Polruan
Encyclopedia
Polruan is a small fishing village in the parish of Lanteglos-by-Fowey
in Cornwall
, England, UK. It is bounded on three sides by water: to the north by Pont Creek
, to the west by the River Fowey
and to the south by the English Channel
and neighbours village Bodinnick
to the north, connected by a 4 mile walk along the hill tops. Polruan is very steep and well protected from the prevailing winds and Polruan Pool is a haven for small boats.
harbour. The name Polruan derives from the Cornish
for harbour of a man called Ruveun.
Polruan also has a blockhouse
fortification built in the 14th century that guards the entrance to the river Fowey, one of a pair—its partner being situated on the Fowey side of the river. The Polruan blockhouse well preserved due to the efforts of various enthusiastic councillors and conservationists on the Polruan side of the river, in contrast to the blockhouse in Fowey. Between the two blockhouses was strung a chain to prevent enemy ships entering the harbour, the chain being lowered for friendly vessels. This was primarily used during the wars with the Dutch.
The Harbour Commissioners Yard was formerly a sardine processing factory which also supplied electricity for the village. The gun battery at Peak Point held an anti-shipping gun of which the mounting pin can still be seen. The battery gave the name of Battery Park. The wall at Peak Field was used for rifle practice. Motor torpedo boats were repaired at Pont Creek during World War II. The overhanging trees hid the boats from surveillance aircraft. The remains of cradles for boat repair and some hull parts can still be seen preserved in the mud on the foreshore. Some boat-building still takes place in Polruan: Toms's Yard builds and repairs boats and has reputation for handling trawlers and also for hand building in wood.
The secondary school is located in Fowey, part of the Cornwall LEA.
, Polperro
, Lansallos and Greenbank.
Other transport includes the Polruan ferry, which crosses the river to and from Fowey every 15 minutes and operates every day of the year. There is also a ferry via Lostwithiel and Mevagissey
. Cars can be ferried out to Fowey from Bodinnick which is 4 miles away. When the car ferry from Bodinnick is not running, Fowey and points westwards are reached by car via a journey via Lostwithiel.
has been set down by Marcus Lewis Lewis also builds boats and has a small history of the Fowey River class of boat.
Polruan is one of a declining number of Cornish places to use watch towers to help marine craft in distress. Many lookout towers were demolished in the 1980s to save costs. The current Coastguard headquarters including the equipment store is on St Saviour's Hill, above the main village carpark. Exercises of the coastguard continue. The current Polruan watchtower overlooks the Fowey estuary and the bay beyond the village. It was constructed in the nineteenth century, and is manned by eight women and a number of men.
, the actor from the film Tormented
grew up in Polruan. Daphne du Maurier
once lived in the village. Peter Skellern
, the singer was resident in the village. Actor Patrick Malahide
, who amongst other roles, played Inspector Chisholm in the popular television series Minder
was also another Polruan resident.
featuring Susan Hayward
was filmed around Polruan. The latter part of the film follows an actress who comes to Polruan to live out the remainder of her life, following a brain tumour, with her surgeon husband. The 1963 film displays older shots of the village including use of the village shop, 'Headland House', and the clip of the children's sports day which is filmed where Greenbank is now built. A local, Mrs Baker/Bidmead, was included in the filming of the egg and spoon race and calls... 'Let's get shoes off!'
An episode of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
was also partly filmed in Polruan.
Lanteglos-by-Fowey
Lanteglos-by-Fowey is a coastal civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the east side of the tidal estuary of the River Fowey which separates it from the town and civil parish of Fowey....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England, UK. It is bounded on three sides by water: to the north by Pont Creek
Pont Creek
Pont Creek, or Pont Pill as it is more commonly known, joins the River Fowey at Penleath Point just below the memorial to Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch at the north-east corner of Fowey harbour. Pont Pill is a tidal river and is only navigable at high water....
, to the west by the River Fowey
River Fowey
The River Fowey is a river in Cornwall, United Kingdom.It rises about north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. It is only navigable by larger craft for the last ....
and to the south by the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and neighbours village Bodinnick
Bodinnick
Bodinnick is a riverside village in south Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It is a fishing village situated on the east bank of the River Fowey opposite the town of Fowey, also on the banks of the Fowey River. The ferry crossing is from Fowey to Bodinnick and the "Old Ferry Inn" is located on its...
to the north, connected by a 4 mile walk along the hill tops. Polruan is very steep and well protected from the prevailing winds and Polruan Pool is a haven for small boats.
History
Polruan has a history as a small fishing village known as a location for much old boat building. St Ruan was the first to occupy the top of Polruan Hill the point where St Saviour’s ruin still stands today. The ruin of St Saviour's church on the hill above Polruan dates to the 8th century. It was a landmark for shipping, and also, in times of war, a vantage point for observing the approach of enemy shipping to the strategically important FoweyFowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
harbour. The name Polruan derives from the Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
for harbour of a man called Ruveun.
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
fortification built in the 14th century that guards the entrance to the river Fowey, one of a pair—its partner being situated on the Fowey side of the river. The Polruan blockhouse well preserved due to the efforts of various enthusiastic councillors and conservationists on the Polruan side of the river, in contrast to the blockhouse in Fowey. Between the two blockhouses was strung a chain to prevent enemy ships entering the harbour, the chain being lowered for friendly vessels. This was primarily used during the wars with the Dutch.
