Polperro - A Cornish village with a Smuggling Past

 One of the main things that attracted me to Cornwall was the idea of visiting the little fishing villages which tumble down hillsides and open out to the sea.  I love the sea and I love exploring tiny old villages. If you enjoy these things too you will be spoilt for choice in Cornwall.  There is so much to love about this beautiful county and we had already visited some wonderful places but  I was pretty excited when we arrived in Polperro, the first fishing village on my tour.

A great thing about Polperro is that it is carless, apart from the occasional delivery vehicle.  Vehicles must be parked at a carpark up the hill before a walk of about 750 metres down into the village. What joy - no traffic to dodge, no noise, no fumes, simply the wheeling calls of seagulls, the bubbling of the roadside stream and the gentle conversations of passers by.

Note: the hill is quite steep so it is not really suitable if you have mobility issues. 

Dating from the 14th century the village consists of narrow winding lanes and whitewashed cottages garlanded with colourful hanging baskets and fishing floats. But for the tourists it attracts, and the souvenir shops, it is as if time has stood still.  The beating heart of the village is the still busy fishing port, where fishermen keep their boats before heading out to sea to catch several varieties of fish, the main one being the ever popular pilchard. 

Left: Hanging baskets and fishing floats

Right: The Shell House decorated in the 1930s by a retired sailor

In the 18th century Polperro became infamous as a major smuggling centre.  At the time high governmental  taxes meant that the fishermen could not afford to buy even basic goods so  smuggling for extra income seemed like a good idea. They smuggled tobacco, brandy and gin which they on sold cheaply to help with their weekly budget.  When John Wesley visited the village in 1762 he reported that all the locals were involved in smuggling.  Today you can visit the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing to learn more.

The sheltered cove of Polperro - entry point for smugglers back in the day

As for me I just loved wandering the tiny lanes, admiring the cottages, peering in the windows of the antique shops and the ancient taverns and finally arriving down at the bay where the fishing boats head out to sea through a narrow, sheltered opening.  Unfortunately the tide was out during our visit so we didn't get the full glory of the boat harbour at its best. Nevertheless it was good enough for me.

The tide's out.

On my stroll back through the village to the carpark I met up with some fellow travelers and we sat and drank cool beer in the shady garden of the beautiful 18th century Crumplehorn Inn and Mill before heading to the bus.

Polperro didn't disappoint, it was just how I imagined a Cornish fishing village to be and I couldn't wait to see more.

We carried on to the tiny hamlet of Charlestown, famous as  a film location for a number of films and TV programmes, including The Onedin Line, which I loved. It was a brief visit and it was interesting to see the village as it is today, very different from the staged set I was familiar with on TV.

Above and below: The tiny hamlet of Charestown. The small stone building far right in the bottom photo is familiar from The Onedin Line