LOOE & CORNWALL

The beautiful fishing port of Looe is the perfect location for your stay in Cornwall. Situated on the scenic coast of South East Cornwall it is the home to one of the most stunning scenery in the County, dramatic cliff tops works, sandy beaches, verdant rolling fields and woodland and is the home of the SHARK CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Two good beaches are only a five to ten minutes walk away from the town of Looe . Golf, tennis, watersports, riding, coastal walks and National Trust houses and gardens are all available close by. The Eden Project and Plymouth can be reached in about forty minutes and Truro and the north coast, Padstow etc. in about an hour.

Looe is 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 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.

East Looe 

East Looe centres on its broad sandy beach, with the distinctive Banjo Pier, a new Lifeguard station and St. Mary’s Church. Stretching back from here is 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 and the Headquarters of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain. 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, and past there is the bay and village of Millendreath.

West Looe

West Looe spreads north 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

For accommodation in Looe Please see the www.looedirectory.co.uk

The Eden Project 
The hugely successful biome project near St Austell
www.edenproject.com

The Minack Theatre
The Minack Theatre was the inspiration and life’s work of one remarkable woman, Rowena Cade.
www.minack.com

The Lost Gardens of Heligan 
These wonderful gardens lost after the first World War and rediscovered & restored by Tim Smit 
www.heligan.com

National Maritime Museum Falmouth 
Opened in 2003 this super museum charts our maritime history 
www.nmmc.co.uk

Morwellham Quay

Morwellham Quay fascinating day out into the history books, great for both adults and children an insight into Devon life in the 19th century
www.morwellham-quay.co.uk

National Trust 
For details of all their houses, gardens and parklands in the south west 
www.nationaltrust.org.uk 

Air Southwest 
Regular air links to London from Plymouth/Newquay at competitive fares. 
www.airsouthwest.com

Southwest Coast Path 
The newsletter and official guide to the South West Coast Path 
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southwestcoastpath 

Traveline Southwest 
A valuable resource for planning journeys in Cornwall without using the car 
www.travelinesw.com

Getting to Cornwall 
Details of rail, air, sea links – car hire and much more
www.cornwalltouristboard.co.uk/gettingHere.asp

Cornwall Lodges & log cabins www.cornwall-lodges.co.uk/

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