( Overview
/ Two Scilly Bullocks on a Boat
St Catherine’s Castle.
Polruan, where shipbuilding and repair have been an important trade since medieval times.
At the top of Polruan Hill stands St Saviour’s Ruin which dates from the 8th century. Built on a site first occupied by St Ruan, after whom Polruan is named, it was equipped with bells. A landmark for ships and a good lookout point.
At 6m St Catherine’s Point lighthouse, also known as Fowey Light, was built in 1904. In medieval times the chapel of St Catherine stood on the clifftop, and a light was kept burning there as a lighthouse.
Since 2002 its LED lights, installed in front of the old light structure, have been powered by wind and solar energy. The original Fresnel lens, designed by Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788-1827), and called the invention that saved a million ships, was removed because of vandalism and is in the museum.
The second lighthouse is located at Whitehouse Point. This was also erected in 1904, using a structure that was manufactured in 1892. The rocket-shaped light also has sector lights.
Readymoney Cove or in Cornish Porth Munda meaning meaning mineral house may have been a pre-medieval trading place. During the 2nd World War, Daphne du Maurier and children spent a year at Readymoney Cottage, the former coach house to Point Neptune.
Port Neptune can be seen on the promontory. Dawn French owned it for 15 years until she sold in 2021.
The gates on Point Neptune were originally on the Rashleigh’s other house, Menabilly, the Georgian mansion which was inspiration for Manderley in Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca”.
Fowey. St Fimbarrus Church marks the end of the Saints Way which links the Cornish coasts from Padstow to Fowey.
Gig rowing is popular here too. The boats were originally used by Pilots who rowed the gigs to ships wishing to enter the harbour; it was highly competitive with the first Pilot on board getting the job, so speed was essential.
Self-service fuel pontoon which was very easy to use.
The author Daphne du Maurier wrote her first novel, ‘The Loving Spirit’ published in 1931, at Ferryside, a family holiday home bought in 1926. It was built from local granite in the early 1800s, serving as a shipwright’s workshop, yard and quay.
The Bodinnick to Fowey car ferry.
Needing power, and seeking to get out of the main river, we opted to berth at Mixtow shore linked pontoon. 70p more a night, but quieter, and great to be able to step ashore!
One of Kevin’s favourite makes of boat, a Fisher. Emma II was built in the same yard as Avalon, just a few years previously in 1984, and owned by Brian Moffat, the owner of Northshore Yachts.
It is the industrial end of the estuary because Fowey is a commercial port handling 400,000 tonnes of cargo every year. The primary cargo is china clay; in the last decade the demand for clay in paper making has reduced, so high quality ceramic clay exports make up 45% of the overall tonnage.
Road salt, and a secondary aggregate, a by-product of the china clay mining process and thus rated as one of the most sustainable, are also transported from here by ship to the Port of Tilbury to be used in construction in London and the South East.
Kevin particularly liked having a factory on the opposite bank and being off the main estuary we also avoided many commercial ships passing us. A surprisingly peaceful spot.
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