townquay
Readymoney beach


Town quay

The ancient town of Fowey traces its origins back to the Iron Age. It was a well established and a bustling seaport when the Romans first arrived in eastern Britain around 55 BC and remains commercially active to this day, one of the largest exporting ports, in terms of tonnage, in all of Great Britain. While you can watch large cargo ships move in and out of the port with their cargoes of china clay, and see a growing list of cruise ships visit during the summer months, Fowey remains a quiet and peaceful small town where people greet you in the streets and stop for a chat- apart from Regatta week, which is very busy!

From the sitting room and the front patio, you can look out to sea beyond St. Catherine's Castle (built by Henry VIII); quietly watch the movement of big ships, sailing yachts, dinghies and classic Troy sailing boats racing in the harbours; or simply sit and gaze across the estuary to the village of Polruan, which climbs from the waters edge up the steep hills, looking very much like a scene from the Mediterranean.

Built in the late 19th Century as one of 15 brick and stone villas in Harbour View with commanding views across the harbour, the house is just a two minute walk into the town quay and the main shopping area.

Fowey's narrow Fore Street, near the water, winds among the shop buildings, many dating back hundreds of years. It's filled with an array of shops, including a first-rate butcher (producing Kittow's famous sausages). Kittow's also has an enticing deli with fresh vegetables displayed in front, a fish monger (they can tell you where each fish was caught and when) which also has an impressive wine collection, a small but surprisingly well stocked mini-mart, more than half a dozen restaurants ranging from family inexpensive to gourmet, five local pubs, a newsagent, two book shops (one new, one used), several top quality art galleries and a variety of other shops to keep even a reluctant shopper interested.

Fowey's later history has been literary-with writers like Daphne du Maurier, Kenneth Grahame, Leo Walmsley and Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, known as "Q" walking these streets and being inspired by life here. Today, Fowey continues to draw both writers and sailors of every sort, a fact that makes this little Cornish town unique. The local beach at Readymoney cove( 10 mins walk) there cliff and country walks on both sides of the estuary.You can join the Fowey Gallants Sailing Club as a temporary member or visit the world famous Eden Project (15mins by car). Heligan Gardens (30 mins by car) and Cornwall's principal National Trust property, Lanhydrock House, (20minutes by car) are well worth a visit as is a trip to Mevagissey by ferry (30 mins) on a calm day! There are many other attractions in Cornwall futher afield, but you are never much more than an hour away from beautiful Fowey.