|
|
Polperro nestling
on
both sides of a steep valley through which runs the river Pol, lies
the small village of Polperro. The valley serves to shelter the village
from the savage
winter gales this stretch of the Cornish coast is subjected to.
Polperro is located on a 80 mile stretch of the Cornish coast known as
the South Heritage Coast, and from Talland in the
East, to Lansallos in
the West, this wonderful coast is dotted with sandy, secluded coves.
These secluded
coves, were for centuries the ideal places, for the smugglers to carry
out their clandestine operations away from prying eyes:
Smuggling was to reach it's peak in the late 18th century, due in no
small part to the constant state of war that seemed to be part and
parcel of our relationship with France. With the prices of commodities
such as brandy, gin, tea, and tobacco at a premium due to the heavy
taxation, to fund the wars. These items were shipped across from
Guernsey, where they were readily available at much lower
prices, by enterprising Cornish fishermen, and given the
precarious
nature of fishing, who can in all honestly blame them?. One of the
prime
movers in this secretive operation was one
Zephaniah Job, who acted as the' smugglers' banker, for
many years.
Zephaniah was a very influential man indeed. He acted as both a banker,
and steward, not only for the smugglers' but also
for the local gentry. One of his clients was the
Rev. Sir Harry Trelawny who's family, and estate were at
Trelawne near
Polperro. Zephaniah Job however was as previously stated heavily
involved in the smuggling operation, not only did
he hire lawyers in Cornwall, and London, when Polperro
smugglers
were due to appear in court, he also sent them money ( no-doubt to buy
their
silence, ) when they were in incarcerated. The year 1798, was to
see a
incident occur which was to lead to
a determined effort by the Government of the day to end smuggling once
and for all.. A Polperro boat called the Lottery was
involved in an
incident in which a customs officer was killed And furious ministers
reacted by flooding Cornwall with revenue men. The outcome was that one
of the crew of the Lottery, Tom
Potter, was later tried for his murder at the Old Bailey and
executed.
Polperro with its quaint, colour washed cottages, and narrow
twisting streets, which have a surprise at every turn, is a delight on
the eye. In
Polperro one will find old
Celtic, and Roman bridges, and the old fish quay, the renowned House
of Props, and the old Watch House. Polperro is indeed the
quintessential
Cornish fishing village of picture-postcard fame. Yet despite
the area
around
Polperro having been inhabited since 450 A.D. The villages
origins seem to be fairly recent by Cornish standards. Polperro only
coming to
prominence in the 13th century. Although their is mention of
the ancient Raphael
Manor in the Domesday Book of
1088. Polperro like all West Country coastal villages, was founded on
fishing, which was the main economy, with a bit of the afore-mentioned
18th, century smuggling throw in, no hold that not a bit of smuggling a
lot !!!.
It
was the fishing for pilchards ( also known as sardines ) which fed in
vast quantities of the Cornish
coast, that sustained Pollpero and was the reason for
its existence. The little village was hit by two terrible storms, one
in
January 1817, destroyed 30, out of the 45, fishing boats. Then again
another dreadful storm occurred in 1824, when another 19, boats were
destroyed.
These disasters had the effect of rebuilding the harbour wall, and in
1894, an Act of Parliament
established the Harbour Trustees, The Trustees were able to charge
shipping for the use of the harbour and the funds raised went in to
maintaining the harbour. Many Traditional
Cornish
Cottages set in beautiful locations have
been converted and
modernised, without losing their charm to holiday
accommodation. To view some of the cottages
availible as holiday
accommodation please click the West Country
Cottages web site on the right of screen.
In the late 19th century, Polpero was transformed in to the holiday
resort it is today. For the Victorians attracted by the beauty,
history,
and ruggedness, of the Cornish coast, flocked to the area in their
thousands. Later in line with
many towns and villages Artists joined the influx and today their
remains in Polperro a thriving artist community. And although Polperro
has not quite abandoned it's fishing heritage, tourism is the main
industry. Many of the Cornish traditional cottages
set in beautiful locations have been converted and
modernised, without losing their charm as holiday
accommodation. To view some of the cottages
availible as holiday
accommodation; please click the West Country
Cottages web site on the right of screen.
Yes: beautiful, quaint, historic Polperro comes
highly recommended as a holiday destination. And a must on the
itinerary of any visitors to beautiful Cornwall.
 |
|
|
