Penlee House Art Gallery & Museum will introduce the visitor to painters from the Newlyn School of Art (an art colony that existed in Newlyn, a fishing village adjacent to Penzance, from the 1880s until the early years of the twentieth century. It was similar to groups like the Barbizon School in France, and the "en plein eir" movement in Calfornia). With this close a focus, you won't be surprised that the collection isn't huge, but it does include major works by regional painters like Stanhope Forbes.

The admission price is UKP 5 (single adult), which seems reasonable. The concession price is UKP 4.

The permanent Newlyn School display covers the second floor, where you will also find some small rooms with archaeological artefacts and objects from Penzance/Newlyn's social history, as well as photographic exhibits.

When I visited, there was a temporary exhibition on over 70 works by SJ "Lamorna" Birch (1869-1955, see photos), a self-taught but talented (mostly) landscape painter who also mentored other local artists.

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photos of the paintings (no such restrictions apply to the artefacts), but I did manage to "steal" a few shots to give you an impression of the kind of paintings that you can expect to see. Of course, various books on the Newlyn School (and others) are available from the smallish gallery shop.

Staff were very friendly (and ever so politely told me to stop taking photos, which I did). Another highlight is the adjacent, atmospheric garden area, which is very inviting.

Penlee House is one of the prettiest of the many small, regional museums in England that I've visited over the course of the past ten years, and also very family-friendly. But it will not occupy you for more than one hour, 1.5h max.