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Looking form East Looe across the port to West Looe.

Picturesque Looe is located on the south coast of Cornwall, some 20 miles west of Plymouth (Devon) and about 5 minutes drive from Trenake. Liskeard is some 10 miles distant, Polperro 6 miles and Fowey 12. It is most easily reached by car although there are local buses that run between Looe, Pelynt and Polperro.

In medieval times there were two towns on opposite banks of the River Looe. East Looe includes the fishing harbour, the main shopping centre and the sandiest beach. West Looe is quieter, but also has shops, restaurants and hotels and leads to Hannafore with its fine views of Looe Island. The two towns are joined together by a bridge across the river.

The town towns were joined by an estuary bridge, the earliest in Cornwall, by 1411. The Illustrated Journeys of Celia Fiennes 1685 - c.1712 ,ed. Christopher Morris, London, 1982 records that she recorded the bridge as having 14 arches in 1698. The bridge was replaced in 1853 by a new one about a hundred yards further upstream.

East Looe and West Looe originated as separate towns. They were what is called "planted boroughs" and first mention of them is in 1201.

East Looe was built on a sand spit alongside the present river and it was actually a planned town - planned to a grid of streets. The houses on the four parallel streets were timber fronted but had stone walls for fire prevention. Later frontages were built on some of these old houses so it is not immediately apparent now what an old town East Looe actually is.

The Guildhall is believed to have been built about 1500 and one house is dated 1555 and another 1632. The Golden Guinea restaurant is one of many ancient houses still in use today and whose interiors, in some cases, give more clues to their age than do the later exteriors which have disguised them.

The town now bustles at summer time and is still a working port

There are a number of thumbnail photographs for you to view on this page as you click on each picture a larger viewable picture is displayed.

Send mail to paul@pshumphries.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2006 P S Humphries
Last modified: January 12, 2004