My hubby and I spent a week in Cornwall last September and one place that seemed to draw us back again and again was Polperro. It is the most charming and picturesque 13th Century fishingvillage (with a rich and varied smuggling history!) situated just 4 miles from Looe in southeast Cornwall.
The village doesn’t allow cars so a car park is provided at the top of the main road, and you can either proceed by foot down a gently steeped lane or take advantage of one of the ready provided bright red electric trams or a horse drawn carriage
to take you to the main part of the village itself. I really recommend you walk, alongside the track is a beautiful babbling river which runs in front of (and under!) some of the most picturesque and quaint cottages I have ever seen. The residents of Polperro take a great pride in their gardens and you’ll see a wonderful range of beautiful flowers, rambling roses around the doors, scented shrubs and more. Many of the cottages offer bed and breakfast with good facilities and reasonable rates, and Mark and I half wished we’d booked one for our trip!
Polperro is very traditional and exceedingly pretty! When you reach the main part of the village itself, expect to see lots of little gift shops, selling a huge array of Cornish specialities, arts, crafts, gifts and the usual postcards and seaside souvenirs. But all are just so perfectly charming that they don’t look at all out of place. Polperro is a very sleepy little place and the pace of life is very slow and leisurely and ideal for anybody wanting to enjoy beautiful scenery in lovely surroundings and just take time out for a while.
There is a lot to see and do in Polperro. In the main part of the village are endless little alleyways that meander through an assortment of quaint period cottages and houses, many are available for summer rental and most are decorated in traditional slate and pebbles, or whitewashed in traditional seaside style. Progress further and you’ll reach the harbour, which is breathtaking and almost totally unspoilt. It is still very much a working harbour, and you’ll be able to watch the boats as they unload their catch of the day at high tide. Seagulls scream overhead and don’t be surprised if you wander into one of the little shops and find one or two sat cleaning their feathers and watching the goings on. They’re very used to people, and some are very tame, tame enough to be able to approach if you want to.
You can take a boat trip from the harbour, either a short trip around the coastline, or you can catch a larger boat to nearby Fowie (another pretty little fishing village) and have full commentary during the trip from a resident guide. The coastline is spectacular, very rugged, and if you’re feeling fit, you can take a coastal walk along the coastal path that stretches for miles, pretty much around the whole of the Cornish coast.
There are one or two beautiful inns at Polperro that date back to medieval times, and some wonderful places to eat, most of which specialise in seafood dishes, nor surprisingly! The Crumplehorn Inn at the main entrance to the village offers both good pub food and a separate restaurant with a good but inexpensive menu. You can take your pick from a number of small intimate taverna style cafes, sandwich shops, and of course, Cornish pasties and donuts are in abundance! Plus there are a few good pubs too, all offer food, and most are frequented regularly by Cornish weatherworn sailors who are happy to share their tales of life on the high seas with you! The Old Mill House was our particular favourite, full of charm and tradition and with good food at great prices. They also offer accommodation too.
Overlooking the harbour, you will find the Heritage Museum (housed in an old pilchard factory!), which tells the history of Polperro and has a good range of 18th and 19th century exhibits. It opens daily between 10am and 6pm and costs just £1 for adults and 50p for children (children under 5 go free).
Other must-sees include the ‘house on stilts’, the old Watch House, and the 16th century house that was home to Dr. Jonathan Couch, naturalist and grandfather of the celebrated writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. Plus, there is also a good model village and a large 00 guage railway.
Polperro is simply beautiful, and despite the thousands of tourists that flock there year after year, still manages to remain mostly unspoilt and retain its old world charm.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you. I get fed up of reading about exciting and exotic places that I have never been to and am not likely to go to. At LAST a review on somewhere I have been! Great op, I loved it too.
fredclay 16.08.2001 06:49
ah cornwall! smugglers, pasties, beach parties...yes i was caught by the smugglers, but am doing well since the transplant; meanwhile, nice op! xxx
marsden 13.08.2001 12:58
I've been there! It is lovely. Just for a bit of added interest there is a woodland log cabin site about 6 miles down the road where you can stay & take your dog, its great, nice op.
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