As Halloween approaches, is Falmouth on the verge of becoming a ghost town?
Falmouth is nearing the title of Cornwall’s ghost town as more shops along the main street are disappearing. Marks and Spencer’s have been shut for over five years now and it still stands spookily still untouched.
The question remains: what is happening to the shops? The bigger chains, such as Wilko and the works find themselves having to move up and down the street or moving to completely different locations, this is predominantly due to crisis within funding and budget cuts.
Falmouth Mainstreet
This means that Falmouth’s town is forever changing, but some would say for the better as Falmouth allows independent businesses to generally thrive.
“Space has been made in the high street, this is exactly what Falmouth needs, it’s not just change but also progress”
Though the high-street has lost the large stores, it has pathed the way for new, independent businesses to thrive and introduce new spaces to the community. Falmouth is growing and adapting to the new generation.
However, is this leaving parts of town behind? At the top of town, by the Moor, there is a range of opportunities for different small cafes and shops to be set up. Though as you wander further down the road and hit the corner which turns on to the main street, you will notice the shops begin to disappear.
The ghost buildings of Falmouth remain untouched and abandoned after failing businesses grind to a halt for reasons within the chain. The old Marks and Spencer’s building, which has been gone since 2019, is a central building which draws your attention as you enter the shops that are left.
The old Marks and Spencers building
The shops and cafes that are left along this spooky sector, such as Café Nero and Boots, are haunted by the view of what once was.
Tourism in Cornwall brings in a vast amount of people and press each year; visiting to experience the brightly coloured streets full and thriving whilst the sun glistens down. Times have changed, as people enter the road to retail, they are “let down” by the beginning of towns attempt to impress.
For Falmouth to remain a prime tourist attraction known for its beautiful pubs and stores, it must maintain this image all the way through the street, from top to bottom. Though its high-street supplies shops to browse in, cosy cafes to grab a pastry and coffee in, it still is considered a traditional Cornish town. This means there is a gap in the market, especially as a home to Falmouth and Exeter university, inclusivity is trending and perhaps Cornwall needs to catch up.
The small businesses of town have latched on the the middle of the street and it has been drawing in attention from tourists and visitors as they venture for the new shops, rather than being safe and going to the local costa. Though, for convenience, as you begin walking from the Moor you will recognise most of the shops that meet your eyes; such as Boots, Cafe Nero and Poundland. This isn’t what non-locals come to Falmouth for.
However, after talking with the owner of ‘The Bean Hive by the Sea’ Emelye, it is clear that independent businesses can recognise that there is still hope for the resurrection of Falmouth and its quirky, but unique image. It will always have its pull factor drawing people in, so we can never say it has that ‘ghost town feeling’.
“Our town is changing, it just needs a little support and time. A little effort to bring it back to life”