Polruan

Last updated

Polruan
Polruan View.JPG
Polruan viewed across the river from Fowey
Cornwall UK mainland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Polruan
Location within Cornwall
OS grid reference SX126508
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town FOWEY
Postcode district PL23
Dialling code 01726
Police Devon and Cornwall
Fire Cornwall
Ambulance South Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cornwall
50°19′38″N4°38′00″W / 50.3273°N 4.6333°W / 50.3273; -4.6333

Polruan (Cornish : Porthruwan) [1] is a coastal village in the parish of Lanteglos-by-Fowey in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is bounded on three sides by water: to the north by Pont Creek, to the west by the River Fowey and to the south by the English Channel and neighbours village Bodinnick to the north, connected by a 4-mile walk along the hill tops. [2] Polruan is very steep and well protected from the prevailing winds and Polruan Pool is a haven for small boats.

Contents

The population of Polruan was 534 in the 2021 census. [3]

History

Polruan has never been a centre for fishing, although it is often mistakenly called a fishing village. In the 1851 census there were just four men giving their occupations as fishermen, the majority were linked to shipbuilding or were mariners. [4] In the medieval period Polruan produced some very large ships, employed in the wine trade with Bordeaux. In 1343 five Polruan ships were in the King's service. A century later the Edward of Polruan was accused of piracy and its size can be shown by the number of men it carried, 200 men 'armed and arrayed for war.' [5]

St Ruan was the first to occupy the top of Polruan Hill the point where St Saviour's ruin still stands today. The ruin of St Saviour's church on the hill above Polruan dates to the 8th century. It was a landmark for shipping, and also, in times of war, a vantage point for observing the approach of enemy shipping to the strategically important Fowey harbour. The name Polruan derives from the Cornish for harbour of a man called Ruveun. [6]

Polruan from Fowey Polruan.jpg
Polruan from Fowey

Polruan also has a blockhouse fortification built in the 14th century that guards the entrance to the river Fowey, one of a pair—its partner being situated on the Fowey side of the river. The Polruan blockhouse is well preserved due to the efforts of various enthusiastic councillors and conservationists on the Polruan side of the river, in contrast to the blockhouse in Fowey.[ citation needed ] Between the two blockhouses was strung a defensive chain to prevent enemy ships entering the harbour, the chain being lowered for friendly vessels. This was primarily used during the wars with the Dutch.

The Harbour Commissioners Yard at Brazen Island was a shipbuilding yard in 19th century, one of several in Polruan building schooners, barquentines and ketches. Polruan was the major shipbuilding site in the harbour and the owners and the families of the mariners resided in the village. [7] As wooden shipbuilding declined in late 19th century, Brazen Island became a sardine processing factory which also supplied electricity for the village. The gun battery at Peak Point held an anti-shipping gun of which the mounting pin can still be seen. The battery gave the name of Battery Park. The wall at Peak Field was used for rifle practice. Motor torpedo boats were repaired at Pont Creek during World War II. The overhanging trees hid the boats from surveillance aircraft. The remains of cradles for boat repair and some hull parts can still be seen preserved in the mud on the foreshore. Some boat-building still takes place in Polruan: Toms's Yard builds and repairs boats and has reputation for handling trawlers and also for hand building in wood.[ citation needed ]

A cross known as Polruan or St Saviour's Cross stands at the top of Fore Street. The latter name comes from the former chapel of St Saviour nearby. [8]

Education

The main school serving the village is Polruan Primary Academy which is a mixed school of non-denominational religion. The primary school (which only has 50 pupils at most) was formerly the village girls' school, the boys' school being destroyed in World War 2 after a German bomber shed its unused payload. The site of the boys' school is now where the carpark is at the top of St Saviours Hill. [9]

The nearest secondary school, Fowey River Academy, is located in Fowey.

Transport

Polruan can be accessed in a number of ways. By car using the linking one road in and one road out, [10] which is the usual way. There is a taxi service operating in the village which transports residents in and out of the village. [11] The local bus service operates on different times during season, the service is run via Looe, Polperro, Lansallos and Greenbank. [12]

Other transport includes the Polruan ferry, which crosses the river to and from Fowey every 15 minutes and operates every day of the year. There is also a passenger ferry to Mevagissey. Cars can be ferried to Fowey from Bodinnick which is 4 miles away. When the car ferry from Bodinnick is not running, Fowey and points westwards are reached by car via a car journey via Lostwithiel.