The Harbour Commissioners Yard was formerly a sardine processing factory which also supplied electricity for the village. The gun battery at Peak Point held an anti-shipping gun of which the mounting pin can still be seen. The battery gave the name of Battery Park. The wall at Peak Field was used for rifle practice. Motor torpedo boats were repaired at Pont Creek during World War II. The overhanging trees hid the boats from surveillance aircraft. The remains of cradles for boat repair and some hull parts can still be seen preserved in the mud on the foreshore. Some boat-building still takes place in Polruan: Toms's Yard builds and repairs boats and has reputation for handling trawlers and also for hand building in wood.
Education
The main school serving the village is Polruan Primary School which is a mixed school of non-denominational religion. The primary school (which only has 50 pupils at most) was formerly the village girls' school, the boys' school being destroyed in World War 2 after a German bomber shed its unused payload. The site of the boys' school is now where the carpark is at the top of St Saviours Hill.The secondary school is located in Fowey, part of the Cornwall LEA.
Transport
Polruan can be accessed in a number of ways. By car using the linking one road in and one road out, which is the usual way. There is a taxi service operating in the town which transports residents in and out of town. The local bus service operates on different times during season, the service is run via LooeLooe
Looe is a small coastal town, fishing port and civil parish in the former Caradon district of south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 . Looe is divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe and West Looe being connected by a bridge...
, Polperro
Polperro
Polperro is a village and fishing harbour on the south-east Cornwall coast in South West England, UK, within the civil parish of Lansallos. Situated on the River Pol, 4 miles west of the neighbouring town of Looe and west of the major city and naval port of Plymouth, it is well-known for...
, Lansallos and Greenbank.
Other transport includes the Polruan ferry, which crosses the river to and from Fowey every 15 minutes and operates every day of the year. There is also a ferry via Lostwithiel and Mevagissey
Mevagissey
Mevagissey is a village, fishing port and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately five miles south of St Austell....
. Cars can be ferried out to Fowey from Bodinnick which is 4 miles away. When the car ferry from Bodinnick is not running, Fowey and points westwards are reached by car via a journey via Lostwithiel.
Sport
The history of the Troy class of boatTroy class boats
Troy class boats are a class of sailing boats unique to Fowey in Cornwall and are raced competitively. 28 have been built since 1929. 6 new boats have been built in the last 6 years, four of them by Marcus Lewis, boatbuilder in Fowey....
has been set down by Marcus Lewis Lewis also builds boats and has a small history of the Fowey River class of boat.
Maritime links
Until recently the Fowey Harbour Pilots traditionally came from Polruan. Pilotage for commercial shipping was carried out from open boats with the Pilots boarding the ships via a pilot ladder. The Fowey Pilots Association describes the work of the pilots.Polruan is one of a declining number of Cornish places to use watch towers to help marine craft in distress. Many lookout towers were demolished in the 1980s to save costs. The current Coastguard headquarters including the equipment store is on St Saviour's Hill, above the main village carpark. Exercises of the coastguard continue. The current Polruan watchtower overlooks the Fowey estuary and the bay beyond the village. It was constructed in the nineteenth century, and is manned by eight women and a number of men.
People
Calvin DeanCalvin Dean
Calvin Ainsley Dean is an English actor, known for portraying Darren Mullet in Tormented.-Background:Dean was born in Truro, Cornwall, England. He grew up in Polruan, a small fishing village in East Cornwall, attending Polruan Primary School and later Fowey Community College...
, the actor from the film Tormented
Tormented (2009 film)
Tormented is a 2009 horror-comedy film starring Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Calvin Dean and newcomer Tuppence Middleton. Directed by Jon Wright and written by newcomer Stephen Prentice, the film was released on 22 May 2009 in the UK...
grew up in Polruan. Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE was a British author and playwright.Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Her elder sister was...
once lived in the village. Peter Skellern
Peter Skellern
Peter Skellern is an English singer-songwriter and pianist.-Career:Skellern attended Derby Grammar School and studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He later joined pop groups called 'Harlem' and 'March Hare'...
, the singer was resident in the village. Actor Patrick Malahide
Patrick Malahide
Patrick Malahide is a British actor, who has played many major film and television roles.-Personal life:Malahide, real name Patrick Gerald Duggan, was born in Reading, Berkshire, the son of Irish immigrants, a cook mother and a school secretary father...
, who amongst other roles, played Inspector Chisholm in the popular television series Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
was also another Polruan resident.
Film and television
The film Stolen HoursStolen Hours
Stolen Hours is a 1963 remake by United Artists of the Bette Davis film, Dark Victory, which was released by Warner Bros. in 1939, and was owned by UA at the time. The remake was directed by Daniel Petrie and starred Susan Hayward in the Davis role of a bitchy socialite who is operated on for a...
featuring Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward
Susan Hayward was an American actress.After working as a fashion model in New York, Hayward travelled to Hollywood in 1937 when open auditions were held for the leading role in Gone with the Wind . Although she was not selected, she secured a film contract, and played several small supporting...
was filmed around Polruan. The latter part of the film follows an actress who comes to Polruan to live out the remainder of her life, following a brain tumour, with her surgeon husband. The 1963 film displays older shots of the village including use of the village shop, 'Headland House', and the clip of the children's sports day which is filmed where Greenbank is now built. A local, Mrs Baker/Bidmead, was included in the filming of the egg and spoon race and calls... 'Let's get shoes off!'
An episode of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries is a series of BBC television programmes about Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, 8th Earl of Asherton of Scotland Yard and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers...
was also partly filmed in Polruan.