HOLIDAYS IN MEVAGISSEY

Mevagissey is one of the most picturesque fishing villages in Cornwall. Its double harbour is still crowded with working boats, and around it a maze of narrow streets and alleys climbs the steep valley sides, lined with colourful cottages, galleries, pubs, pasty shops and cafés. It is a village where you can watch the catch being landed in the morning and eat it for supper in the evening.

The village lies on the south coast of Cornwall, on St Austell Bay, about five miles south of St Austell. Around 2,000 people live here, and although tourism is now its biggest industry, Mevagissey has kept the feel of a real working port: fishing boats, crab pots and nets still fill the quays, and the fish merchants and boat builders are still at work.

Mevagissey is a lovely place for a relaxed family holiday or a short break. Children love crabbing from the harbour walls, the little aquarium in the old lifeboat house, boat trips around the bay and the beaches at Polstreath, Portmellon and Pentewan. Walkers have some of the finest coast path in south Cornwall on the doorstep, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan are just over a mile away.

To the south-west lie Gorran Haven, the great headland of the Dodman and the unspoilt beaches of Vault, Hemmick and Caerhays, and to the north the Pentewan Valley Trail leads to St Austell. Across the bay, a summer ferry links Mevagissey with Fowey, while the Eden Project, Charlestown and the Roseland are all a short drive away.

Mevagissey is at its liveliest in summer and during Feast Week at the end of June, but it is a year-round village. Spring brings the gardens of Heligan and Caerhays into flower, autumn is quiet and mild, and in winter the harbour and its boats are strung with Christmas lights.

This guide covers the harbour, history, beaches, Heligan, Gorran Haven and the Dodman, things to do, walks, places nearby and events, plus practical visitor information on parking, buses, shops and health services.

MEVAGISSEY HARBOUR

The harbour is the heart of Mevagissey. It is really two harbours: the snug inner harbour, enclosed by the East and West Quays, and the larger outer harbour beyond, protected by long granite breakwaters with a small lighthouse at the end of the south pier.

The inner harbour was built after the Mevagissey Pier Act of 1775. The outer harbour followed in 1888, but only three years later it was badly damaged in the Great Blizzard of March 1891, and the breakwaters had to be rebuilt; the work was finished by 1897, and the lighthouse dates from 1896. Since 1988 the harbour has been run by a charitable trust on behalf of the community.

Mevagissey is still a working fishing port, with a fleet of small boats landing crab, lobster, mackerel and other fish. Fishing trips and boat trips around the bay run from the quays in season, and the harbour walls are one of the best places in Cornwall for crabbing.

On the south side of the outer harbour, the old lifeboat house, built in 1897 with its own slipway, now houses the Mevagissey Aquarium, a small and much-loved display of local marine life caught by Cornish fishermen, from crabs and lobsters to rays and small sharks. Entry is free, with donations welcome. The lifeboat station itself closed in 1930, when the new motor lifeboat at Fowey took over.

On the East Wharf, the Mevagissey Museum fills an 18th-century boat-building workshop with exhibits on fishing, boat building, smuggling and village life, including a Cornish kitchen and old farm machinery. It is usually open daily from spring to autumn.

HISTORY OF MEVAGISSEY

Mevagissey takes its name from two Celtic saints, St Meva and St Issey, who are said to have founded churches here. The harbour settlement was first recorded in 1313 as Porthhilly, and the present name came into use after the village merged with the neighbouring hamlet of Lamorrick in the late 17th century.

For centuries the village lived from pilchards. Great shoals arrived in the bay each summer and autumn, and the fish were landed, salted and pressed in cellars around the harbour, then packed into barrels for export to Italy, the West Indies and the Royal Navy. Smuggling was the other great trade: the village once had at least ten inns, and two of them, the Fountain and the Ship, still serve today.

Andrew Pears, who invented transparent soap and founded the famous Pears soap company, was born in Mevagissey in 1768 and worked as a barber here before moving to London in 1789. Local tradition also holds that Mevagissey was one of the first places in Cornwall to have electric street lighting, in the 1890s, powered – so the story goes – by pilchard oil.