Sport

The history of the Troy class of boat has been set down by Marcus Lewis. [13] Lewis also builds boats and has a small history of the Fowey River class of boat. [14]

Boats at Polruan Lanteglos, boatyard at Polruan - geograph.org.uk - 48015.jpg
Boats at Polruan

The long legacy of shipbuilding continues today with Toms yard. Until recently the Fowey Harbour Pilots traditionally came from Polruan. Pilotage for commercial shipping was carried out from open boats with the Pilots boarding the ships via a pilot ladder. The Fowey Pilots Association describes the work of the pilots. [15]

Polruan is one of a now increasing number of Cornish places to use lookouts to help marine craft in distress. Many lookout towers were demolished in the 1980s to save costs. Now, thanks to the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), a voluntary charity, many of the surviving old coastguard lookouts and towers are being re-staffed by qualified volunteers. The Old Coastguard Lookout at Polruan was among the first to be re-commissioned in this way. (The current HM Coastguard headquarters for cliff rescue, including the equipment store, is on St Saviour's Hill adjacent to the NCI Station, above the main village carpark. Exercises of the HM Coastguard continue. [16] ) The current Polruan NCI Station overlooks the Fowey estuary and also St Austell Bay beyond the village. [16] It was constructed in the nineteenth century. [16]

People

Calvin Dean, the actor from the film Tormented grew up in Polruan. [17] [18] Daphne du Maurier once stayed in the village and based her first novel, The Loving Spirit on the Slade family of shipbuilders and mariners. [19] [16] Peter Skellern, the singer was resident in the village. Actor Patrick Malahide, who amongst other roles, played Inspector Chisholm in the popular television series Minder is also another Polruan resident. The well known illustrator Mabel Lucie Attwell also lived in the village - see; [20] as did the absurdist English playwright N. F. Simpson. [21]

Raynor Winn the author of the Sunday Times best seller The Salt Path used to reside in Polruan, which also features heavily as the mid and end point of her 630 mile walk. The author of The Stories of Benjamin series Tom Barrie Simmons also currently lives in Polruan.

Film and television

The film Stolen Hours featuring Susan Hayward was filmed around Polruan. The latter part of the film follows an actress who comes to Polruan to live out the remainder of her life, following a brain tumour, with her surgeon husband. The 1963 film displays older shots of the village including use of the village shop, "Headland House", and the clip of the children's sports day which is filmed where Greenbank is now built. A local, Mrs Baker, was included in the filming of the egg and spoon race and calls... "Let's get shoes off!"[ citation needed ]

An episode of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries was also partly filmed in Polruan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looe</span> Town in Cornwall, England

Looe is a coastal town and civil parish in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, with a population of 5,280 at the 2011 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Fowey</span> River in Cornwall, England

The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Its source is at Fowey Well about 1 mile (1.6 km) north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, not far from one of its tributaries rising at Dozmary Pool and Colliford Lake, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens below Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. The estuary is called Uzell. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last 7 miles (11 km). There is a ferry between Fowey and Bodinnick. The first road crossing going upstream is in Lostwithiel. The river has seven tributaries, the largest being the River Lerryn. The section of the Fowey Valley between Doublebois and Bodmin Parkway railway station is known as the Glynn Valley. The valley is the route of both the A38 trunk road and the railway line. The railway line is carried on eight stone viaducts along this stretch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fowey</span> Town in Cornwall, England

Fowey is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local church first established some time in the 7th century; the estuary of the River Fowey forms a natural harbour which enabled the town to become an important trading centre. Privateers also made use of the sheltered harbourage. The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway brought China clay here for export.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polperro</span> Human settlement in England

Polperro is a large village, civil parish, and fishing harbour within the Polperro Heritage Coastline in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Its population is around 1,554.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Par, Cornwall</span> Village on the south coast of Cornwall, England

Par is a village and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par, although West Par and the docks lie in the parish of St Blaise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talland</span> Human settlement in England

Talland is a hamlet and ecclesiastical parish and former civil parish, between Looe and Polperro, now in the parish of Polperro, in the Cornwall district, on the south coast of Cornwall, England. It consists of a church, the Old Vicarage and a few houses. In 1931 the parish had a population of 768. On 1 April 1934 the civil parish was abolished and merged with Lansallos, part also went to form Looe.

There are over 80 hillforts in Cornwall dating from the Iron Age, Roman and post-Roman periods, with most showing evidence of occupation and re-occupation by the Cornish Cornovii tribe. Two of the most impressive, at opposite ends of Cornwall, are Chûn Castle, near Penzance and Warbstow Bury in North East Cornwall. Others can be found at Caer Bran, Castle An Dinas, Castle an Dinas (Penzance), Castle Canyke, Kelly Rounds, Cadson Bury, Resugga Castle, Helsbury near Michaelstow, St Dennis, Gear fort, Lescudjack Hillfort, Prideaux Castle, and Castle Dore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodinnick</span> Human settlement in England

Bodinnick is a riverside village in south-east Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. According to the Post Office the population of the 2011 Census was included in the civil parish of Lanteglos-by-Fowey. It is a fishing village situated on the east bank of the River Fowey opposite the town of Fowey, also on the banks of the Fowey River. The ferry crossing is from Fowey to Bodinnick and the "Old Ferry Inn" is located on its bank glorified as "in the heart of Du Maurier country". This ferry terminal is said to have existed since the 13th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pont Pill</span> River in Cornwall, England

Pont Pill, joins the River Fowey at Penleath Point just below the memorial to Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch at the north-east corner of Fowey harbour. Pont Pill is a tidal river and is only navigable at high water.

