Visiting friends at the back end of last year, we got out and about visiting a couple of magical little villages, come walk with me and enjoy the bracing sea air.
Siting on the rugged South coast of Cornwall looking out to sea from the bay of St. Austell, stands Charlestown and its port, it was constructed at the end of the 18th century by Charles Rashleigh after whom it is named. A wealthy landowner and entrepreneur it was built so as to export copper from local mines and later China Clay, another commodity dug out of the Cornish soil.
The harbour, with its original buildings, is now of historical significance and is Grade II listed.
The harbour and town are listed as being used in over 20 films and tv series, the BBC made, period dramas Poldark and the Onedin Line both hugely popular TV series it has also been used in the faux sci-fi long running series Dr. Who.
Film credits include Tim Burton's 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland, The Eagle has Landed, a 70's WW2 war story and Mel Gibson's Apocalypto, where it doubled as a Central American harbour to name but a few.
Fishermen Fish
And seagulls scavenge
"A Greek Trireme" is permanently moored apparently it was a fully working boat that was used in the memorable films “Jason and the Argonauts” and “Odyssey”.
The remains of the cargo shuts used to deposit the china clay into the holds of vessels still standing even though last used decades a go..
Rum whiskey or beer barrels? Built from good English oak standing the test of time.
It was late autumn the air was damp and starting to chill, pumpkins still decorated the coffee shop.
Mevagissey
Mevagissey came to be in the 17th century. "Meva hag Ysi", named after two saints; St Mevan a Welsh man and St Issey an Irish woman, "hag" the Cornish word for "and"
Nestling in a small valley on Mevagissey Bay. The town is a magnet for tourists during the summer months, but all year round it is a working fishing harbour and a haven for small pleasure boats.
For now at least the Uk has reclaimed its fishing waters from the eu socialist quango and the industry in Cornwall although greatly reduced due to unfair ridiculous eu quotas is once again picking up.
After Newlyn, Mevagissey is the second biggest fishing port in Cornwall
If you enjoy that sort of foodstuff then there are plenty of things to eat. me? the jacket potato with cheese and beans please.
At the end of the 19th century there were around a hundred or so boats fishing for mackerel, herring and pilchards. As well as those hunting crab and lobster.
Now there are currently a total of sixty three registered fishing vessels in the harbour.
The village centre itself is small, made up of a number narrow streets mainly with places to eat and artisans shops for the tourist trade.
The outer areas on the slopes of the surrounding valley are mostly residential and money spinning tourist rental accommodation
When Mevagissey came to be and for a couple of hundred years smuggling and fishing were the main sources of income for the village, which boasted over ten pubs/inns of which the Fountain and the Ship still remain.
I am sure if you popped into a Polski Sklepp, or a Turkish barbers bootleg tobacco is still smuggled in and available.
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