Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Four miles southwest of Lostwithiel is another quaint and ancient village,
Lerryn
, which
sits on the banks of the picturesque creek with which it shares its name. Lovely woodland
trails wind along the banks of the river through the oak woodland of
Ethy Park
, and to the
14th century riverside church of
St Winnow
, about 1.5 miles west.
Back in Lerryn, the excellent
Ship Inn
( 01208-872374;
www.theshipinnlerryn.co.uk
; Fore St, Lerryn;
mains £8-10)
makes an ideal place for a post-hike pint.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
ROCHE ROCK
Clinging to a spur of contorted rock surrounded by barren heath, the curious tumbledown chapel on top of
Roche
Rock
looks like a forgotten set from Monty Python's
Life of Brian
. The present chapel is thought to date from
around the 15th century, although there was an oratory here long before. Local legends say that this was once the
home of the hermit Ogrin, who was visited by the legendary lovers Tristan and Isolde while they were on the run
from the wrath of King Mark.
You can still make out a few of the chapel's interior rooms, and the turret has majestic views all the way to
Bodmin Moor.
The site is just outside Roche village; watch for the signs as you drive east on the A30 from Fraddon.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Fowey
In many ways, Fowey feels like Padstow's south-coast sister; a workaday port turned
well-heeled holiday town, with a trim tumble of pastel-coloured houses, portside pubs and
tiered terraces overlooking the china-blue harbour. The town's wealth was largely founded
on the export of china clay from the St Austell pits, but it's been an important port since
Elizabethan times; Fowey was a key link in the chain of defences protecting the British
mainland against Catholic invasion.
These days Fowey is a prim place, with pricey yachts, fancy shops and brasseries
sprinkled along its barnacled quays. It's quite a different place to the sleepy fishing port
commemorated by the thriller writer Daphne du Maurier, who lived for many years at
nearby Menabilly. The town is still at its busiest in mid-May, when it hosts the four-day
Fowey Festival
(
www.foweyfestival.com
)
, a literary and music festival.
