided after the talk.

No tour of The Morrab Library
2026-03-20 14:00 - 15:00
There is no free tour of the Library today as we prepare for our Spring Fair. We hope to see you there!

The Morrab Library Spring Fair
2026-03-21 10:00 - 14:00 | morrab gardens
We hope you can join us for the Morrab Library Spring Fair, taking place on Saturday 21st March from 10am until 2pm.
As ever, there will be stalls throughout the Library (inside and out!) featuring local makers showcasing their crafts, as well as many plants, second-hand books and historic photos for sale, alongside our raffle. The much-loved refreshments room will return with delicious homemade cakes.
Some of the stalls will be cash only, so please bring some change along with you to help support your library.
Members and non-members alike are all welcome, so please bring friends and family along too.
We hope to see you there!

The Cornish Hedge Project
2026-03-24 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-07 10:00 - 12:00
The Cornish Hedge Project – A Community Textile Project with Vicks Harrison.

This project will produce 4 x panels 1.5 metres long(ish) representing the 4 seasons. Each panel will be made in 4 horizontal strips representing the wall, the area above and behind the wall, the ditch or area below the wall and a narrow strip with the creatures that exist in the soil, The project will be made step by step starting with Autumn in January 2026.

A diverse range of skills will be taught and used from simple expressive embroidery stitches to a variety of fabric manipulation. The emphasis will be on hand stitch skills. There will be teaching workshops for expressive embroidery stitches, padded applique, flat hand applique, 3d elements, like birds, padded worms, making a variety of cords and fabric manipulation.

The project is designed to help participants learn more about the importance of Cornish hedges and develop a wide range of design and hand stitch skills.

The project will take its inspiration from Cornish hedges so will involve an element of research for the participants. For those that are able I will be encouraging participants to go out and take photographs or draw. There may be some organised field trips.

Each panel will be given a seasonal feel by reflecting the actual flora and fauna present in that season in and around a Cornish hedge. There may be stuffed birds flying overhead.

Programme Start – Morrab Library all 10am – 12 unless indicated otherwise

27th January – Launch of project – Taster paper collage workshop looking at things like lichens and mosses that grow on the wall . Participants will be given pieces of the wall to begin embroidering

10th February – Taster How to turn stitches into expressive stitches. Textured stitches for mosses and lichens and a look at the kinds of unusual threads we can use.

24th February – Session working on the pieces we have begun

10th March – Making the dimensional ivy leaves. This will be an introduction to how we will make the ivy leaves. There will be many leaves and both flowers and berries moving across the panel and onto the start of the second panel.

24th March – Session working on the pieces we have begun

7th April – Collage workshop – paper collage birds – learning to design with paper collage. We will also begin to look at the creatures we will make for the ivy.

Relaxed Book Group at The Morrab Library
2026-03-31 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-28 14:00 - 15:00
About the group:
A friendly group for anyone who loves books but doesn’t want the pressure of a traditional book club.
Rather than reading a specific book, we share what’s on our bookshelf or simply come for tea, biscuits and company in the beautiful book-filled atmosphere of The Morrab library.
No library membership is required and there’s no compulsory reading list.
Audiobook listeners are just as welcome as traditional readers.
We explore all types of books, swap books and share recommendations. Our discussions focus on what we’re looking for in a book and whether and when, we’ve found it.
When: The last Tuesday of the month, from 2pm-3pm. The first session will take place on Tuesday 25th March
Where: The Morrab Library, Morrab Gardens, Penzance, TR18 4DA
How to book: To join the group contact Jo Buckingham by email jo.buckingham.palace@gmail.com
Suggested donation £3.
About the group leader:
Joanna Buckingham started her first relaxed book group with friends in 2019 and got the idea of starting one at Morrab Library when working as a social prescriber as a way of creating supportive communities.
She loves the camaraderie and support of doing things in groups and the immersive experience of reading. She loves reading widely across many genres.
She’s organised group events and experiences in such diverse locations as tall ships and tin mines.
Joanna has set up and supported numerous groups whilst working in the museum and adventurous activity industry and as a social prescriber.
She is a level 3 trained counsellor and knows the importance of both being a good listener and having a good book to fall back on in times of need (Cold Comfort farm by Stella Gibbons always works for her)

