cruising
towards Albert Quay, Paul shows me
Penmarlam pontoon, a peaceful shore-
linked pontoon in Mixtow, which is very
sheltered and has showers and toilets.
‘The café here is an absolute sunspot,’
he says. ‘You can have a drink or a meal
here, or walk the dog across the fields
to the pub at Bodinnick, and not worry
too much about other people.’
Just outside of Mixtow Pill on the river
is visitor pontoon number 6, known as
the Grid Irons. It’s also a sheltered place
to moor, with a footpath from the shore
into Bodinnick (though you’ll need your
tender or a water taxi to get ashore).
As we return to Albert Quay, I find myself
chuckling at Paul’s stories. There was the
occasion his colleague had to twice stop
a beautiful woman from skinny-dipping
off pontoon number 5 (it’s too dangerous
to swim in the river, other than at
Readymoney Cove or the beach off the
Esplanade). Another time, during the
filming of Poldark, he noticed they’d
chopped the blade off the paddle
belonging to the actor Aiden Turner
to make it easier for him!
Even today, the BBC is out filming. This
time it’s for the antiques show Flog It!
There’s a scene about boatbuilding at
Peter William’s yard and later, Paul tells
me they’ll be filming presenter Paul Martin
rowing with the Fowey River Gig Club.
Presumably, this is a busy day for Paul,
but he shakes his head. Today is quiet.
Tomorrow he’s expecting the Silver
Whisper, a 140m cruise ship on her
circumnavigation of Britain. ‘She looks
absolutely stunning when she’s in port.
She’ll drop two anchors, then some
passengers will go ashore to Fowey, while
others will be bussed to the Eden Project.’
It’s clear Paul is fond of every vessel he
welcomes into Fowey, whether a rowing
boat or a ship. In fact, he says the leisure
side is increasingly important. ‘You never
know how long the commercial side
is going to last. The shipping is almost
exclusively to do with the clay, and we’re
working hard to find different cargoes to
bring through.’
Fortunately, the leisure side shows no
sign of slowing. With its historic villages,
tranquil moorings and romantic creeks,
Fowey Harbour really is a special place.
Where else can you watch Poldark,
be inspired by Daphne du Maurier and
eat breakfast downriver of the Queen?
Families at Albert Quay
The Fowey Estuary
Nestled within an Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty, the Fowey Estuary
has a wide variety of habitats and
species. The seagrass beds in Polruan
Pool are a nursery area for fish, and
the rocky shore near Readymoney
Cove is a delight for rockpooling at
low tide. Crabbing is permitted on
the shore-linked pontoons (please
ensure you put plenty of seawater in
your buckets and refresh it regularly
as the crabs quickly use up oxygen
in the water).
Migratory fish including salmon
and sea trout travel through the
estuary to spawn upstream in the
freshwaters of the River Fowey.
The estuary is also a bass nursery
area. Dolphins, otters and seals
are common sightings, and if you’re
a birdwatcher, keep an eye out for
kingfishers, herons, egrets, dunlin,
shelduck and if you’re lucky, you might
even spot an osprey. Log your wildlife
sightings online at http://www.orks.org.uk.Why we love Fowey
Helen Luther
is curator of the
Fowey Museum
I was very little when
I met Daphne du
Maurier. She was my
brother’s godmother.
I remember going to Menabilly and
playing on Iggy, her husband Tommy’s
boat. After reading The Loving Spirit,
he sailed up and down the coast to
meet this new author! Daphne wrote
messages to my dad, who was her
doctor and friend. They’re in books
that are now on display at the museum.Anne Willmore (below, left) runs
the local bookshop Bookends
I came for a day specifically because
I was obsessed with Daphne du
Maurier. It wasn’t
enough – I kept
coming back and
eventually just
moved here.Lynn Gould (right)
is a Blue Badge guide
There’s something about Fowey that
gets you. Walking the countryside that
Daphne du Maurier talks about, you’ll
finding it unchanged because it not
accessed by motorcar. Pridmouth
is exactly as she knew it in the 1930s.Paul Thomas is the harbourmaster
When the previous harbourmaster
retired, I held the fort. That was six
years ago and I’m still here! The deal
was that I still get to do the piloting,
which I love. Basically I park the ships- that’s what I tell my mum – and then
I take them out to sea, get on the pilot
boat and come back in. I like the mix
of commercial and
leisure. It’s nice to
see a china clay
ship picking its
way through a fleet
of racing yachts.
Mevagissey is easily visited by ferry from FoweyReadymoney Cove’s rocky shore is
a delight for rockpooling at low tideCRUISING