A truly stunning area!

Fowey, Cornwall, England South West

Recommendation added: 21/06/2006 14:46
By: katygriff (YSUK rating +352)

katygriff has been thanked 2 times for this contribution

"I would like to tell you about a little magical place called Fowey situated in Cornwall.
We first stumbled across Fowey when I noticed a sign for St Catherine's castle and as that is my name I decided to make and force my parents to drive to Fowey (we were on our way to St Austell at the time). Anyway when we got there the first thing we noticed was that we have to drive up a very steep hill to get to the main car park which was reasonably priced at £1.70 for two hours. Then we started the 15 minute walk down the hill to get to Fowey.

Fowey is an amazing little place with stunning scenery, very nice shops, very nice pubs and an equally nice harbour. It stretches for about a mile along the river Fowey and situated opposite is the picturesque Polruan. Both of these places are connected by Ferry. Fowey is a natural harbour and attracts around 7000 yachts each year. Fowey also has a history with literature due to Daphne Du Maurier writing her many famous books in Cornwall.

We decided that we were hungry but because we took our little Jack Russell Patch with us we thought that this would create a problem as it was quite cold and wet weather. Well not a problem in Fowey. The first place that we went to said 'oh no problem we always welcome dogs'. This was called the Ship inn and it was a very comfortable and appealing little pub located in Trafalgar square. It is a very old little pub and its slogan 'real ales, good food, comfortable accommodation and a warm welcome' was spot on. The staff were very friendly and even bought Patch a couple of dog biscuits. The food was fantastic and if you ever go I recommend the Beef burger with onions and fries which was delicious. I could have sat in there all day as it had a real homely feel.

We carried on into Fowey and spent time in some of the fantastic shops they have in the centre. With something for everyone these shops were small but adequately stocked. My favourites are a clothes shop called Wildlife which was reasonably priced and although looked like it was built for surfers they had some clothes for all kinds of people. I managed to set myself back about £30 on some t-shirts and a pair of shoes. Also I found a very charming studio which I cannot remember the name of and if someone can help me I would love to know the name as I want the phone number. It had 2 floors and the top floor contained wonderful paintings of the harbour and other seaside portraits. They also had sculptures there of various animals and my favourite was a big metal bear which despite the £500 price tag I was tempted to buy. Downstairs was filled with gifts from handmade gift tags to jewellery and to handbags. Please let me know if you know the name of the shop.

We made our way to the harbour and it was beautiful. You can take boat and ferry trips to other harbours such as at Mevagissy, Lerryn and Lostwithiel. Each trip can take up to 3 hours and costs vary from £5 - £10 for adults and £2 - £7 for children. The harbour boasts some very impressive scenery and is definitely a photo opportunity. We managed it with our rain macs on with the umbrellas up. We didn't stay at the harbour long as we noticed that many of the seagulls were bigger than Patch and he was getting a bit scared.

We braced ourselves for the steep walk back to the car but were thankful to see a town bus that takes you right to the main car park. Now take note that if you visit Fowey, the walk up to the main car park is very hard so the bus at 80p per person is worth it. Plus the dog was allowed to go on the bus too so that made the decision for us as we didn't want to tire the dog out (that's what we are telling people anyway).

Places to stay in Fowey are lovely. Every place has a great view and the prices are very reasonable for staying in such a gorgeous place. If you would like a hotel then I recommend the Fowey Hotel situated on Esplanade (+44 (0) 1726 832551). Offers stunning views of the estuary and contains its own restaurant. If you are after a B & B then try Greenbank B&B situated on Dangland road (+44(0) 1726 832137). This B & B offers stunning views of the harbour and out to sea. It is a Victorian house and has a warm and relaxed atmosphere. Also if you fancy it there are caravan sites situated in and around Fowey.

Within Fowey tickets can be bought for all of the boat and ferry trips, the Eden project and tickets for local walks. There are also many attractions and events in Fowey throughout the year such as murder mystery nights, cruises and lifeboat week.

Fowey is a magical place which our whole family enjoyed. It was a lovely day out in the rain so I can imagine it being brilliant when the sun is out. I have decided that when I go back to Cornwall, Fowey is where I will stay especially as although I saw the castle I did not go in it so want to do that at some other point this summer.

Go visit.
Thanks for reading.
xxx"