In the 20th century the village became a favourite with artists, writers and film makers. Scenes for Johnny Frenchman (1945) and the 1979 film of Dracula were shot here, the first episode of the BBC’s Two Fat Ladies was filmed in and around the village, and Susan Cooper used Mevagissey as the setting for “Trewissick” in her Dark Is Rising books.

Today Mevagissey is a busy holiday village of around 2,000 people, but its fishing fleet, its harbour and its tangle of old streets still make it one of the most authentic ports in Cornwall.

BEACHES AROUND MEVAGISSEY

Mevagissey itself has only a small harbour beach, but some lovely beaches lie within a short walk or drive. The coast here faces east and south-east across St Austell Bay and Veryan Bay, so the sea is usually calmer than on the north coast – ideal for paddling, swimming, snorkelling and rock pooling.

Most of the smaller coves have no lifeguards and few or no facilities, so check the tide times, take what you need and keep an eye on children. Some beaches have seasonal restrictions on dogs, so check the signs before you go.

• Harbour Beach – a small patch of sand inside the harbour at low tide, ideal for paddling, rock pooling and watching the boats.
• Polstreath – a quiet shingle and sand cove just north of the village, reached by steep steps from the coast path. No facilities, so take what you need.
• Portmellon – a sheltered sandy cove half a mile south of the village, beside the road, with a pub and parking nearby. Popular for paddling and launching small boats.
• Pentewan Sands – a long sandy beach two miles north, beside the old harbour village of Pentewan and a large holiday park.
• Gorran Haven – two small sandy beaches beside the fishing cove of Gorran Haven, about three miles south-west, with a beach shop and toilets close by.
• Vault Beach – a long, unspoilt National Trust beach of sand and shingle on the east side of the Dodman, reached on foot from Gorran Haven or the Lamledra car park. No facilities.
• Hemmick Beach – a secluded National Trust cove west of the Dodman, reached by very narrow lanes, with rock pools at low tide.
• Caerhays (Porthluney Cove) – a sheltered sandy beach below Caerhays Castle, with a beach café and car park.

See our Mevagissey beach guide and St Austell Bay beach guide for parking, facilities and access details for each beach.

THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN

Just over a mile and a half north-west of the village, the Lost Gardens of Heligan are one of the most famous gardens in Britain. For more than two centuries Heligan was the home of the Tremayne family, but after the First World War, when many of its gardeners did not return, the gardens were abandoned and slowly disappeared beneath brambles and ivy.

Their rediscovery and restoration in the 1990s, led by Tim Smit and John Willis, became one of the great garden stories of our time. Today visitors can explore the Victorian Productive Gardens, the walled flower garden, the glasshouses and pineapple pit, the Pleasure Grounds, and the Jungle – a sub-tropical valley of giant tree ferns, bamboo and palms around a chain of ponds.

Woodland walks lead past the famous Mud Maid and the Giant’s Head, and there are farm animals, wildlife hides, a café and a shop. Allow at least half a day. You can drive to Heligan in a few minutes, walk up from the village, cycle along the Pentewan Valley Trail or catch a local bus.

GORRAN HAVEN, THE DODMAN & CAERHAYS

Less than three miles south-west of Mevagissey, but a world away in feel, Gorran Haven is a tiny fishing cove of whitewashed cottages around a sandy beach, sheltered by a stone quay. It has two small beaches with fine sand, among the safest for families on this coast, with a beach shop and toilets close by, and fishing trips run from the quay in season. Inland, the tall tower of the parish church at Gorran Churchtown is a landmark for miles around.

Just beyond rises Dodman Point, the highest headland on the south Cornish coast at around 114 metres (374 feet). Much of it is cared for by the National Trust, and across its neck runs the Bulwark, the great earth bank of an Iron Age promontory fort. A granite cross on the summit, put up in 1896 as a mark for sailors, looks out over both St Austell Bay and Veryan Bay.

On the eastern flank of the Dodman, Vault Beach offers a long sweep of sand and shingle, about fifteen minutes’ walk along the coast path from Gorran Haven or from the National Trust car park at Lamledra. The path is steep and rocky in places, so wear sturdy shoes; it is not suitable for pushchairs, and there are no facilities on the beach.

