Most Festival films showing at the Museum have a local connection, but this one takes us to a special landscape in Cornwall, exploring a humble yet beautiful heritage craft tradition.

The historic Penwith Gate is at least 150 years old. Made by local blacksmiths at a time pre-dating arc welding, it is held together simply by nuts, and decorated with purely ornamental scrolls on the top bar. Artist Blacksmith Peter Parkinson considers it a design classic, a perfect example of form following function. It came to be called the Penwith Gate because it was made exclusively on the Land’s End Peninsula in Cornwall.

Peter shares his passion for the Penwith Gate in this 43 minute documentary: “To me these everyday objects are works of art and deserve to be recognised as such.”

Completed in 2024 by A38 Films, the film premiered at Newlyn Filmhouse in April 2025. It first showed in Stroud last September as part of the British Artist Blacksmiths Association Conference, linked to the Earth Fire Iron exhibition celebrating local Artist Blacksmith Alan Evans.

After the film you are invited to join directors Mick and Peter, and Peter Harper and Lesley Greene, for a Q&A - a chance to share your thoughts on heritage crafts and the benefits of good design.

 The Penwith Gate: 43 minute documentary, Directed by Mick Catmull, A38 Films

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