Discover Polperro - South Cornwall

Claire Webb - 26 June 2020

At this time of year, Polperro is usually buzzing with holidaymakers. A warren of whitewashed cottages clustered around a little harbour, it’s regularly named one of the county’s most charming villages and relies on tourism. However, there has been a silver lining to lockdown. “We love having people here, but we’ve rediscovered the village in the last couple of months,” says harbour master Olly Puckey, one of the stars of Channel 4’s documentary series Devon and Cornwall. “At this time of year, we’re usually all busy – doing boat trips, working in the pubs and shops. We’ve suddenly had the time to stop and say, ‘Wow. This is where we live.’ “I spent 20 years in the merchant navy and was lucky enough to go around the world, but this place takes a lot of beating. It’s hardly changed in 200 years, so it’s almost like the place that time forgot. It’s a very close-knit community, everybody bands together and we have great events – a water carnival, music festival and fireworks display.” As lockdown drags on, villagers are worried that people will continue to stay away when travel restrictions are lifted. “Everybody’s helping each other out and we’re getting by, but there is concern. Are people going to come back? Cornwall is desperate for tourists and we lose more and more every year because they’re all going abroad. People forget that you don’t need to go abroad to have a great holiday.” Olly hopes Devon and Cornwall will inspire viewers to opt for a staycation in the West Country when it’s safe to travel again. So what are his tips for visitors to his stretch of south Cornwall, the Polperro Heritage Coastline?

DISCOVER CORNWALL’S DARK PAST

“Polperro was notorious for smuggling in the 1700s, and we’ve got an excellent heritage museum down on the harbour where you can learn about the history of the village,” says Olly. “Polperro is in between Falmouth and Plymouth, which is where the main customs houses were. And it’s sheltered from the sea, so unless you’re directly in front of the harbour, you wouldn’t even know the village was here. A good sailor could be over to France and back in a day and a half with smuggled goods – brandy, silk, tobacco – so we were an ideal location.”

CLIMB DOWN TO A SECRET COVE

“My favourite beach is Lantic Bay, which is in between Polperro and Polruan and absolutely idyllic. It’s south-facing and a proper little sun trap, sheltered from the wind, with beautiful sand. You have to climb down a steep cliff path to get to it, but it’s well worth the effort. It’s almost like a beach in the South Pacific, but not inundated with people because it’s so isolated and hard to reach. You can also get there by boat, but you usually have to swim ashore because of the currents.” If you don’t fancy the precarious walk down to Lantic Bay, the Polperro Heritage Coast has more than 300 beaches.

EXPLORE THE COASTLINE

“A lot of people walk to Polperro along the coastal footpaths from Fowey or Looe, and we provide a ferry service back. The walk between Polperro and Looe is fantastic. It’s a five-mile walk, and halfway along is the little hamlet of Talland Bay, which has a couple of cafés and a nice restaurant, so you can break your journey and have a bite to eat.” The 630-mile South West Coast Path starts at Minehead in

Somerset, ends at Poole in Dorset, and undulates in rollercoaster fashion the length of Devon and Cornwall.

IN DU MAURIER’S FOOTSTEPS

“Fowey has a lovely little harbour and is a greatplace for retail therapy. It’s a bit more upmarketthan we are, and they’ve got some fantasticclothes shops and independent boutiques.The town is famous for being the adopted homeof Daphne du Maurier.” The author used anearby stately home called Menabilly as theinspiration for Manderley, the country house bythe sea in her mystery Rebecca. Fowey’s annual book festival has been postponed to the end ofSeptember and includes du Maurier-themedwalks and talks.

LET TRAINS TAKE THE STRAIN

“Have a day out on the train without the hassleof driving and parking,” advises Olly. “Cornwallhas a few branch lines and our local one is the Looe Valley Line from Looe to Liskeard. It’s alovely journey along the estuary and up the valley, and you can hop on a train to Truro from Liskeard.” The shortest and most scenic of Cornwall’s branch lines is the St Ives Bay Line, which shuttles from St Erth to St Ives in ten minutes, wending past weatherbeaten cliffs and the golden sands of Carbis Bay.

Devon and Cornwall

Monday 8.00pm Channel 4

June 2020