<i>The Loving Spirit</i> 1931 novel by Daphne du Maurier

The Loving Spirit was the first novel of Daphne du Maurier and was published in 1931 by William Heinemann. The book takes its name from a line in the poem "Self-Interrogation" by Emily Brontë.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansallos</span> Human settlement in England

Lansallos is a village in the civil parish of Polperro in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated between Polruan and Polperro about 5 miles (8 km) east of Fowey in Liskeard Registration District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanteglos-by-Fowey</span> Human settlement in England

Lanteglos is a coastal civil parish in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the east side of the tidal estuary of the River Fowey which separates it from the town and civil parish of Fowey. The South West Coast Path runs along the southern coasts of the parish and much of the southern part of the parish lies in the Polruan to Polperro Site of Special Scientific Interest managed by the National Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing in Cornwall</span> Economic activity

Fishing in Cornwall, England, UK, has traditionally been one of the main elements of the economy of the county. Pilchard fishing and processing was a thriving industry in Cornwall from around 1750 to around 1880, after which it went into an almost terminal decline. During the 20th century the varieties of fish taken became much more diverse and crustaceans such as crab and lobster are now significant. Much of the catch is exported to France due to the higher prices obtainable there. Though fishing has been significantly damaged by overfishing, the Southwest Handline Fishermen's Association has started to revive the fishing industry. As of 2007, stocks were improving. The Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee is one of 12 committees responsible for managing the corresponding Sea Fisheries District. The Isles of Scilly Sea Fisheries Committee is responsible for the Scilly district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fowey Lifeboat Station</span> Lifeboat Station in Passage Street, United Kingdom

Fowey Lifeboat Station is the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Fowey on the south coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The first lifeboat was stationed in the area in 1859 and the present station was opened in 1997. It operates a Trent Class all weather boat (ALB) and a D class (IB1) inshore lifeboat (ILB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polruan to Polperro</span>

Polruan to Polperro is a coastal Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in south-east Cornwall, England, UK, noted for its biological interest. It contains a wide variety of plant species and is a site for populations of breeding birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Cornwall</span> Overview of and topical guide to Cornwall

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Cornwall: Cornwall – ceremonial county and unitary authority area of England within the United Kingdom. Cornwall is a peninsula 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 is also a royal duchy of the United Kingdom. It has an estimated population of half a million and it has its own distinctive history and culture.

Presented below is an alphabetical index of articles related to Cornwall:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos (electoral division)</span> Former electoral division of Cornwall in the UK

Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos was an electoral division of Cornwall in the United Kingdom which returned one member to sit on Cornwall Council between 2013 and 2021. It was abolished at the 2021 local elections, being succeeded by Looe West, Pelynt, Lansallos and Lanteglos

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looe West, Pelynt, Lansallos and Lanteglos (electoral division)</span> Electoral division of Cornwall in the UK

Looe West, Pelynt, Lansallos and Lanteglos is an electoral division of Cornwall in the United Kingdom which returns one member to sit on Cornwall Council from 2021. Before the 2021 local elections, the area was a part of Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos ward.

References

  1. ↑ Place-names in the Standard Written Form (SWF) Archived 15 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine  : List of place-names agreed by the MAGA Signage Panel Archived 15 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Cornish Language Partnership.
  2. ↑ Berry, Oliver; Dixon, Belinda (15 February 2008). Devon, Cornwall & Southwest England. Lonely Planet. p. 269. ISBN   978-1-74104-873-5 . Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "City population: Polruan".
  4. ↑ 1851 Census
  5. ↑ Helen Doe, A Maritime History of Fowey Harbour, Truran, 2010
  6. ↑ Mills, A. D. (1996). The Popular Dictionary of English Place-Names. Parragon Book Service Ltd and Magpie Books. p. 261. ISBN   0-7525-1851-8.
  7. ↑ C. H. Ward-Jackson, Ships and Shipbuilders of a Westcountry Seaport: Fowey 1786-1939 (Truro: Twelveheads Press, 1986
  8. ↑ Langdon, A. G. (2005) Stone Crosses in East Cornwall; 2nd ed. Federation of Old Cornwall Societies; p. 43
  9. ↑ "Polruan Primary School, Cornwall". Axcis. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  10. ↑ Information Britain (1998). "Polruan Information". Crawbar. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  11. ↑ "Taxi Service from Polruan to Polperro, Looe, Liskeard and beyond!". Polruan Taxis. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  12. ↑ "Bus Service – Looe – Polperro – Polruan". Polruan.org. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  13. ↑ "Fowey Photos". Foweyphotos.com. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  14. ↑ Lewis, Marcus. "Troy class". Woodenboatbuilder.co.uk. Lewis (Fowey). Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  15. ↑ "Fowey pilots". Foweypilots.com. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Beardsall, Jonny (7 April 2007). "For those in peril". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  17. ↑ Garrad, Carrie (12 June 2009). "Calvin's film role wreaking revenge on school's bullies". liskeard-today.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  18. ↑ "Young local actor gets set for stardom as he stars in new Brit horror flick "Tormented"". thisiscornwall.co.uk. 9 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  19. ↑ Helen Doe, Jane Slade of Polruan (Truro: Truran, 2002).
  20. ↑ "Their Story".
  21. ↑ From 2005 until his death in 2011, living (according to his death certificate) in Townsend, Polruan
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.