Custom House Lane, Dec., 2005

this is the entrance to the Regent car park!! which goes off to the right...which is sadly now closed, last night of trading was 03/03/08 and yes we have got some pictures of the regent coming later... sad#

If you look at the right wall facing you, at the left edge, underneath the mortar cover is a wall of hand made bricks salvaged from a wreck on Low Lee Ledges. It sank in 1635. Believe me, I know, I spent years researching and diving it. At least some of them bricks regained their original purpose!!!

That little cottage as you turn right into the car park I wired when Ian converted it back in the 80 s.

duffy, do you mean the white wall facing or the wall on the left hand side?

I see that trepolpen has aked concerning the reason for this lane being so named. Custom House that we see now and has been converted) was built in 1812, there were two custom Houses in that same locale previously to the present building. Any building for Custom House previous to those, would have been built before Chapel Street came into being as a thoroughfare for the gentlemen and those of property, bankers, etc. It used to be a back lane, to New Street. New street was constructed around 1620 as access between the Basin Slips and the new market House of 1615. Any Custom House to deal with goods on their way to or from the Town would have been in this lane, and quite probably the lane would eventually have taken that name. Any buildings of the period of c1650 would not have been more than two stories. Since Chapel Street was re-constructed, with houses that have basements down to the bedrock around 1770, any idea that any building in Chapel street could have been a Custom House of four stories, with that form or detailing is a nonsense. I could well imagine a collection of small buildings as stores and procedure and discussion as to the custom as to the agreed rate to pay, with a small building of an office and a house, would have been in this lane. There was no Custom House in Chapel Street.

Was it a bank?

From the internal arrangements, heights and so on, to me it was what it seems, a House of very fine details and age. Eventually, if I am given time, I will have compiled a full list of the owners/occupiers of the houses of Penzance, over the years.