Everything about West Looe totally explained
Looe is a small coastal town and fishing port in the
Caradon district of south-east
Cornwall,
England,
UK, with a population of 5,280 (2001 census). It lies around 20 miles west of the city of
Plymouth and 7 miles south of
Liskeard.
Situated around a small harbour and along a steep-sided valley, Looe is in fact two towns,
East Looe and
West Looe, connected by bridge across the
River Looe which flows between them, to reach the
sea beside a sandy
beach. Off shore to the west, opposite the stonier Hannafore beach, lies the
picturesque St. George's Island, commonly known as
Looe Island.
History
Prehistory and foundation
Archeological evidence, such as the so-called
Giant's Hedge and the
stone circle at Bin Down (from the Cornish "Bin Dun", meaning "
hill fort") on a hill above East Looe, indicates that the area around Looe was inhabited as early as
1000 BC.
At the time of the
Domesday Book the manor of Pendrym, which included much of the site of modern-day East Looe, was held by
William the Conqueror as part of his own
demesne and came to be managed by the Bodgrugan (Bodrigan) family. Land across the river belonged to the manors of Portalla (or Portallant) and Portbyhan (variously spelt Portbyan, Porthbyghan, Porthpyghan, among others).
Shutta, on the steep hillside over East Looe, is known to have been inhabited by the
twelfth century. At some time between 1154 and 1189 a
charter was granted by
Henry II to Sir Henry Bodrugan for the town of East Looe. West Looe was given free borough status sometime after this (the first known historical mention of the town dates from 1327) and in the 1230s East Looe gained the right to hold a weekly market and a
Michaelmas fair.
In these early days, East Looe may have been a "planted borough", a concept similar to modern
new towns; much of it's laid out in a grid-like pattern. Even today the low-lying parts of Looe suffer frequent
flooding when the tides are very high. Most houses in early Looe would have been constructed with the living quarters upstairs, above storage areas for boats, tools and
fishing tackle.
Early churches
Some time before 1144, a
monastic order began using Looe Island, and built a
chapel there; the monks may have provided a rudimentary
lighthouse service using
beacons. Another chapel sat opposite on a hillside just outside West Looe; both are now marked only by ruins.
The Church of
St. Mary in East Looe was dedicated in 1259 by
Walter Bronscombe,
Bishop of Exeter. It fell into disrepair and was rebuilt, commencing 1805, although the original tower still remains.
St. Nicholas' Church in West Looe was in existence before 1336, at which time it was endowed and enlarged. After spells as a Guildhall and schoolhouse, it's now back in its original use, having been substantially restored in 1862.
Development, trade and politics
An early wooden
bridge over the Looe river was in place by 1411; this burned down and was replaced by the first stone bridge, completed in 1436 and featuring a chapel dedicated to
St. Anne in the middle (the current bridge, a seven-arched
Victorian bridge, was opened in 1853). By this time Looe had become a major
port, one of Cornwall's largest, exporting local
tin,
arsenic and
granite, as well as hosting thriving
fishing and
boatbuilding industries. The town provided some 20 ships for the siege of
Calais in 1347.
Looe thrived in this era, being both a busy port and situated near one of the main roads from
London to
Penzance. By this time the
textile industry had come to play an important part in the town's economics, in addition to the traditional boatbuilding and fishing (particularly
pilchards and
crabs). Trade and transportation to and from thriving
Newfoundland also aided the town's success. The Old Guildhall in East Looe is believed to date from around 1500.
Between their
incorporation in the mid-1500s (East Looe 1571, West Looe 1553) and the
Great Reform Act of 1832, West Looe and East Looe were renowned examples of
rotten boroughs, each returning two
MPs to the
unreformed House of Commons, despite their tiny populations.
The 19th century
By the start of the
1800s, Looe's fortunes were in decline. War against
Napoleon had taken its toll of the country; in 1803 the town formed a volunteer company to man guns in defence against attack from the French, and the blockade of 1808, preventing the Looe fleet from reaching their pilchard-fishing ground, put considerable pressure on the town. In 1805 the old St. Mary's Chapel (apart from the tower) had to be demolished due to dilapidation, and in 1817 the town was badly damaged by heavy storms and flooding.
