Polkerris
| Polkerris | |
| Cornwall | |
|---|---|
 Polkerris from the cliff path | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SX093522 |
| Location: | 50°20’18"N, 4°40’48"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Par |
| Postcode: | PL24 |
| Dialling code: | 01726 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Cornwall |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
South East Cornwall |
Polkerris is a small village on the south coast of Cornwall, two miles, as the crow flies, west of Fowey.
The village is part of the Rashleigh estate which is commemorated in the name of the pub, the 'Rashleigh Inn'. The village essentially consists of a single steeply sloping road down to the harbour and beach. Parking is limited. There is a small sandy beach, with a curved harbour wall.
The Cornish Pollkerys means 'fortified pool [or cove]', though the reason for such a name is unfathomable, and it is likely that the name 'Polkerris' has another etymology in the Cornish language.
Geography
Polkerris stands on the west side of the Gribben promontory and on the east side of St Austell Bay. It is two miles west of Fowey and three miles east of St Austell.
The South West Coast Path runs through Polkerris: here it follows the cliff tops from nearby Polmear, enters the village, and passes onwards to Fowey by way of Gribben Head.
History
Fishing, including a 'seine' fishery for pilchards, was a mainstay of the village's economy from at least the 16th century, there being a seine house recorded here in 1590.[1]
The village has been part of the Rashleigh family's Menabilly Estate from the late 16th century, and the estate built the half-moon quay in 1775 to help the seine netting company.[1] The seine company was in decline in the 1870s and closed.[1]
A lifeboat, the Catherine Rashleigh was stationed in Polkerris in November 1859, and the boathouse was built for £138 4s, on land donated by the Rashliegh family. The station transferred to Fowey in 1922 and the boathouse is currently a restaurant.[2]
From the 1950s tourism became significant in the summer. Today, the village has restaurants, water sports and some accommodation.
Cultural references
The Rashleigh Inn was the setting for the 1972 film Doomwatch, a spin-off of the BBC television series of the same name. The location of the film is described as Polperro[3] but the harbour and interior of the pub are clearly seen. Some residents of Polkerris also took part in the film as extras.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Polkerris) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Simper, Robert. The Lugger Coast. Suffolk: Creekside Publishing. pp. 100. ISBN 0 9538506 4 1.
- ↑ Leach, Nicholas (2002). Fowey Lifeboats, an Illustrated History. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. pp. 12–30. ISBN 0-7524-2378-9.
- ↑ Doomwatch (1972) - locations on the Internet Movie Database