A Springtime Forage in Fowey

Fowey has always been a tourist mecca for its quaint alleyways and narrow streets. With its river of the same name flowing past the town, down to the sea, the scenery is lovely, with dense woods of oak tumbling down to the banks and high cliffs that have protected the town from maritime raiders throughout the centuries. Further upstream, the river divides into several smaller creeks, some only accessible by boat.

Most of the tourist shops are concentrated in a small area, but take the time to explore the rest of the town, and you will be rewarded with an ancient 14th-century church, the 15th-century "Place House", ancestral home of the Treffry family, St. Catherine’s castle, a fortification built during the reign of Henry VIII and naturally enough for Cornwall, rows of tiny, whitewashed cottages, many dating back for hundreds of years.

Or simply relax, enjoy a beer at one of the several waterside pubs, and watch the comings and goings on the busy river, whether it be the passenger ferry to Polruan, the car ferry to Bodinnick, or a 10,000-tonne ship entering the river to load with China clay at the deep water jetties half a mile upstream.

Quick Tips:

Fowey is situated 5 miles east of St Austell. You will therefore need a car to explore this area. The town gets exceptionally busy during the peak tourist season (mid July-mid September) so I would advise visiting outside of this period.

There are several hotels in Fowey, plus, of course, B&Bs and guesthouses. The latter two tend to be busy all year round, catering for the out-of-season travellers who come to walk the coastal paths or simply to enjoy the peace and tranquil setting. It is always therefore advisable to book your accommodation rather than merely turn up. Try www.fowey.co.uk for all info.

Evening entertainment is likely to be limited to an evening in one of the town pubs; all are steeped in history but are very lively and will feature live music (country, folk, blues, traditional).

Two events to look out for: firstly, the annual Daphne du Maurier festival, held in early May, and secondly, Fowey Regatta Week, held in mid-August. Both will see the town packed to the rafters, so plan well ahead if you intend to stop over.

Best Way To Get Around:

It is easy to get to Fowey, despite its location. The A3082 links it to St Austell, and there are two ferries: a foot passenger one that crosses to Polruan and a car ferry further upstream to Bodinnick, from where it is a 20-minute drive to Looe and Polperro. The passenger ferry sets down on the quay in front of the "King of Prussia" pub.

The Bodinnick Ferry saves a lot of time if you wish to explore southeast Cornwall, the single fare being around £2.20.

This area of Cornwall is very hilly, so leave all thoughts of bike hire alone. A few buses run to Fowey from St Austell, although the last departures back are early.

The river's surrounding woodlands and general area can be explored on foot, as can the southwest coastal path that serves the area and is well-signposted.

Finally, Fowey’s main car park is high above the town, with a steep walk down to the harbour through narrow alleys. Don’t be tempted to get the car a bit nearer, though, as the traffic wardens will invariably turn you round and send you back. Parking is inexpensive anyway, at around £3 per day.

Fowey, by its nature of being both a tourist haunt and an active fishing town, has a plethora of restaurants, most of which understandably focus on seafood.

Whilst strolling through the town, I came across the following eateries which all looked okay, although I didn’t dine in any of them. Again, they are all on Fore Street, and all are within a five-minute walk from the quay.

Firstly, there was Sam’s, a fish bistro rather than fully-fledged restaurant. I looked inside, and it was spotless, with its menu offered via a board in the front window. This featured an array of dishes, including scallops, red mullet, bouillabaisse, moules mariniere, sardines, calamari, salmon, and prawns. It all seemed very neat and tidy inside as I peered through the window, trying not to arouse suspicion as they laid out the tables for the evening shift.

Further along, I found The Commodore Fish Restaurant, which did appear to have a slightly more upmarket menu and look about the place. It too had a window menu offering whitebait, scallops, calamari, monkfish, sea bass, Dover sole, brill, and tuna. I would imagine that booking would be advisable here, rather than chancing your arm and just turning up.

Although obviously not a restaurant, I felt that Jolly Jack’s Delicatessen and Bakery was more than worthy of a mention, as this was actually the only one that was open for business. They had a huge array of fresh fruit and vegetables outside, but inside was the real treat--not just the aroma of baking bread and pastries, but also a huge range of specialty cheeses, meats, tinned goods, sauces, spices, and herbs that Caroline would’ve found irresistible for stocking our kitchen here at home.

Lastly, and also very worthy, was the local fishmongers. Not your bleary-eyed fish here that were caught four days ago and freshened up with buckets of ice; no, this was the real McCoy, all freshly caught and landed on that day’s first high tide, supremely fresh and probably supplied to the restaurants and bistros in the town anyway. Included in his window were langoustines, crabs, and lobsters. Goodness me, was I ever feeling hungry by now...

