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The Gallants Offering

lindaglamour
Sep 30, 2016
3 min read

There were flashes of silver that caught my eye. Ripples of silver that spun across the water and it took me a little while to figure out what they were. Sitting up in bed with a cup of tea and watching the dawn rise over the harbour, the silver was the sunlight catching the metal rims of the assorted boats. Such a pretty sight and how amazing to have such a view to greet me every morning. In the evening I can also sit and watch dusk approach and see the little lights across the Polruan jetty and then across to Fowey light up.

Polruan is difficult to access. The drive in is down narrow, high hedged lane ways that occasionally reminded me more of goat tracks than roads. It took nerves of steel to manage some stretches! To park one must park in the town's main carpark on top of the hill which has spectacular views - which somewhat makes up for the steep and somewhat arduous activity of lugging luggage to one's cottage. But it was worth it!

My fisherman's cottage had uninterrupted views across the harbour. It was small and as the English love to say, "cosy". Just down the road was a great pub The Russell Inn, one of two in town. Around the corner was the jetty and access to the Polruan Ferry to take one across to Fowey.

Both Polruan and Fowey (pronounced Foy) were the centre of 'Cornish Free Trade', that is, smuggling. Fowey was a well known centre for the activity - a 'gallant' was the local nick name for pirates/smugglers and there is a pub called the King of Prussia named for a smuggler who looked like the King!

For 1GBP I took the ferry across to Fowey most days. I think staying in Fowey and missing out on that journey would be terrible! But Fowey was where the shops and other amenities are. Polruan has two pubs and one small convenience store and that's it.

Both Polruan and Fowey were subject to continuous attacks by the French so as a defensive measure the towns built a tower on each side of the entry to their estuary and between strung up a large iron chain which they pulled up out of the water stopping the french ships gaining access. The Polruan tower has been restored and is breath taking. It sits out far on the rock and is heavily buffeted by the winds and sea. Standing there as the wind whipped around, a rain shower approaching and looking out the arrow slit windows to the sea was incredible.

There is a wildness to Cornwall even in the most 'civilised' of places that I find exhilarating. The rugged coastline, the 'otherworldliness' of it is exciting and it is also just beautiful. From Falmouth to Fowey there has not been one inch of this coast that I have not loved.

For one week here in Polruan, I rested. I read. Du Maurier of course first. Jamaica Inn and then a follow up to her novel Rebecca. Then in the Fowey bookshop I discovered Tessa Hainsworth a one time exec with The Body Shop and now Cornish postie - her adventures around the very locations I was staying were hilarious and also highlights how difficult it is for someone from Up Country (that is anywhere not Cornwall) to settle into Cornish life.

I walked the streets of both Polruan and Fowey and soaked in the history of both. I enjoyed an afternoon drink at The Russell and walked down to the water and sat on the bench, gazing out across the water and resting. I took another boat trip to the head of the estuary which took me past yachts at anchor and the homes of famous residents Daphne du Maurie and Dawn French.

I had morning tea at The Fowey Hotel and enjoyed my views back to my cottage in Polruan across the water. The little tourist tram took me around the town to show me the 85% of Fowey most people don't see (according to their brochure). Lunch at The Ship Inn and at Well House. Well House is the oldest building in Fowey, already over 100 years old when Elizabeth 1 came to the throne. It was only one of two buildings which survived when Fowey was burnt to the ground by those damned frenchies!

The gallants indeed offered me silver here in Polruan and Fowey and I accepted. I come away a much wealthier woman than when I arrived though the value of it lies in my heart and in experience.