The Chain Locker, Falmouth, Cornwall: hotel review
Once the haunt of drunken sailors, this 17th-century inn has been faithfully restored, and makes a great base in one of Cornwall’s liveliest towns
We were welcomed to the Chain Locker by a multitude of warm smiles. Well, that’s how it felt, as we stumbled out of the gales and driving rain heralding Storm Brian on a Friday evening, and into a packed bar. The whole of Falmouth seemed to be well into its cups.
In 1688, Falmouth was designated England’s Royal Mail Packet Station, with a monopoly on handling mail to all corners of the empire. The Chain Locker, then called the Marine Hotel, was a boozer with a few dank beds for sailors who manned the swift mail ships.
