Polperro
Encyclopedia
Polperro is a village and fishing harbour on the south-east Cornwall
coast in South West England
, UK, within the civil parish of Lansallos
. Situated on the River Pol, 4 miles (6 km) west of the neighbouring town of Looe
and 25 miles (40.2 km) west of the major city
and naval port of Plymouth
, it is well-known for its idyllic location, surrounded by tightly packed old fishermen's houses which makes it attractive to tourists, and particularly in the summer months.
Porthpyra, meaning harbour of a man named Pyra. However Ekwall does not regard "pyra" as being a personal name and suggests it could be a name for the stream. Early forms are Portpira, 1303, and Porpira, 1379. The chapel of St Peter de Porthpyre is mentioned in 1398 and the following forms are recorded from the reign of King Henry VIII: Polpyz explained as "fish-pool" (probably a literal error for Polpyr), Poulpirrhe, Poul Pier and Poulpyrre (in John Leland's account).
s, those of Raphael which included the western part in the parish of Lansallos
, and Killigarth which included the eastern part in the parish of Talland. mentioned in the Domesday Book
. As early as the 13th century
it was known for fishing, and it is first recorded in a Royal document in 1303.
Jonathan Couch
was the village doctor for many years, and wrote the history of the village as well as various works of natural history (particularly on ichthyology
). The History of Polperro, 1871, was published after his death by his son, Thomas Quiller Couch, with many further abridgements since. Couch contributedtwo series of artivles to the periodical Notes and Queries
- The Folklore of a Cornish Village 1855 and 1857, and these were incorporated in the History of Polperro, to which he also contributed a sketch of his father's life. The welfare of the fishermen and the prosperity of the fisheries were in his care together with his medical and scientific work.
Because of its beauty Polperro has been a magnet for artists. The painter Oskar Kokoschka
spent almost a year in the village in 1939 to 1940.
Smuggling
is understood to have prospered since Polperro developed as a port in the 12th century. It reached its zenith in the late 18th century when Britain's wars with America and France precipated the high taxation of many imported goods, making it worthwhile for the local fishermen to boost their income by the covert importation of spirits
, tobacco
and other goods from Guernsey
. Much of the success of the smuggling trade through Polperro is ascribed to the influence of Zephaniah Job (1749–1822), a local merchant who became known as "The Smuggler's Banker". A more organised Coast Guard
service was introduced in the 19th century along with stiff penalties, and led to much less smuggling. Part of the South West Coast Path was originally used by Revenue Officers as they patrolled the coast in search of smugglers. Whilst the Coast Path is maintained by the National Trust
, the foreshore belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall
.
under Cmdr. Warwick Lake Robert Jeffery
was discovered to have stolen the Midshipman's beer and Lake furiously ordered him to be marooned
on the island of Sombrero
. (Jeffery was born at Fowey but moved to Polperro before becoming a merchant seaman and was then press-ganged into the Navy.) Some months later, Lake's commanding officer Sir Alexander Cochrane
discovered what had happened and immediately ordered Lake to retrieve Jeffery. When Recruit arrived at Sombrero, Jeffery could not be found. Eventually the story got out and a court martial dismissed Lake from the service for his actions. As it turned out, Jeffery had been picked up by an American ship and was eventually discovered in Massachusetts
three years later, working as a blacksmith. He was returned to Britain and awarded compensation.
Tourism
became Polperro's main industry during the 20th century. The village is accessible by train, using Looe railway station
, by road as well, of course, by boat! It was estimated that the village
received about 25,000 visitors a day in summer in the 1970s. Visitors are no longer permitted to take cars into the village, and have to leave them in the main car park at Crumplehorn
to the north of the village and walk through the half mile length of the village to the harbour. The village's quaint but narrow streets make driving difficult. There are horse and cart rides and milk float
s disguised as tram
s for those who prefer not to walk.