This ancient church is dedicated to St Finn Barr, who was the first Bishop of Cork between 613-630 AD. On a pilgrimage to Rome, he crossed the sea following the old trade and pilgrim routes to Padstow, overland to Fowey and thence to Brittany and Rome. During his stay in Fowey, he built a small church in the shelter of the village.

Around 1150 AD, a Norman church replaced St Finn Barr’s original one, although this was destroyed by pirates and was rebuilt in 1328 as St Nicholas’ of Bari, patron Saint of sailors. The new name did not "catch on", however, and the church has remained St Finn Barr’s (Fimbarrus is the Celtic spelling) to this day.

In a reprisal against the "Fowey Gallants" in 1456, the French attacked the town and set fire to the church, which was partially destroyed. Restoration commenced in 1460, assisted by the Earl of Warwick, Lord High Admiral of England, and lasted until the next century. The tower, roof, roof screen, and loft all date from this period. Around 1500, the Treffry brothers undertook to widen the narrow south aisle and extend it to make a family chapel and the clerestory windows, unusual for Cornwall, were constructed.

In 1876, important restorations took place to remove the western gallery and to provide a new roof for the north aisle, a clergy vestry, choir stalls and pews.

The tower, built in 1460, is the second tallest in Cornwall, just behind that of Probus church. St Fimbarrus has eight bells which are all in fine order.

Other notable sights include a letter of thanks from Charles the First to the people of Cornwall, written in 1643, a tablet carved by Neville Burnard, the famous Cornish sculptor in the mid 19th century and the three-manual organ that was rebuilt in 1892.

Most of the stained glass is from the Victorian era, many depicting incidents from the Gospels involving the sea.

Finally, readers may be interested to know that Kenneth Grahame of "Wind in The Willows" fame was married here in 1899.

Place House dates from the early 15th century and makes an imposing statement upon the little town, with its towers and turrets resembling a castle more than a sumptuous private dwelling.

The house has been the ancestral home of the Treffry family for many generations, most of the family members being businessmen down through the centuries.

Perhaps the most famous of all the Treffrys was Joseph, a nineteenth-century industrialist who built such devices as horse-drawn tramways, water-wheels, and aqueducts throughout the region on a scale not too far behind that of Brunel. Joseph also had much of the house rebuilt in the Victorian Gothic style between 1813 and 1845.

It has witnessed its fair share of turmoil, not least of all in 1457, when French reprisals against the "gallants" saw much of the population seek refuge behind her walls.

Unfortunately, the house is still not open to the public, which is a great pity. It holds a wonderful, lofted position in the town, on a hill to the rear of St Fimbarrus’ church. It is surrounded by high stone walls indicating that the descendents still value their privacy jealously.

Narrow alleyways sneak around the house walls on all sides, giving the visitor a slight hope of peeking inside, but alas, it is not to be. Perhaps the very fact that such a grand home does not need tourist income for its maintenance is testament to the Treffrys' engineering prowess and the fortunes that their talents earned for them.

Fowey has a proud maritime tradition, not all of it necessarily on the side of law and order. In the days of the Crusades it was, with Barnstaple, Dartmouth, and Exeter, one of the most important ports south of Bristol. In 1346, it was said to have mustered 47 ships and 770 men for Edward III’s blockade of Calais. Today, it remains a thriving port albeit for different reasons.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, few towns on the northern French coast were spared constant raids by the "Fowey Gallants," the "rich, proud, and mischievous men" who were part traders, part privateers, and part pirates. Edward IV agreed with the French to stop this constant harrying, but the Gallants decided this was not in their best interests and continued the raids with a new-found vigour. The result of this was that Edward joined forces with the Dartmouth men and mounted a daring plan to steal the Fowey men’s ships, which effectively put an immediate halt to their piratical deeds.

Relics of these swashbuckling days are to be found all around the area. The river mouth had a chain draped across it between two "blockhouses" to slice the masts from any unwelcome visitors’ ships and St Catherine’s Castle. On the headland is a relic from the time of Henry VIII, when it was originally a lighthouse before becoming a fort to defend the river mouth.

Today, Fowey is an exit port for China Clay (kaolin) that is mined around the St Austell area, and it is quite a sight to see a 10,000-tonne ship being shepherded up the river by the pilot vessel to the deep-water jetties farther upstream, where it will be loaded.

Finally, Fowey has facilities for small craft, and in the summer particularly, you will see many yachts and pleasure boats at anchor as their owners enjoy a beer and a meal in the town.

Fowey is quintessentially Cornish, with that heady mix of narrow streets, history, ancient buildings, and seafaring legends, none more dastardly than those of the Fowey Gallants.

Fowey has two close neighbours, both just a short ferry ride away and both definitely worth the quick trip across the river.