Library Talks l Lewis Carroll: Strange but True with Sarah Menage
2026-04-01 14:00 - 15:00
Our next Library talk will be with Sarah Menage entitled “Lewis Carroll: Strange but True“. This will take place in the Reading Room from 2pm-3pm on Wednesday 1st April.
We all know who wrote Alice in Wonderland! Or do we?
Following her challenge to Shakespearean orthodoxy, performer, song-writer and novelist, Sarah Menage invites you to follow her down the Carrollian rabbit hole, to examine popular assumptions about another fascinating literary genius.
Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 23rd March.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5).

Library Closed for Easter
2026-04-03 - 2026-04-04

No tour of the Library this Friday
2026-04-03 14:00 - 15:00
There will be no tour of the Library this Friday as we are closed for Easter.

Free tour of The Morrab Library
2026-04-10 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-17 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-24 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-01 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-08 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-15 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-22 14:00 - 15:00
All are welcome to join a free guided tour of The Morrab Library every Friday at 2pm. This is an opportunity to learn more about our beautiful independent Library and the collections within.
The tour begins at 2pm, it is drop-in and there is no need to book. If you plan to bring a large group (6+ people) please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk and we will do our best to accommodate you.
For accessibility information, please click here.
We also welcome visitors to the Library at any time during our opening hours (10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday) when you are welcome to pick up a map of the Library at the front desk and explore the library.

Kernow to the Crystal Palace: Mary Kelynack’s Extraordinary Journey - a talk from Pamela Vass.
2026-04-15 14:00 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
In August 1851 a curiously dressed, elderly woman was seen trudging along Southampton High Street. Passers by couldn’t fail to notice her, she wore a huge beaver bonnet and carried a corracle-like basket on her back. She was a Cornish fisherwoman, she said, in her 84th year, and was walking to London from the Land’s End to see the Great Exhibition.

Mary Kelynack spent her entire life in the small community of Newlyn in the far west of Cornwall. Yet she became so inspired by the wonders of the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace that she resolved to go. Travelling by steamer, coach or train was beyond her means but there was one thing she could do – walk.

Before long she had become quite a celebrity – noticed at the Great Exhibition, taking tea with the Lord Mayor, interviewed by the Illustrated London News, modelled by a famous sculptor, having a song and a polka named after her… and even greeting the Queen.

This illustrated presentation reveals the truth behind the Cornish legend that is Mary Kelynack, covering her extraordinary journey, her adventures in London and her final, and previously unreported, adventure.
TICKETS

Tickets are allocated by a ballot system.

Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 6th April.

Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5).

Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Copies of Pamela’s book will be sold at the talk.

Super 'Spring' Storytime with Jak Stringer
2026-04-16 10:30 - 12:30
The amazing true story of Mr Ellis and the boat he built in his Cornish back yard in 1906. He had never built a boat before, but from old planks, boxes and the help of the community, something incredible happened! This session includes super fun activities such as building boats, sailing them on water, painting our community, and weaving fishing nets.
Super Storytime is a journey for 4 to 8-year-olds but there will be refreshments for the grown-ups they bring along. Booking is essential so please let us know if you would like to join us so we can make sure we have enough cake!
Contact us at enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or telephone 01736 364474 to book a place. Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5).

A Cornish Geek l T Shirt painting workshop
2026-04-18 13:30 - 15:30
Join Emma, aka A Cornish Geek, for a family-friendly afternoon of creative wellbeing. Drop in from 1.30-3.30pm to paint a t-shirt (sizes 3-4 years up to adult XXL) and learn more about journaling for all ages. £5/person. T-shirts are an additional £4.
Find out more about Emma’s work here: https://acornishgeek.com/

Library closed for filming
2026-04-28 - 2026-05-01
The Library will be closed for a filming project.

No Library tour this Friday
2026-05-01
There will be no Library tour on Friday as the Library is closed for a filming project.