Attractions of Polperro include the South West Coast Path
, the 630 miles (1,013.9 km) long and established walk from Dorset
to Somerset
which passes through the village, and offers day walks along the scenic local coastline, in particular to Talland Bay
close by on the coast path heading East. Westwards, the path passes three large beaches on the way to Fowey
: Lansallos
Beach, Lantivit Bay and Lantic Bay. Within the village is the Polperro Heritage Museum of Fishing and Smuggling, situated on the harbourside in an old fish processing
warehouse, which amongst other things, houses interesting photographs of the village's history. Guided walks are available to show visitors the more interesting parts of the village, and there are boat trips from the harbour to view the coastline which can offer sightings of dolphin
s and seal
s.
Several restaurants, eg Couch's Great House, serving not least seafood
, and seven pubs are located in the village. A holiday and caravan park is situated to the northeast of the village at Carey Park
.
Fishing
was traditionally the principal occupation of Polperro families. For centuries the village has been a pilchard
fishing and processing port
. Fish
have been drawn to the south Cornwall coast to feed in late summer and these brought rich pickings for local fishermen. Once ashore, the fish were salted and pressed and the oil
was collected as a by-product and used for heating and lighting. Polperro pilchards were exported to many parts of Europe
. Shoals of these fish diminished in the 20th century and pilchard fishing from Polperro died out as its mainstay in the 1960s, but nonetheless approximately twelve commercial fishing vessels still operate from the harbour looking to catch flat fish, scallop
s, crab
s, monkfish
, ray
, pollock
, bass
and cod
.
and physician
, Jonathan Couch and before him of many generations of the Quiller family who became very wealthy from the proceeds of smuggling and buccaneer
ing. The War Memorial is some distance from the village on the coastal path towards Talland. Also, tucked away in the village's winding streets ("The Warren"), is a house clad entirely in shells, known as "The Shell House".
, stands in the village but no longer conducts services. John Wesley
visited the village in 1762 and 1768: by 1792 it was possible to build a large chapel
accommodating 250 people and Methodism
flourished in 19th century Polperro.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
coast in South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, UK, within the civil parish of Lansallos
Lansallos
Lansallos is a coastal hamlet and a civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated between Polruan and Polperro about 5 miles east of Fowey and is in the Liskeard Registration District....
. Situated on the River Pol, 4 miles (6 km) west of the neighbouring town of Looe
Looe
Looe is a small coastal town, fishing port and civil parish in the former Caradon district of south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 . Looe is divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe and West Looe being connected by a bridge...
and 25 miles (40.2 km) west of the major city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and naval port of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, it is well-known for its idyllic location, surrounded by tightly packed old fishermen's houses which makes it attractive to tourists, and particularly in the summer months.
Toponymy
The name Polperro is perhaps derived from the CornishCornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
Porthpyra, meaning harbour of a man named Pyra. However Ekwall does not regard "pyra" as being a personal name and suggests it could be a name for the stream. Early forms are Portpira, 1303, and Porpira, 1379. The chapel of St Peter de Porthpyre is mentioned in 1398 and the following forms are recorded from the reign of King Henry VIII: Polpyz explained as "fish-pool" (probably a literal error for Polpyr), Poulpirrhe, Poul Pier and Poulpyrre (in John Leland's account).
Early history
Polperro was originally under the jurisdiction of two ancient manorManorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
s, those of Raphael which included the western part in the parish of Lansallos
Lansallos
Lansallos is a coastal hamlet and a civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated between Polruan and Polperro about 5 miles east of Fowey and is in the Liskeard Registration District....
, and Killigarth which included the eastern part in the parish of Talland. mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. As early as the 13th century
13th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 through 1300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era...
it was known for fishing, and it is first recorded in a Royal document in 1303.
