Harbour Walls, Quays And Piers

The harbour walls, quays, and piers at Lansallos Polperro were built between the late 17th century and 1887 using stone rubble. The harbour walls extend north, south, and west, enclosing Polperro harbour. On the north side, buildings including Slipway Cottage, Harbour View, Sea Winds, and the Studio incorporate the harbour walls into their front elevations, and a slipway provides access to the fish market and Lansallos Street. The south side of the harbour is home to the fish market.

The first pier, dating to the late 17th century, was likely built at the direction of the owner of Raphael, who held the harbour’s rights. It originally extended north from the south side of the harbour. Later, around the late 18th century, it was extended, and now incorporates Studio Cottage, The Moorings, and the Haven and Pier Inn. According to a 1883 account from E.W. Rashleigh of Kilmar, Par, the pier's construction initially involved wooden piles driven into the seabed, with a stone pier built on top. The stones immediately above the piles were large and lacked mortar, allowing seawater to pass through.

A second pier, constructed around 1740, extends at a near right angle from southwest to northeast, and was built on a rock foundation with mortar. This pier sustained damage during storms in 1774, 1817, and 1824. Before the 1774 storm, the outer pier was likely shorter than it is today. The 1817 storm prompted Zephaniah Job to partially rebuild the outer pier and raise the inner pier by one foot. Another storm in 1824 caused further damage. The second pier now partially encloses the harbour mouth with a shorter, later pier extending from the south side of the Warren, and is backed by a high stone rubble wall on its seaward side.

A third pier was erected in 1861, largely through the work of Jonathan Couch, with engineering from Jenkins and Tratham, and contracting by Lang and Reed. Known as the Duke of Cornwall's pier, it extends southwards from the south side of the Warren and consists of stone rubble with a high stone rubble wall on its seaward side. Further harbour improvements occurred in 1887, and in 1894, an Act of Parliament established the Trustees of Polperro Harbour, who were given responsibility for the harbour's maintenance, regulation, and improvements.