Fowey Harbour on PhotoFile Cornwall - Images and Information

Photographs taken 2004 to 2008

Images from in and around Fowey Harbour

For sailing, leisure and navigational information about the Harbour, see the Fowey Harbour Commissioners website.

"I looked towards the harbour mouth. There were small boats everywhere, and yachts at anchor, but more stirring still a big ship was drawing near, with two attendant tugs, to moor a few cables' length from the house itself. There was a smell in the air of tar and rope and rusted chain, a smell of tidal water. Down harbour, around the point, was the open sea."

from "Vanishing Cornwall" (Daphne du Maurier)

Fowey Harbour with Gribbin Head and Dodman Point ("the Dodman") beyond

A safe harbour for local dinghy sailing, and a popular place to keep a boat, either just off Fowey or Polruan,
in Pont Pill, or up the harbour past the china clay docks in Wiseman's Reach or further up river off Golant

Polruan Blockhouse on the eastern side of the harbour entrance

St Catherine's Castle and Gribbin Head on the western side of the harbour entrance

A quiet harbour in January - many empty mooring buoys ("blobs"!), and the Albert Quay pontoons
removed safely up-harbour to a more secure place for the winter

The harbour entrance on a blustery day

Fowey harbour entrance from the Fowey side

Sailing in Fowey

The harbour is a very popular sailing destination, and also as a base from which to sail from. Smaller boats can sail either around the nearby coasts, up the river to Lerryn or Lostwithiel, or just round the harbour! For more images of sailing in and around Fowey, see Gaff Rig Sailing in Fowey.

Sailing into Fowey harbour on a fine day...

...and leaving harbour on a windy day

Sailing to Fowey and closing on the harbour

A lovely old gaffer sailing outside Fowey Harbour

The beautiful gaff rig "Mareea" sailing outside the harbour, with Pencarrow Head beyond

Punche's Cross

It is at Punche's Cross that it is said that it marks the time of Jesus's visit to Britain as a young man, with his Uncle, Joseph of Aramathea. This event is celebrated in William Blake's famous and rousing song and hymn "Jerusalem". Punche's Cross itself has been known to have been there for many centuries, and was recorded by Leland in the 1500s. It was likely put there by the monks of the monastery at Tywardreath, and has always been maintained and replaced since then. Punche's Cross now marks the limit of jurisdiction of the Fowey Harbour Commissioners, being a clear landmark directly opposite St.Catherine's Castle on the Fowey side.

"And did those Feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green
And was the Holy lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark Satanic mills?"

And were those "dark satanic mills" the old tin mines of Cornwall? After all, Mr. Aramathea was a merchant in the first century tin trade, and trading with Britain (and that would be Cornish tin). He was known to ply his trade in British waters, but this would not be a good spot to come ashore though...

Punche's Cross from the Fowey side

Punche's Cross and Readymoney Cove from below St.Saviour's Chapel in Polruan

Around the Harbour...

Boats in the harbour

The Phoenix moored in Fowey Harbour
(see photographs of Square-rig Sailing aboard the Phoenix)

Fowey Harbour entrance and boats in silhouette

And should you perchance occasion upon the fellow, Jonathan (that is Jonathan Livingston of the Seagull family) does seem to get around a bit...

Jonathan Livingston in Fowey

The "Q" Memorial (to Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch) overlooking Fowey harbour

The inscription on Q's Memorial

An older scanned print looking over the harbour from near the same position

Return to the main Fowey page,
or visit the Fowey Shipping pages for China Clay and other shipping in the harbour

Fowey Harbour