Later history
The date of the older quay is uncertain but it was conjectured by Jonathan Couch (writing in the mid-19th century) that it is either the one mentioned by John Leland or one built upon the same site. It was probably built under the patronage of the lord of the manor of Raphael who possessed the right to the harbour. Polperro's newer quay is also of unknown date; it is sited almost on an east-west alignment a little further out. It already existed in 1774 when it suffered much damage in a storm, following which Mr Long, the lord of the manors of Raphael and Lansallos, paid for its repair. Parts of the harbour were rebuilt after destruction by a violent storm in January 1817, when thirty large boats and many smaller ones were destroyed and parts of the village including the Green and the Peak were inundated by the sea and a number of houses were swept away. The damage was estimated at £2,000 but no lives were lost. In November 1824 the worst ever storm occurred: three houses were destroyed, the whole of one pier and half the other were swept away and nearly 50 boats in the harbour were dashed to pieces. Only six boats remained only one of which was a seiner. The new pier was designed to give better protection in the future. The East Indiaman Albemarle was blown ashore near Polperro with her valuable cargo, although the precise location of the wreck was never established.Jonathan Couch
Jonathan Couch
Jonathan Couch was a British naturalist, the only child of Richard and Philippa Couch, of a family long resident at Polperro, a small fishing village between Looe and Fowey, on the south coast of Cornwall.-Biography:...
was the village doctor for many years, and wrote the history of the village as well as various works of natural history (particularly on ichthyology
Ichthyology
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
). The History of Polperro, 1871, was published after his death by his son, Thomas Quiller Couch, with many further abridgements since. Couch contributedtwo series of artivles to the periodical Notes and Queries
Notes and Queries
Notes and Queries is a long-running quarterly scholarly journal that publishes short articles related to "English language and literature, lexicography, history, and scholarly antiquarianism". Its emphasis is on "the factual rather than the speculative"...
- The Folklore of a Cornish Village 1855 and 1857, and these were incorporated in the History of Polperro, to which he also contributed a sketch of his father's life. The welfare of the fishermen and the prosperity of the fisheries were in his care together with his medical and scientific work.
Because of its beauty Polperro has been a magnet for artists. The painter Oskar Kokoschka
Oskar Kokoschka
Oskar Kokoschka was an Austrian artist, poet and playwright best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes.-Biography:...
spent almost a year in the village in 1939 to 1940.
Smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
is understood to have prospered since Polperro developed as a port in the 12th century. It reached its zenith in the late 18th century when Britain's wars with America and France precipated the high taxation of many imported goods, making it worthwhile for the local fishermen to boost their income by the covert importation of spirits
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and other goods from Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
. Much of the success of the smuggling trade through Polperro is ascribed to the influence of Zephaniah Job (1749–1822), a local merchant who became known as "The Smuggler's Banker". A more organised Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
service was introduced in the 19th century along with stiff penalties, and led to much less smuggling. Part of the South West Coast Path was originally used by Revenue Officers as they patrolled the coast in search of smugglers. Whilst the Coast Path is maintained by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, the foreshore belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
.
Robert Jeffery
On HMS Recruit (1806)HMS Recruit (1806)
HMS Recruit was an 18-gun Cruizer class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, launched in 1806 at Sandwich, Kent. She is best known for an act of pique by Cmdr. Warwick Lake, who marooned a seaman, and for an inconclusive but hard fought ship action under Cmdr. Charles John Napier against the French...
under Cmdr. Warwick Lake Robert Jeffery
Robert Jeffery
Robert Frederick Jeffery was an Australian cricketer, who played for New South Wales and Tasmania. He was a left-handed all-rounder who bowled left-arm medium pace, he represented Tasmania from 1978 until 1982.-External links:*...
was discovered to have stolen the Midshipman's beer and Lake furiously ordered him to be marooned
Marooning
Marooning is the intentional leaving of someone in a remote area, such as an uninhabited island. The word appears in writing in approximately 1709, and is derived from the term maroon, a word for a fugitive slave, which could be a corruption of Spanish cimarrón, meaning a household animal who has...
on the island of Sombrero
Sombrero, Anguilla
Sombrero, also known as Hat Island, is the northernmost island of the Lesser Antilles in position 18° 60'N, 63° 40'W. It lies north west of Anguilla across the Dog and Prickly Pear Passage. The distance to Dog Island, the closest island of Anguilla, is . Sombrero is long north-south, and wide....
