Miles for The Morrab

Aim

This September, take part in or support a sponsored walk around the Penwith Peninsula to raise money for The Morrab Library

Walk the Penwith Peninsula this September to celebrate The Morrab Library and help secure its future

This September we're inviting our community to take on a unique fundraising challenge, to walk the stunning Penwith Peninsula and help protect one of Cornwall's most treasured cultural institutions.

The route covers more than 50 miles of Penwith's spectacular coastline and countryside, starting and finishing at The Morrab Library.

We've broken up the route into ten (roughly) 5 to 6 mile sections, all of which can be walked during September 2026 at your leisure, with friends, family, the dog or simply on your own in the company of the great outdoors.

You are invited to do one or all of the sections, and to participate, we kindly ask everyone to donate to the appeal and to find at least 5 friends and family to do the same. If everyone reaches just a handful of people, together we can raise the profile of our much loved library and make a significant contribution towards protecting its future.

Please let us know (by emailing [email protected]) which section(s) you would like to complete. We'll be tracking everyone's progress with pins in a map at the Morrab Library HQ.

We hope this can become more than a one-off challenge. If we all enjoy it, Miles for The Morrab could become an annual event, bringing our community together each year to explore new routes, raise vital funds, and celebrate the library.

These sections are point-to-point walks. Participants are therefore responsible for arranging their own transport between start and finish locations. Where possible we have selected routes that can be accessed by public transport.

Section 1: Morrab Library to Mousehole Harbour (4 miles)

Section 2: Mousehole Harbour to Lamorna Cove (5.2 miles)

Section 3: Lamorna Cove to Porthcurno (6 miles)

Section 4: Porthcurno to Land’s End (5.5 miles)

Section 5: Land’s End to Cape Cornwall (5.5 miles)

Section 6: Cape Cornwall to Pendeen Watch (6 miles)

Section 7: Pendeen Watch to Zennor (6.2 miles)

Section 8: Zennor to St Ives (The Island / Harbour) (6 miles)

Section 9: St Ives to Ludgvan (via St Michael's Way) (6.5 miles)

Section 10: Ludgvan to Morrab Library (via St Michael's Way) (5.5 miles)

Donate or choose a reward

You can make a simple donation, or choose one of our rewards to give your support a more personal connection to the library. From gifting a membership, sponsoring a bookshelf or helping us fund practical essentials like new reading lamps, conservation materials, or even a new Henry Hoover, every reward directly supports the day-to-day running of the Morrab.

Why crowdfunding — and why now?

Morrab Library has always been sustained by people who care; readers, volunteers, staff, trustees and supporters.

Crowdfunding allows everyone who values this special place to play a part in its future. Whether you give £10 or £1,000, you are helping to protect a shared cultural space that belongs to the whole community.

By supporting this campaign, you are saying that libraries, quiet spaces, learning and beauty still matter.

The Morrab Library

Hidden within a subtropical garden in the heart of Penzance, the Morrab Library has been a place of learning, refuge and curiosity for over a century.

Today, like many independent libraries, the Morrab faces rising costs and increasing pressure but its role as a welcoming, inclusive space has never been more important.

We’re launching this community crowdfunding appeal to help secure the library’s future, protect its historic collections and keep its doors open to everyone.

Why Morrab Library matters

Morrab Library is more than shelves of books.

It is:

• A warm, welcoming space in a time of increasing isolation
• A cultural anchor for Penzance and West Cornwall
• A haven for readers, writers, researchers, students and visitors
• A rare example of an independent subscription library surviving into the 21st century

Every week, people come through our doors to read quietly, undertake local research, escape loneliness, or simply sit among books. For many, the Morrab is a lifeline.

The challenges

Like many heritage and community institutions, Morrab Library is facing significant challenges.

Rising energy costs, building maintenance, conservation of historic books, and the day-to-day costs of keeping the library open have all increased, while access to funding remains limited.

This campaign is about resilience, not rescue. With community support now, the Morrab can remain open, accessible and financially stable for years to come.

How your support will help

Funds raised through this campaign will support:

📚 Conservation and care of our historic book collections and archives

🏛 Essential building maintenance and repairs

🔥 Heating, lighting and day-to-day running costs

🌱 Keeping the library open as a safe, welcoming public space

📖 Expanding access through events, talks and learning activities

Every contribution, large or small, directly helps protect Morrab Library’s future.

Thank you

If Morrab Library has ever inspired you, comforted you, or simply given you a quiet place to be, please consider supporting this appeal.

Donate if you can. Share if you’re able. Help us ensure Morrab Library continues to serve Penzance for generations to come.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th September 2026 at 5:00pm