Polperro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Polperro
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| Population | 1,554 (Parish, 2001) |
| OS grid reference | SX207509 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Looe |
| Postcode district | PL13 |
| Dialling code | 01503 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | http://www.lovepolperro.com |
Polperro is a large village and fishing harbour located in south Cornwall, England. Its name, Porthpyra, comes from the Cornish language and means Pyra's cove. The village is part of the Polperro Heritage Coastline and has a population of about 1,554 people.
The River Pol flows through Polperro. The village is about 7 miles (11 km) east of Fowey and 4 miles (6 km) west of Looe. It's also about 25 miles (40 km) west of the city of Plymouth. Polperro is a very popular place for tourists, especially in summer. People love its beautiful look with old fishermen's houses packed closely together, its charming harbour, and the lovely coastline.
Contents
Exploring Polperro's Past
What's in a Name?
The name Polperro comes from the Cornish words Porthpyra. This means harbour named after Pyran. However, some people think "Pyra" might not be a person's name. It could refer to the stream itself. Old records from the 1300s show names like Portpira and Porpira.
How Did Polperro Begin?
Since the Middle Ages, Polperro was part of two old land areas called manors. These were Raphael, west of the River Pol, and Killigarth, to the east. Polperro was known as a fishing village as early as the 1200s. The first official mention of it was in a Royal Ordinance in 1303.
Harbour History and Big Storms
The exact date when Polperro's old quay (a dock for boats) was built is not fully known. It was likely built by the lord who owned the harbour. A newer quay was built before 1774. It was badly damaged in a storm that year, but was repaired.
Polperro's harbour was rebuilt after two very strong storms. One storm in January 1817 destroyed many boats and damaged parts of the village. The damage was huge, but luckily no one died. Another terrible storm in November 1824 destroyed three houses and almost 50 boats! After this, a new pier was designed to better protect the harbour.
An interesting event happened in 1708. A large ship called the Albemarle, carrying valuable items like diamonds and coffee, was blown ashore near Polperro during a storm.
Jonathan Couch: Village Doctor and Historian
Jonathan Couch was the village doctor for many years. He was also a naturalist (someone who studies nature) and wrote about the history of Polperro. His book, The History of Polperro, was published after he passed away. He cared deeply about the fishermen and the success of the fishing industry, alongside his medical and scientific work.
Polperro in Art and on Screen
Polperro's beauty has always attracted artists. The famous Austrian painter Oskar Kokoschka lived in the village for a year between 1939 and 1940. Polperro has also been used as a filming location for TV shows like Doc Martin and Beyond Paradise.
The Secret World of Smuggling
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Smuggling was a big part of Polperro's history, especially in the late 1700s. During wars, taxes on imported goods like spirits and tobacco were very high. This made it profitable for local fishermen to secretly bring goods into the country from places like Guernsey. Zephaniah Job (1749–1822) was a local merchant known as the 'Smugglers' Banker'. He helped control much of the smuggling trade.
In the 1800s, a more organized Coast Guard service was created. Stricter punishments also made smuggling less common. Part of the South West Coast Path was even used by officers patrolling the coast for smugglers.
The Story of Robert Jeffery
In 1807, a man named Robert Jeffery from Polperro was serving on a Royal Navy ship. After a disagreement, the ship's commander ordered him to be left alone on a small island called Sombrero. Later, the commander's boss found out and ordered Jeffery to be rescued. Jeffery was eventually found in Massachusetts, USA, working as a blacksmith. He was brought back to Britain and received money for what happened to him.
Polperro's Economy: How People Make a Living
Tourism: A Major Industry
Tourism became Polperro's main industry in the 1900s. The village can be reached by air, train, road, and boat. In the 1970s, about 25,000 visitors came to the village every day during summer! Today, visitors cannot drive cars into the village. They must park at Crumplehorn and walk about half a mile to the harbour. This is because the village's streets are very narrow. For those who prefer not to walk, there are horse and cart rides or special milk floats that look like trams.
Things to see and do in Polperro include:
- The South West Coast Path: A long walking trail that passes through the village. You can take day walks along the beautiful coastline to places like Talland Bay.
- The Polperro Heritage Museum of Fishing and Smuggling: Located in an old fish processing warehouse by the harbour. It has interesting photos and displays about the village's history.
- Boat trips: You can take boat trips from the harbour to see the coastline. You might even spot dolphins and seals!
The village also has many restaurants and pubs. A holiday and caravan park is located just outside the village.
Fishing: A Long Tradition
Fishing has always been a very important job for families in Polperro. For centuries, the village was known for catching and processing pilchards. These fish would come close to the South Cornwall coast in late summer, providing a lot of fish for local fishermen. The fish were salted and pressed, and the oil was used for heating and lighting. Polperro pilchards were sold all over Europe.
However, the number of pilchards decreased in the 1900s. Pilchard fishing stopped being the main job in Polperro by the 1960s. Today, about twelve commercial fishing boats still work from the harbour. They catch fish like flatfish, scallops, crabs, monkfish, ray, pollock, bass, and cod. You can sometimes buy fresh fish and seafood right at the quayside!