. (Jeffery was born at Fowey but moved to Polperro before becoming a merchant seaman and was then press-ganged into the Navy.) Some months later, Lake's commanding officer Sir Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
discovered what had happened and immediately ordered Lake to retrieve Jeffery. When Recruit arrived at Sombrero, Jeffery could not be found. Eventually the story got out and a court martial dismissed Lake from the service for his actions. As it turned out, Jeffery had been picked up by an American ship and was eventually discovered in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
three years later, working as a blacksmith. He was returned to Britain and awarded compensation.
Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
became Polperro's main industry during the 20th century. The village is accessible by train, using Looe railway station
Looe railway station
Looe railway station serves the twin towns of East and West Looe, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The station is the terminus of the scenic Looe Valley Line south of Liskeard.- History :...
, by road as well, of course, by boat! It was estimated that the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
received about 25,000 visitors a day in summer in the 1970s. Visitors are no longer permitted to take cars into the village, and have to leave them in the main car park at Crumplehorn
Crumplehorn
Crumplehorn is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, UK. It forms the northern part of the village of Polperro, within the civil parish of Lansallos and is located west of the town of Looe....
to the north of the village and walk through the half mile length of the village to the harbour. The village's quaint but narrow streets make driving difficult. There are horse and cart rides and milk float
Milk float
A milk float is a battery electric vehicle , specifically designed for the delivery of fresh milk. They were once common in many European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, and were operated by local dairies...
s disguised as tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s for those who prefer not to walk.
Attractions of Polperro include the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
, the 630 miles (1,013.9 km) long and established walk from Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
to Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
which passes through the village, and offers day walks along the scenic local coastline, in particular to Talland Bay
Talland Bay
Talland Bay is west of the town of Looe in Cornwall. On Talland Bay are two sheltered shingle beaches, Talland Sand and Rotterdam Beach, and the bay was well known in previous centuries as a landing spot for smugglers. It has also been the scene of many shipwrecks including that of a French...
close by on the coast path heading East. Westwards, the path passes three large beaches on the way to Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
: Lansallos
Lansallos
Lansallos is a coastal hamlet and a civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated between Polruan and Polperro about 5 miles east of Fowey and is in the Liskeard Registration District....
Beach, Lantivit Bay and Lantic Bay. Within the village is the Polperro Heritage Museum of Fishing and Smuggling, situated on the harbourside in an old fish processing
Fish processing
The term fish processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer...
warehouse, which amongst other things, houses interesting photographs of the village's history. Guided walks are available to show visitors the more interesting parts of the village, and there are boat trips from the harbour to view the coastline which can offer sightings of dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s and seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s.
Several restaurants, eg Couch's Great House, serving not least seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, and seven pubs are located in the village. A holiday and caravan park is situated to the northeast of the village at Carey Park
Carey Park
Carey Park is a hamlet-estate in Cornwall, England, UK. It is situated northeast of the village of Polperro, within the civil parish of Lansallos and west of the neighbouring town of Looe. Carey Park contains a holiday and caravan park to its south....
.
Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
was traditionally the principal occupation of Polperro families. For centuries the village has been a pilchard
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
fishing and processing port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
. Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
have been drawn to the south Cornwall coast to feed in late summer and these brought rich pickings for local fishermen. Once ashore, the fish were salted and pressed and the oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
was collected as a by-product and used for heating and lighting. Polperro pilchards were exported to many parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Shoals of these fish diminished in the 20th century and pilchard fishing from Polperro died out as its mainstay in the 1960s, but nonetheless approximately twelve commercial fishing vessels still operate from the harbour looking to catch flat fish, scallop
Scallop
A scallop is a marine bivalve mollusk of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source...
s, crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, monkfish
Monkfish
Monkfish is the English name of a number of types of fish in the northwest Atlantic, most notably the species of the anglerfish genus Lophius and the angelshark genus Squatina...
