Storypoints
Storypoints are your invitation to explore our history. Within the walls of City Hall lie stories, mysteries, anecdotes and memories. Ten different moments from our past, present and future are illustrated throughout the ground floor of Hall for Cornwall.
Take a look at our children’s Storypoints Guide for younger adventurers. This guide can be downloaded, printed or used on a mobile device.
Each illustration has been created by artist Kerry Lemon in consultation with local community groups during her residency in Truro, May 2021. The ten points each measure 30cm in diameter and are created from porcelain with a bronze and copper inlayed-material. These roundels have been set into the ground and each offer a tactile texture and jumping off point to learn more.
1: ORIGO MUNDI
Demons, nudity, dragons and dancing. Medieval Cornish theatre was quite the spectacle. How do we know? Because we have some of the oldest surviving play scripts in the world to prove it. This storypoint shows one of the circular stage diagrams from these scripts.
2: TRADE & SCHOONERS
Originally a huddle of houses on a marshy bank, direct trade links with the Atlantic turned Truro into a thriving waterside community. This storypoint features an image of a merchant schooner ship, a vessel which would once have been a common sight outside City Hall.
3: WEIGHTS & MEASURES
Weights and measures have needed to be spot on in trading in Truro since at least the 14th century. Our third storypoint shows a 1lb weight which would have been used in the courts on the upper floors of City Hall.
STORYPOINT 4: MARKETS
Bulls on the loose in the city centre might sound like something out of a Carry On film, but Truro has never been a stranger to animal antics.
6: SKATING
Skating, boxing, bazaars, fashion shows and films. Rifle shooting, exhibitions, gigs, shows and dancing the night away. City Hall has been at the beating heart of entertainment in Truro - a place for people to gather, to kick back and to enjoy.
7: ASSOCIATE ARTISTS
The stage light on this storypoint reflects Hall for Cornwall’s commitment to supporting people in enjoying and participating in the creation of theatre and the performing arts.
8: CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Miscreants, beggars and thieves once found a home in City Hall. They once stood trial here, and for a period were even imprisoned in cells that were part of the building.
9: WWII AT CITY HALL
During WW2, City Hall acted as the post exchange (PX) for thousands of American troops who were sent to Truro to prepare for the D-Day. It was a hub in more way than one.
10: FLOWER OF CORNWALL
We’re showcasing the Cornish landscape at the new Hall for Cornwall with colours and materials chosen to reflect our industrial heritage, and our natural surroundings.