The Morrab Library's AGM 2026
2026-05-11 10:30 - 12:00 | The Lugger Hotel, Marine Terrace, Penzance, TR18 4DL, United Kingdom
The Annual General Meeting of The Morrab Library will take place on Monday 11th May, 2026 at 11.00am at the Lugger Inn Hotel, Marine Terrace, Penzance TR18 4DL.
Refreshments will be served from 10.30am, when you will have the opportunity to meet and chat with the Trustees.
The business of the meeting will be to present the annual statement of accounts for The Morrab Library, to appoint the examining accountants and to elect new trustees (Find out more about our Trustees here: https://morrablibrary.org.uk/trustee/ ). You can view the Agenda here.
An extract from the accounts which will form the basis of the Honorary Treasurer’s presentation can be viewed here. You can access a full copy of the library accounts via the Charity Commission by clicking on this link.
A copy of the Draft Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of 2025, which require approval at this meeting, can be viewed by clicking on this link.
The window of opportunity to apply for a Proxy vote has now closed.
Please remember that you must be a current member to be able to vote, and it is only possible for one member to vote per subscription.
We look forward to welcoming you to the AGM this year.

Library Talks l Sea Marked: Throwing a line to a coastal past with Linda Cracknell
2026-05-13 14:00 - 15:00
Our next Library talk will be with Linda Cracknell entitled “Sea Marked: Throwing a Line to a Coastal Past“. This will take place in the Reading Room from 2pm to 3pm on Wednesday 13th May.
Linda Cracknell will tell the inside story of her most recent book ‘Sea Marked: Throwing a Line to a Coastal Past’.
It begins with her mother (Jenny Scanlan, a previous Honorary Librarian at Morrab Library) taking the helm of historic West Country coastal trading ship, Bessie Ellen, across Mount’s Bay. This prompts an adventure in search of their shared sea-ancestry in North Devon.
It takes a number of years, and includes travelling waters and shores between the islands of Orkney and Scilly as well as delving into archives and examining the emotional cargo, in particular for women, of ‘sea-determined lives’ through the generations.
‘A richly textured melding of memoir and social history’, Linda will illustrate the story told in the book with photographs.
Copies of Linda’s book are available for sale through our friends from Edge of the World afterwards too.
Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 4th May.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5).

Emma Farley Stationary Week workshops
2026-05-15 - 2026-05-16
Celebrate National Stationery Week with me!
Join me for two days of creative fun at The Morrab Library with hands-on workshops featuring journaling, lettering, and lots of epic freebies!
15 May – Adults Day (£8 per workshop)
10:00 Morning pages journaling with Studio Pens Ltd
11:05 Dip pen calligraphy with Manuscript Pen Company Ltd
12:10 Blended brush lettering with Pentel UK
13:40 Ikigai journaling with Under the Rowan Trees
14:45 Colourful journaling with STAEDTLER
Over £100 worth of stationery freebies!
Hot drinks provided (bring a packed lunch if staying all day)
16 May – Family Day (£5 per person)
Perfect for all ages (children must be accompanied):
10:30 Journaling workshop with STAEDTLER
11:30 T-shirt painting (2 sessions)
Over £50 worth of freebies!
Booking is essential – email e.farley27@gmail.com
Come and get creative, try something new, and celebrate the joy of stationery

Library Talks I A History of the Penzance Moyles in 25 Objects with Vyvyen Brendon
2026-05-23 10:30 - 11:30
Our next Library talk will be with Vyvyen Brendon entitled “A History of the Penzance Moyles in 25 Objects”. This will take place in the Reading Room from 10:30am to 11:30am on Saturday 23rd May.
This talk focuses on the large Penzance family of Vyvyen’s great-great-grandfather, John Grenfell Moyle.
Following the example of Neil MacGregor’s radio series ‘A History of the World in 100 Objects’, she will tell the story of her forebears through 25 artefacts presented on Powerpoint.
Some are family mementoes which she has now returned to their places of origin, to be housed in the Morrab Library, Penlee House or the Isles of Scilly Museum. Others are treasure trove which she has retrieved by various means.
These ‘signals from the past’ cast light on the people who used them and on the world in which they lived. They may puzzle, surprise, delight or even shock us.
Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Thursday 14th May.
Copies of Vyvyen’s book will be available for purchase after the talk.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5).