Firstly, across the river mouth and adjacent to the sea is Polruan, a beautiful village clinging to the sides of the cliffs that jut out into the Atlantic. Polruan is accessible via the foot passenger ferry that picks up on the quay in front of the King of Prussia. A clear, bright day such as when I visited affords stunning views from Polruan out to Gribbin Head, Dodman Point, and if you are exceptionally fortunate, the Lizard, some 40 miles to the southwest.

Polruan has one of the ancient blockhouses situated on its shore with the river which can be visited during the summer. It also has the prerequisites of any Cornish village such as a tiny harbour, boatyards, and waterside cottages.

Travel a bit further upstream in Fowey, and the car ferry will take you across to Bodinnick, much smaller than Polruan, with a few houses and an ancient pub, the Old Ferry Inn. It too has some precariously placed cottages and an old boatyard that has long since become a private dwelling. The ferry here has existed for at least 700 years and has always been known simply as "The Passage".

Up until a few years ago, the ferry resembled something made from old oil drums held together by wire and would carry only half a dozen cars, leading to sizeable delays in the summer months. Recently, though, a new ferry has been commissioned to carry 15-20 vehicles, which will cross the wide river here in a couple of minutes without fear of capsizing!

If you don’t have the time to take either crossing, then a decent pair of binoculars will provide good enough views of these two places. But if you do have the luxury of all day or even longer in Fowey, they are both well worth the short ride.

For such a small place, Fowey is well served with pubs, some catering to the yachting fraternity, and the others are happy to take whatever trade comes their way, especially in the lean winter months.

I took a tour around the town and visited the following establishments, all of which I can recommend to one degree or another.

"The Ship" on Lostwithiel Street began life as a townhouse in the 15th century, built by the Rashleighs, another well-heeled Cornish family. It was originally joined to the Toll House, opposite by a bridge-room. Inside, the pub features a roaring log fire, above which is a marriage inscription relating to John Rashleigh’s wedding in 1570. The ship has well-kept ales, as indicated by its Casque Marque status, displayed by the front door.

Next was the "King of Prussia", on the quayside, a famous pub that is accessed via a flight of stone steps up to the entrance. I’ve enjoyed the hospitality here many times and the food is excellent without being over fussy. Great beer again, well kept and a fantastic viewpoint from where to watch the activity on the water.

Almost next door to the "King" is "The Galleon". This has two entrances, one on the quay, the other in Fore Street. It is a bit over the top inside, all "authentic" wood panelling that can’t be more than 15 years old and seemingly more interested in serving food than beer. OK though but not really my sort of pub.

Next, and my favourite, is the ancient "Lugger Inn", dating from 1633. This too is in Fore Street, a narrow shopping area characterised by old houses with jettied gables, some of which are squeezed into impossible angles. The Lugger is a real Cornish pub with local ales, a great welcome from the hosts, warm and cosy inside and a great atmosphere. If you’ve only time for a quickie in Fowey, make it in the Lugger.

Last, but certainly not least, is the "Safe Harbour", rather stark-looking from the outside but warm and friendly inside--always a bonus on a cold March afternoon. This is set back a bit from the other pubs and is a few minutes' stroll from the quay up a rather steep hill.

There may be more pubs than these in Fowey, but these are the ones I found or already knew of.

Most are bedecked with nautical and fishing memorabilia, and I can’t think that life gets much better than sitting in the bay window in the "King of Prussia", watching the gathering winter storms as you sip your pint and warm your feet by the fire. Heaven!

Fowey is well-served with many distinctive shops catering to all types of customers. Most of these shops are to be found on Fore Street, the main shopping area of this small town. I visited in early March and was surprised and heartened to see that most of them were already open, rather than the usual scenario of waiting for the first real visitor influx at Easter.

These are some of the ones I feel are worthy of a mention.

Firstly, there's the Hide ’n’ Seek leather shop, which occupies one of the oldest buildings in Fowey, affectionately known locally as Noah’s Ark. You can buy anything here, from a new wallet to a set of suitcases, and all rather reasonably too.

Antiques and curio shops seem to be popular here, and there are two within a few yards of each other, again on Fore Street. The first is "Odds and Ends Curios", the other "Curio Corner". To try to describe even what was on show in the windows would take a whole journal, so suffice it to say that I will leave that to the pictures. I’m sure you could rummage around in either of these for hours and still not even see a small fraction of what is on offer.

Of course, being a nautical town, Fowey would not be complete without a chandlers, and "The Upper Deck" on Fore Street has a window bursting with every sailing requisite you can think of, from knives and ropes to waterproof clothing, compasses, binoculars, torches, sweaters, deck shoes, etc., etc. I spent half an hour inside and couldn’t believe how much was crammed into a relatively small store. Even if you only buy a £3 plastic torch, do go in for a wander.

For such small place, Fowey also has clothing stores, traditional and modern, a music store, jewellers, gift shops, of course, and supermarkets, albeit small ones, and anything else you might think of.

If you decided to make your holiday base here, you probably won’t have to leave the town for anything.