South Cornwall - Devon and Cornwall - page 385

Climb up through town and pick up the path as it heads out past the black reefs known as the Washing
Rocks . From here, the trail begins to leave the village behind and heads out onto the coast path proper. After a
mile or so, you'll reach the hidden sands of Great and Little Lantic Bay , both offering secluded sun-
lounging and swimming. Turn right to see the views from Pencarrow Head , or turn left to reach the main
road and the nearby National Trust car park. Follow the road round till you reach the little church of
Lanteglos-by-Fowey , and take the path downhill through the churchyard till you reach the creek.
At the bottom of the hill, the road leads across a footbridge to a path which bears left along the banks of
Pont Pill Creek , offering dreamy views of the river through the overhanging trees. At Penleath Point ,
there's a lovely vantage point back across the river to Polruan and Fowey, as well as a small memorial to the nov-
elist and scholar Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, who lived in Fowey from 1891 until his death in 1944. From here, the
trail winds on to Bodinnick , where you can have a pint at the homely Bodinnick Inn while waiting for the
ferry to carry you back to the northern end of Fowey.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Polperro
Even in a county where picturesque fishing harbours are ten-a-penny, it's hard not to fall
for Polperro - a tight-packed warren of cob cottages, fishermens' stores and squeeze-guts
alleyways, all set around a classic Cornish harbour. Unsurprisingly, this was once a smug-
glers' hideout, but Polperro's sea-going days are long done and dusted. The main industry
is now tourism, and the village becomes a ghost town once the holiday season is over.
Even so, it's an atmospheric place to wander. The main car park is 750m uphill from the
village, from where it's a 15-minute stroll down to the quayside.
The quirky Polperro Heritage Museum ( 01503-273005; adult/child £2/50p; 10.30am-4.30pm)
delves into the village's salty heritage with a chaotic collection of ships' wheels, model
boats, vintage rum barrels and fishing memorabilia, as well as sepia-tinted 19th-century
photographs by local man Lewis Harding. There's also a display relating to one of the
town's most infamous smuggling escapades, when the crew of the local boat Lottery were
involved in the murder of a customs officer.
Another Polperro peculiarity is the traditional guernsey sweater traditionally worn by
the village's fishermen, known (somewhat confusingly) as the 'Polperro knitfrock'. If
you'd like to learn how to knit your own, you'll find copies of Cornish Guernseys & Knit-
frocks in the museum shop.