Mousehole
Mousehole is a picturesque fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall between Penzance and Land’s End.
Poldark Cottage is quite literally, a stones throw from the beach and harbour. Mousehole village offers everything you need for a perfect Cornish holiday with great restaurants, galleries, pubs and shops within a maze of cobbled streets. As well as offering stunning coastal walks, Mousehole is the ideal base to explore the numerous beaches and coves of West Cornwall.
For a tiny place, Mousehole has a long and interesting history! In 1595 the whole village was burnt to the ground by invading Spaniards – with the exception of one house, which still stands today. It has also always been a very important fishing port; indeed Mousehole’s quay is thought to be the oldest in Cornwall, dating back to 1390. Whilst the fishing industry has declined significantly over the last hundred years, you will still see a few little fishing boats coming and going during your stay.
Mousehole was also the home of Dolly Pentreath, the last person to speak solely Cornish, and today, a memorial to Dolly stands in the churchyard at Paul, just outside Mousehole.
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A small and very safe beach is located in a sheltered part of the harbour, which is an ideal location for family days out, with safe bathing, quite literally at your feet.
Dylan Thomas described Mousehole as ' the loveliest village in England', a title that remains true to the present day.
The village's harbour side was once the location of The Lobster Pot guesthouse, in which Dylan Thomas and Caitlin Macnamara spent their honeymoon after marrying at Penzance register office
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The Solomon Browne RNLI Lifeboat Disaster
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On a stormy December evening in 1981, the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne battled heavy seas and hurricane force winds to reach the Union Star, a stricken coaster being swept towards the coast of Cornwall. After several attempts to get alongside the coaster, the lifeboat crew rescued four of the eight people onboard. But rather than turn back to shore, they made a final heroic rescue attempt - and all radio contact was lost.
To learn more about this tragic episode in Mousehole's rich history, read more on the RNLI official page here. Should you want to help you can donate to the RNLI online or visit the RNLI shop in Penzance.
The Christmas lights are switched off every year at 8 o'clock on the evening of 19th December, for an hour when the village pays their respects to the individuals who gave their lives selflessly helping others.
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