, ray
Batoidea
Batoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fish commonly known as rays and skates, containing more than 500 described species in thirteen families...
, pollock
Pollock
Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...
, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
.
Notable buildings
Couch's House, Lansallos Street, was the home of naturalistNaturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, Jonathan Couch and before him of many generations of the Quiller family who became very wealthy from the proceeds of smuggling and buccaneer
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
ing. The War Memorial is some distance from the village on the coastal path towards Talland. Also, tucked away in the village's winding streets ("The Warren"), is a house clad entirely in shells, known as "The Shell House".
Churches
The village, although small, lies between two CofE parishes divided by the River Pol: Lansallos to the west and Talland to the east. The 20th century Anglican Chapel of St John, a chapel of ease to Talland Parish ChurchTalland Parish Church
Talland Parish Church is dramatically located on the cliff-top at Talland near Looe in Cornwall, is dedicated to St Tallanus and as such is unique in Britain. St Tallanus is said to be a hermit who made his home here sometime in the fifth century AD and certainly the site has been a sacred place...
, stands in the village but no longer conducts services. John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
visited the village in 1762 and 1768: by 1792 it was possible to build a large chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
accommodating 250 people and Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
flourished in 19th century Polperro.
Festivals
The Polperro Festival has been held annually since 1996. It is a community festival run by volunteers to promote business for the village in summer and begins on the 3rd Saturday in June. It started as an Arts and Crafts Festival, but has now also incorporated live music of many genres, dance, street entertainment, theatre and children's entertainment. Most of the entertainment is held in the village square ('Big Green')--for the last few years under a covered marquee. At around 9 pm the entertainment in Big Green ends and entertainment continues within various local establishments, mainly to limit noise.Notable residents
- Donald AdamsonDonald AdamsonDonald Adamson is a historian, biographer, philosophical writer, textual scholar, literary critic, and translator of French literature...
, author and historian - Angela BrazilAngela BrazilAngela Brazil was one of the first British writers of "modern schoolgirls' stories", written from the characters' point of view and intended primarily as entertainment rather than moral instruction. In the first half of the twentieth century she published nearly 50 books of girls' fiction, the...
, novelist - Jonathan CouchJonathan CouchJonathan Couch was a British naturalist, the only child of Richard and Philippa Couch, of a family long resident at Polperro, a small fishing village between Looe and Fowey, on the south coast of Cornwall.-Biography:...
, naturalist, physician and antiquary - Walter GreenwoodWalter GreenwoodWalter Greenwood was an English novelist, best known for the socially influential novel Love on the Dole .-Biography:...
, novelist, lived in Polperro briefly during the 1930s and founded the production company, Greenwood Productions, there in 1939. - Zephaniah Job, "the smugglers' banker"
- Oskar KokoschkaOskar KokoschkaOskar Kokoschka was an Austrian artist, poet and playwright best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes.-Biography:...
, artist - Richard and JudyRichard and JudyRichard and Judy is the name informally given to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, a married couple who are both British television presenters and columnists. Since their marriage, their television appearances have been largely made as a couple. They are best known for presenting This Morning and...
, television presenters, live in Talland - Rita TushinghamRita Tushingham-Career:Born in Liverpool, Tushingham began her career as a stage actress at the Liverpool Playhouse. Her screen debut was in A Taste of Honey...
, actress lived in the village in the 1970s. - Hugh WalpoleHugh WalpoleSir Hugh Seymour Walpole, CBE was an English novelist. A prolific writer, he published thirty-six novels, five volumes of short stories, two plays and three volumes of memoirs. His skill at scene-setting, his vivid plots, his high profile as a lecturer and his driving ambition brought him a large...
, novelist