A Pretty Cornish Village

We have been in Cornwall a couple of days now but I need to backtrack and cover some basics, based on info from a magazine from our Looe hotel.

Welcome to Cornwall - or as they say in the Cornish language, Kernow A'Gas Dynnerghi!  The Cornish language survives still and while you probably won't hear it spoken on the streets, you may notice the road name signs that are being replaced with both English and Cornish.  Cornish is recognized as a language by the EU and it is now being taught in the local schools.  It was spoken here for more than 2000 years and is similar to Welsh and Breton, not surprising given their geographic proximity.  

The Cornish flag (Kernow flag) is the flag of St. Piran, a 5th century Cornish abbot who is the patron saint of tin miners (I thought he might be the patron saint of pirates given his name and the abundant history of them around here!).  The flag has a white background with a black cross.  

The population of Cornwall is about 550,000 although it easily swells to many times that during the summer months when tourists flock here to enjoy the beaches, surfing and hikes.  Apparently, more than 5 million visit this area over a year.  Cornwall is also famous for its charming seaside fishing villages with whitewashed cottages and little harbours.

Monday, we visited Polperro, arguably one of the most popular and famous of these little villages.  The car park (or for us, the taxi drop) is at the top of the gentle slope leading down to the village and the harbour.  Polperro is only just over 4 miles from Looe but, because it was a bank holiday, we opted to take a taxi rather than drive thinking that parking might be a problem.  The bus wasn't really an option because it was only running every 2 hours.  

We got there just before 11 and in fact it wasn't that crowded.  We ambled toward the harbour stopping in art galleries and shops along the way.  

We continued making our way down to the harbour through sometimes narrow passageways.  It is easy to imagine what this village was like hundreds of years ago as there are no cars permitted past a certain point.  

Further, Polperro has a rich history of smuggling.  It is understood to have prospered since it developed as a port in the 12th century.  It reached its zenith in the late 18th century when Britain's wars with America and France precipitated the high taxation of many imported goods, making it worthwhile for the local fishermen to boost their income by the covert importation of spirits, tobacco and other goods from Guernsey and elsewhere.  The village continued to be notorious for smuggling activities during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Everyone conspired to hide the duty-free goods from the excise men. When John Wesley visited the village in 1762, he remarked that all the locals were involved in smuggling. 

 

 

 

The next stop on our itinerary will be a total contrast to this history village.  Ever heard of the Eden Project?  It is truly worth knowing about and is up next!