Harbour Walls, Quays And Piers

LANSALLOS POLPERRO SX 2050-2150 6/77 Harbour walls, quays and piers 21.8.64 GV II

Harbour walls, quays and piers. Circa late C17 to 1887. Stone rubble. The stone rubble harbour walls continue on the north, south and west of Polperro harbour. On the north side, the buildings in the Warren including Slipway Cottage, Harbour View, Sea Winds, and the Studio (qv) continue the harbour walls to form their front elevations. A slipway provides access to the fish market and Lansallos Street. On the south side of the harbour is the fish market. The first harbour pier, circa late C17, was probably built under the patronage of the owner of Raphael (qv) to whom the rights of the harbour belonged. It extends to the north from the south side of the harbour. It was not until circa late C18 that the pier was built on. Now Studio Cottage, the Moorings and the Haven and Pier Inn (qv) continue the walls of the pier to form their front elevations. According to E.W. Rashleigh of Kilmar, Par, writing in 1883, the inner pier was "built on wooden piles, driven in after the manner of houses built in Venice, and the stone pier built on top. The stones immediately on the piles are very large and without any mortar or cement, so the sea plays right through the pier." The second pier which extends almost at right angles from south west to north east was erected in c1740. This pier was built on a rock foundation with mortar. However, much damage was caused in storms of 1774, 1817 and 1824. Prior to the 1774 storm, the outer pier was probably considerably shorter that its present length. The storm of 1817 resulted in the outer pier being partly rebuilt by Zephaniah Job and the inner pier raised by 1 foot. The storm of 1824 caused further damage. The second pier now encloses the mouth of the harbour with a shorter later pier extending from the south side of the Warren. A high stone rubble wall extends along the seaward side. A third pier was finally erected in 1861 largely as a result of work by Jonathan Couch. Engineers Jenkins and Tratham and contractors Lang and Reed. Known as the Duke of Cornwalls pier it extends southwards from the south side of the Warren. Built of stone rubble with high stone rubble wall on seaward side. Further improvements were made to the harbour and harbour piers in 1887 and in 1894 by Act of Parliament an order was made incorporating the Trustees of Polperro Harbour vesting in them the improvements, maintenance and regulation of the port. de Burlet, S Portrait of Polperro 1977 Couch, J The History of Polperro 1871 Lanyon, A The Rooks of Trelawne 1976 Pearce, R The Ports and Harbours of Cornwall 1963.

Listing NGR: SX2100750932