West of the Dodman, narrow lanes lead down to Hemmick Beach and on to Caerhays, where the castellated Caerhays Castle, designed by John Nash in the early 19th century, overlooks the sands of Porthluney Cove. The castle’s woodland gardens, famous for camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons, open to visitors in spring.

THINGS TO DO IN MEVAGISSEY

Mevagissey is a village to explore slowly – wander the back streets, watch the boats, browse the galleries and gift shops and stop for a pasty or an ice cream on the harbour wall.

Here are some of the best things to do in and around the village:

1. Go crabbing from the harbour walls – a Mevagissey tradition for children of all ages.
2. Visit the Mevagissey Aquarium – local sea life in the old lifeboat house, free entry.
3. Explore Mevagissey Museum – fishing, boat building and smuggling on the East Wharf.
4. Take the ferry to Fowey – a summer crossing of St Austell Bay.
5. Book a fishing or boat trip – mackerel fishing and sightseeing trips from the quays.
6. Spend a day at the Lost Gardens of Heligan – just over a mile away.
7. Cycle the Pentewan Valley Trail – a mostly traffic-free route to Pentewan and St Austell.
8. Walk the coast path to Gorran Haven – and on to the Dodman and Vault Beach.
9. Eat fresh local seafood – in the harbourside restaurants, pubs and cafés.
10. Visit the Eden Project – about ten miles away near St Austell.
11. See Caerhays Castle gardens in spring – camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons.
12. Play golf – at the courses around St Austell Bay.

WALKS AROUND MEVAGISSEY

The South West Coast Path runs right through Mevagissey. Heading north, it climbs past Polstreath to Pentewan and on towards Black Head and Porthpean, with fine views across St Austell Bay to the Gribbin.

Heading south, the path climbs Polkirt Hill, with one of the best views of the village and harbour, then drops to Portmellon and continues round Chapel Point to Gorran Haven. From there it is a stiff but rewarding walk out to the Dodman, down to Vault Beach and on towards Hemmick and Caerhays.

Inland, the Pentewan Valley Trail follows the route of the old Pentewan Railway beside the St Austell River, linking St Austell, Pentewan and Heligan – a gentle route for walkers and cyclists, with bike hire available nearby.

Wear good shoes, take water, and keep well back from unfenced cliff edges. The coast path is steep in places, with many steps.

AROUND MEVAGISSEY

• Pentewan – an old china clay harbour village with a long sandy beach, two miles north.
• St Austell – the china clay town, five miles north, with its station and shops.
• Charlestown – a Georgian harbour famous for its tall ships, on the far side of St Austell.
• Fowey – the historic estuary town across St Austell Bay, reached by the summer ferry.
• Portloe and Portholland – tiny coves on Veryan Bay, beyond Caerhays.
• The Roseland – the peninsula of creeks, churches and villages leading to St Mawes.

EVENTS IN MEVAGISSEY

The highlight of the village year is Mevagissey Feast Week, held at the end of June. For a week the harbour and streets fill with music, floral dances, children’s events and boat races, ending with a carnival and fireworks over the harbour.

Through the summer there are regattas, gig racing and charity events on the harbour, and in winter the village and its boats are decorated with Christmas lights. Nearby, the Lost Gardens of Heligan host seasonal events, and the Royal Cornwall Show is held near Wadebridge each June.

Dates change from year to year, so check local listings before you travel.

GETTING TO MEVAGISSEY

By car: Leave the A390 at St Austell and follow the B3273 south for about five miles, past Pentewan and the turning for Heligan, then down the valley into Mevagissey. Park in the Willow car park on Valley Road as you enter the village – the streets around the harbour are very narrow and not suitable for most cars.

By train: The nearest station is St Austell, on the main line between London Paddington, Plymouth and Penzance. Buses and taxis run from the station to Mevagissey.

By bus: Go Cornwall Bus services link St Austell with Mevagissey, Heligan and Gorran Haven, and the Gorran & District Community Bus runs local routes. Check timetables before you travel.

By sea: In summer the passenger ferry from Fowey crosses St Austell Bay to Mevagissey’s Lighthouse Pier in around 35 minutes.