Festivals: Fun for Everyone
The Polperro Festival has been held every year since 1996. It's a community festival run by volunteers. It helps local businesses and brings lots of fun to the village. The festival started as an Arts and crafts event. Now it includes live music, dance, street entertainment, theatre, children's activities, and local food. Most of the fun happens in Big Green, the village square, often under a large tent.
What is the Lord Mayor of Polperro?
As part of the Polperro festivities, a Lord Mayor is chosen in secret each year. Their identity is a surprise until they are revealed on stage on the first Saturday of the festival. They wear a special outfit that shows who they are and what they are known for in the village.
The Lord Mayor is then paraded through the village with their "Merry Men." They visit every pub and inn to taste the ale, making sure it's good enough for the village for the coming year. After visiting all the pubs, they go to the beach to "meet the tide." This special moment officially opens the festival!
Who Were the Past Lord Mayors?
Here is a list of past Lord Mayors of Polperro since 1996:
- 1996 - Ashley Courts
- 1997 - John Holden
- 1998 - Brenda Thomas
- 1999 - Joe Card
- 2000 - Chris Pannewitz
- 2001 - Terry Bicknell
- 2002 - Gilly Davis
- 2003 - Martin "Beaver" Thomas
- 2004 - Alun "Pendragon" Thomas
- 2005 - Ted Pilcher
- 2006 - Glenda Taper
- 2007 - Erica Gregory
- 2008 - John "Grandad" Marshall
- 2009 - Alan "Coach" Morris
- 2010 - Robert Chisman
- 2011 - Tony White
- 2012 - Sam Baker
- 2013 - Nathan "Small" Toms
- 2014 - Franco Miceli
- 2015 - Abbi Rendell
- 2016 - Brian & Rita Morgan
- 2017 - Gina Farrell
- 2018 - James Overton
- 2019 - Mike Jelly
- 2022 - Phil Thomas
Note: There was no festival in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike Jelly kept the title until Phil Thomas took over in 2022.
Interesting Facts About the Lord Mayors
Ashley Courts was the very first Lord Mayor of Polperro. Brenda Thomas was the first female Lord Mayor. Brian and Rita Morgan were the first pair to share the title. Mike Jelly was the first Lord Mayor to hold the title for more than one year. Phil Thomas is the third person from the same family (Thomas) to be Lord Mayor.
Lord Mayor's Money, Portrait, and Ball
The Lord Mayor receives special commemorative money with their face on it. This money is not real money and has no value, but it's a fun souvenir! They also get a portrait painted by a local artist. This portrait is displayed the next year. Each Lord Mayor serves for one year (except for Mike Jelly during the pandemic). Their job is to open new businesses and attend other village events.
A special Lord Mayor's Ball is held in their honor, usually around April. It's a night of celebration! The current Lord Mayor chooses the band and often picks a theme for people to dress up. All the money raised at this ball goes back into the Polperro Festival Fund for the next year's festival.
Important Buildings in Polperro
- Couch's House: Located on Lansallos Street, this was the home of Jonathan Couch, the naturalist and physician. Before him, it belonged to the Quiller family, who became wealthy from smuggling.
- Polperro War Memorial: This memorial is found a bit outside the village on the coast path towards Talland.
- The Shell House: Tucked away on "The Warren," this house is completely covered in shells!
Churches in the Village
Polperro is served by two Church of England parishes, divided by the River Pol: Lansallos to the west and Talland to the east. The old Anglican Chapel of St John, built in the 1800s, is in the village but no longer holds services.
John Wesley, a famous preacher, visited the village in 1762 and 1768. By 1792, a large Methodist chapel was built, and Methodism became very popular in Polperro during the 1800s.
Sclerder Abbey, a Roman Catholic monastery, is located just outside the village on the road to Looe.
Science in Polperro
In the late 1800s, Sir Francis Galton studied fingerprints in Polperro. He chose the village because many of its residents were related due to families often marrying within the village. At that time, Polperro was only reachable by sea or coastal path. His findings helped improve criminology (the study of crime) and sociology (the study of society). He also created detailed family trees of local families, which are kept in London.
Famous People from Polperro
Many interesting people have lived in or been connected to Polperro:
- Donald Adamson, an author and historian.
- Angela Brazil, a novelist.
- Anyon Cook, an illustrator for the famous children's author Enid Blyton.
- Jonathan Couch, the naturalist, physician, and historian we learned about earlier.
- Walter Greenwood, a novelist who lived in Polperro briefly in the 1930s.
- Zephaniah Job, known as "The Smugglers' Banker."
- Oskar Kokoschka, the artist.
- Rita Tushingham, an actress who lived in the village in the 1970s.
- Hugh Walpole, a novelist.
Local Government
Polperro Community Council is the local government body for the village. It helps manage local services and represents the community.
See also
In Spanish: Polperro para niños