With the building of the
Liskeard and Looe Union Canal linking Looe to Liskeard in 1828, and the development of booming
copper mines in the
Caradon area from 1837, Looe's fortunes began to pick up again. The canal was used first to transport
lime from
Wales for use in Cornish farming, and later to carry copper and granite between the railhead at Liskeard (from where rail links reached to the
Cheesewring on
Bodmin Moor) and the port at Looe. In 1856 the large quay of East Looe was built to handle the demands of the shipping trade, and in 1860, with the canal unable to keep up with demand, a
railway was built linking Looe to
Moorswater near Liskeard, along the
towpath of the canal, which was used less and less until, by 1910, traffic ceased entirely. The railway was later linked to Liskeard proper, and as the mining boom came to an end, it began carrying passengers in 1879.
In 1866 a
lifeboat station had been established on East Looe beach, and in 1878 a new Town Hall was built, the present-day Guildhall. Around this time recommendations were made that the two towns be merged under one governing body, and despite much protest the Looe Urban District Council was formed in 1898 to govern the whole of Looe.
The 20th century
With the Victorian fashion for seaside holidays, Looe had become a tourist town, dubbed "the playground of Plymouth". This trend continued throughout the 20th century; more and more hotels and tourist facilities were built in the town, and Looe grew and prospered, with peaks in fishing and boatbuilding following the
First and
Second World Wars.
Looe today
Looe remains a fishing town, and several fish dealers operate from the docks of East Looe. With its fleet of small fishing boats returning their catches to port daily, Looe has a reputation for producing excellent fresh fish. The town is also a centre for
shark fishing, and is the home of the
Shark Angling Club of Great Britain.
Looe's main business today is, however,
tourism, with much of the town given over to
hotels,
guest houses and
holiday homes, along with a large number of
pubs,
restaurants, and shops selling beach equipment,
ice cream and
Cornish pasties. Inland from Looe lie many
camping and
caravan sites, as well as a famous
Woolly monkey sanctuary. Other local attractions include the beaches,
sailing, fishing and
diving, and spectacular coastal walks (especially that via
Talland to
Polperro. In the area are several stately homes, including
Antony House,
Cotehele,
Mount Edgcumbe, and
Lanhydrock House, as well as the
Eden Project near
St Austell.
Outside the busy summer months, the town remains a centre for shopping and entertainment for local villages. There is a tradition of the townsfolk wearing
fancy dress on
New Year's Eve, when the streets throng with revellers in inventive outfits. Looe is in the top 10 places in the UK to celebrate New Year.
East Looe
East Looe centres on its broad sandy beach, with the distinctive Banjo Pier, a new Lifeboat station and St. Mary's Church. Stretching back from here's a grid of narrow streets forming the main business area of the town, packed with many small shops, restaurants and pubs, and the Old Guildhall, now a
museum. Along the
estuary lies the
quay, with several fish dealers. Towards the bridge lies the
Victorian Guildhall, and just north of the bridge the
railway station. This is the
terminus of the
Looe Valley branch line to
Liskeard (at Liskeard, the line connects with the main
Plymouth to
Penzance Great Western Main Line).
On the hilltop above East Looe lies Shutta, and beyond that the Sunrising
housing estate and Looe Community School. Along the cliffs to the east is Plaidy beach, and past there's the bay and village of
Millendreath with another beach.
West Looe
West Looe spreads west from the bridge on the
Polperro Road towards
Sclerder, and along the river south of the bridge, with hotels, restaurants and boarding houses along the waterfront and houses climbing the perilous cliff above, towards a cluster of shops and businesses and the Church of
St. Nicholas.
Further to south along the coast road is Hannafore Point, marking the edge of Looe Harbour, with to the west the wide, stony Hannafore beach, facing across a narrow channel to Looe Island (officially called St. George's Island). Slightly inland is the hamlet of Portlooe. Beyond lies a coastal path leading to the hamlets of Porthallow and
Talland, and from there on to
Polperro.
On the high ground looking over the rest of both East and West Looe there are many modern houses and a recreational area called 'The Downs'
Port and Harbour
Looe is being regenerated, like many other ports to be fit for purpose, to serve as a small cargo port.
Further Information
Get more info on 'West Looe'.
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