Falmouth is one of the best natural harbours in Northern Europe and its deep water can accommodate the largest ships, so it used to be a convenient stopping off place on the Atlantic run, and it has always had a fishing fleet. It served as the centre for the British Empire's mail service from the end of the seventeenth century, and its early strategic importance for naval purposes is reflected in the presence of two castles built by Henry VIII. Since its whole raison d'etre has revolved around its maritime past, it is certainly a legitimate place for a maritime museum, both to provide a focus for local pride and identity and to attract the visitors on which the Cornish economy now depends. Acting in tandem with Tate St lves (AR July 1993), the Eden Centre (AR August 2001) and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, it may even draw more people into the peninisula.
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