From shopping to entertainment, gyms to restaurants, parks to hair salons, and plenty more.
With the help of some locals I have put together a growing list of things to do, and there is no cost cap on this list, but most of it will be on the cheap! While there are a couple of expensive items on the list, the majority of the options are either free or more affordable than maintaining one’s SKY privilege.
When building this list, I thought it lazy to pinpoint particular places and rather offer categories of things to do where possible (except for the markets). The point is to prove that Launceston doesn’t suck and offer something to those tempted to say it.
1.Swing Life Away
Launceston boasts a number of parks, each boasting a set of playthings. Fortunately, not all of them have an age restriction though most have an arse restriction. I wear size 22s so I’ve been relegated from the slides and swings but the see-saw welcomes me with open handles.Hitting the parks at the end of a date seems like a dodgy prospect but it’s super fun.
There is Coronation park at the leisure centre, Priory Park, Lanstephan Park, Ridgegrove Park and on the estate behind Lidl. I'm sure there are many more to explore with or without the kids.
2.Geocaching
With over 40 geocaches in Launceston, many of which require at least 3 attempts, there’s a lot to be done on the treasure hunting scene. If you’re not familiar with the concept, you should read up on it.
What really gets me going is the effort many who have placed caches put in. Learning about Launceston is exceptionally fun this way because most caches tell you about the history of the spot where the cache is hidden.
It may get pricey but fortunately there’s an opensource alternative to the official app.
3.Taste Gin
Anywhere that you can get an alcoholic drink at in Launceston, should be able to give you a selection of gins to try. Personally, it's like begging for heart-burn, but I know a few friends that LOVE a good ole G&T.
4. Take the dog for a walk
Dogs are awesome and Launceston has an infinite number of places to take them. Most people just walk dogs up their street. A simple walk to the local park and throwing a stick around is also a good go. Don’t have a dog? You may not be able to take them for walks, but you can adopt or volunteer to cuddle a cat at Cat Protection Launceston.5. Go fishing
Odds are that if you live around Launceston, you know somebody with a farm who has access to a pond somewhere but even if you don’t, there’s no despair. Adamsfield Fishery and Roadford Lake is not too far and there are a few spots in town too. http://launcestonanglers.org.uk/
What is important is that you do your homework first. One must get a licence to fish and of course, there’s the weather to watch out for. Because you’ll be making a mission to get there, take the time to make sure you get everything right before setting off.
6. Go Camping
You may think that we’re only at list item 6 and things are looking desperate but this is exceptional fun. There are a few spots around Launceston, so you don't even have to go far! Western Meadows Glamping at New Mills and Lower Dutson Farm are just two places you can get away and pretend you're somewhere else.
7. Party Up
Launceston boasts a few nighttime party venues. If you're an avid party animal, odds are you make use of maybe one or two of them. So why not check out a new place?
The obvious nightclub is Storm on the industrial estate, but there are other ways and places to get your boogie on.
Local pubs often have live music and Clubbercise is another way to dance the night away. Tuesdays at 7:30 at Launceston College and Zumba on Wednesdays at St Stephens Church Hall.
8. Best Coffee
The rise of the hipster has overrun certain aspects of Launceston and craft coffee has become more popular than craft beer. From The Little Bakehouse to No. 8, most artisan cafes offer a variety of coffees but there has also been a rise of coffee specific joints.
Liberty House at Jericho's offers a couple of good blends but if you’re keen on coffee, you can’t go wrong by hitting up other places like Bray Farm Shop, The Coffee Pot and The Greenhouse.
9.Throw a party…better yet, have somebody throw it for you
Some of the best memories of my youth happened at house parties. Because so few people throw these anymore, you could opt to do it yourself but hopefully after reading this, a couple more people might be amenable to put their house at risk.
House parties tend to be less expensive than dinner parties because you can get away with using the term “bring your own…” as opposed to cooking for everybody.
10. Launceston Lawrence House Museum
It is easily one of Launceston's forgotten greats and it’s dirt cheap (Free, in fact). And the tour guides certainly know their stuff.
Lawrence House, Launceston, is a fine Georgian house built in 1753, located in a street which John Betjeman described as ‘having the most perfect collection of 18th Century townhouses in Cornwall’. It is owned by the National Trust and leased to Launceston Town Council, who use it to house the town museum, and as a civic centre.
For those less mobile, there are albums of our first floor and basement exhibits which you can enjoy in Room 5 on the ground floor so that you won’t miss a thing.
Admission is free but donations, which support the work of the museum, would be appreciated. Disabled access to the ground floor only ( 6 rooms ).
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