The Fowey Estuary

An unending voyage of discovery

Far more than a town or even a resort, Fowey is a river and estuary whose creeks, in Carew s phrase, fold about the land with many embracing arms and provide astonishing variety to yachtsmen, fishermen and walkers.

Iron Age man lived here. The Romans found it already a port. In 1380, the Spanish and in 1457 the French, tried to raze it to the ground. But it survived to revenge itself on both. Drake, Raleigh and Frobisher all sailed from Fowey. Lieutenant James Cook surveyed the harbour and a chart was produced in 1786, the original of which now hangs in the Harbour Commissioners Office. Queen Victoria visited in 1846, and Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch and Daphne du Maurier made it a literary byword.

Near the waterfront, antique shops, restaurants, chandlers and historic pubs jostle for space. There are architectural gems in the tiny streets that twist and tumble down the hillside towards the estuary: St Fimbarrus Church, founded in the 6th century, and Place, after 660 years still the seat of the Treffry family.

But it is in Fowey s extended family the community of little towns and villages linked to it by the river that its perennial fascination lies. These include Lostwithiel and nearby Restormel Castle, Lerryn, Golant, Bodinnick, Pont at the head of its wooded pill and Polruan.

Bright and Sunny October in Fowey

Waiting for the Ferry at Town Quay

All these places, either side of the estuary, are linked by ferry, and by walks, the most famous of which, the Hall Walk, witnessed an attempt on the life of Charles I. Discover the golden beaches of Readymoney Cove and Polridmouth and the landmarks of St Catherine s Point and the Gribben. Explore the woods of Station and Covington and, elsewhere, uncover ancient churches and settlements barely touched by the 20th century.

As you watch the town unfold from every angle, you will be glad you came and eager always to return.

Things to see and do:

The Gribben And Daymark
St Catherine s Castle And The Rashleigh Mausoleum
The Quiller-Couch Memorial
Lerryn Creek And Ethy Wood
St Saviour s Point And Polruan The Mabel Lucie Atwell Museum
The Fowey Royal Regatta And Carnival Week In August
Fowey Museum And Fowey Aquarium
St Fimbarrus Church - Dedicated to St Finn Barr
Unravel The Trail Of References To Fowey And The Hinterland In The Novels Of Daphne Du Maurier
Take A River Or Coastal Cruise From Town Quay
Walk The Bronze Age Saints Way Between Fowey And Padstow Or The Famous Hall Walk Alongside The Estuary
Take A Guided Walk Around The Town Fish For Salmon Or Trout On The Upper Reaches Of The River Fowey (Licences And Permit Required)
Visit the coves of Whitehouse, Readymoney, Coombe or Polridmouth.
Take a ferry trip to the villages of Bodinnick or Polruan
Take a boat trip up the River Fowey to Lostwithiel (selected dates only)