Mousehole, Cornwall, United Kingdom – notes on a small village
If you’ve never visited Mousehole before, you are in for the quintessential Cornish experience. With its beautiful harbour and a great choice of gift shops and places to eat, Mousehole really does tick all the boxes. So, when film and TV crews want ‘classic Cornish fishing village’ this is where they often come!
History and tradition
First mentioned in 1283, Mousehole has history and tradition; from an attempted Spanish invasion in 1595 to Star Gazey Pie!
For many, Mousehole signifies Summer holiday’s; it’s sandy feet and ice cream and quite right too! But like coastal communities the world over, Mousehole’s history has been shaped by the sea.
Recently, The Solomon Browne Hall has been opened in Mousehole; a brilliant new communal space for locals and visitors alike. On the 19th December 1981, the mini-bulk freighter MV Union Star lost power and began drifting towards the rocks at Boscawen Cove, near Lamorna not far from Mousehole. RNLB Soloman Browne from the Penlee Lifeboat Station, crewed by local volunteers, set out in appalling conditions to join the rescue. In all, sixteen people died that night, including the eight volunteer lifeboatmen.
Tip: Check out the bi-annual Sea, Salts & Sail Festival.
Christmas in Mousehole
For nearly 60 years, Mousehole has put on a real show at Christmas! The illumination of a fantastic display of festive lights is an annual event organised by the Mousehole Harbour Lights Committee. People travel from far and wide to see the colourful displays which adorn the buildings, hillside and float in the harbour. Crowds congregate from late afternoon to early evening most nights from mid-December to early January. Then on the 19th December, the lights are turned off for an hour between 8 and 9 pm in memory of the crew of the Solomon Browne.
On the 23rd of December is Tom Bawcock’s Eve. Legend has it that, Bawcock set out alone into the rough seas to catch fish to feed a community ravaged by starvation. From that day, the so-called Starry Gazey pie has been cooked and eaten to commemorate his actions.
During the festive period, Mousehole feels cosy and quaint. It’s a great atmosphere for the kids. It’s chilly with the smell of wood smoke in the air.
Mousehole out of season
We love Mousehole and Cornwall ‘out of season’. It can be wild and windswept. The pubs are cosy and generally, there’s a different atmosphere. So if you’re looking to change the backdrop, to work remotely, or you just fancy a week of blustery walks to a log fire and a pint, come on down!
Getting to Mousehole and parking
Getting to Mousehole has got a bit easier. By road, the A30 has greatly improved over the years with more dual carriageway stretches and better services; you can plan your charging here. Newquay has become an international airport, and there has been recent investment in the railways.
Parking in Mousehole is a challenge, to say the least! For most of the year, it’s best to park in the main car park which is on your left as you approach Mousehole from Newlyn. There are also two small public car parks in Mousehole, one on each side of the Harbour. Some people staying in the village bring their car in to quickly off-load and then move it back to one of the car parks. Most roads in the village have double yellow lines and traffic wardens do patrol the area.
The roads through Mousehole are very narrow and it’s common for there to be a great number of pedestrians especially in the Summer and during the ‘Christmas Lights’ period. Add to that the occasional bus, and other commercial vehicles plying their trade, and things can get gridlocked.
Great pubs and restaurants
Cornwall is getting increasingly known for its cuisine, and most notably the quality of its local produce. Many cafes, restaurants and pubs make a real virtue of sourcing their produce from local fisherman and farmers. In addition to food, there is a growing choice of locally produced wines, beers and gin!
We’re always finding new places to eat and drink but our favourite places close-by include The Old Coastguard (Mousehole), The Tolcarne Inn (Newlyn), 2 Fore Street (Mousehole), The Ship Inn (Mousehole), Rock Pool Cafe (Mousehole) and The Logan Rock Inn (Treen).
Tip: book ahead, the best places get very busy during the high season, Christmas and Easter.
Great beaches
When the sun is shining, there can be few places in Europe with more beautiful beaches than Cornwall.
Mousehole harbour itself has two small sandy areas which are very popular with families who have young children; the little ones get sand and water, whilst the grown-ups have easy access to grab coffee and ice-creams close by.
Sennen Cove
Sennen Cove is a large, popular beach approximately 20 minutes from Mousehole. In high season, parking is extended to the field above the cove. The beach is served by a cafe and there’s a surf school. The RNLI patrol the beach and do set designated areas for surfing and swimming.
Porthcurno
Porthcurno‘s beach is much smaller than Sennen Cove. Its a beautiful spot but as a result can get very busy. It’s worth remembering that Porthcurnos beach shelves quite steeply so a couple of metres into the water it gets deeper. There was a single RNLI guard covering the beach when we have visited during high season. One interesting thing to consider as you sit on Portcurno’s beach, running up the beach, from the sea, a few feet below you is the first trans-Atlantic submarine telecoms cable linking the U.K. to America. You can learn more at the Museum of Global Communications which is located near the car park you walked down from.
Adjacent to Porthcurno’s beach is Pedn Vounder Beach beach. Whilst Pedn Vounder is unquestionably idyllic you need to be very careful getting to it. In our view, access is not suitable for the elderly or young children, you will be climbing down rocks whilst trying to hold your belongings. Also, the tide is an issue and, much to our surprise, there can be a few naturists proudly wandering around.
St.Ives
St.Ives has a number of beaches including Portmeor and Porthgwidden Beach. Both are great and perfect if you are staying in St.Ives itself but, parking is a big issue and something you need to think about before you arrive.
It goes without saying that, beaches can be dangerous places. The tide, ‘rip’ tides and water temperature can easily catch people out, especially those who aren’t familiar with local conditions. The RNLI does not always have lifeguards on-site at all beaches, all of the time. Familiarise yourself with what the RNLI flags mean and take note of their warnings.
Tip: Invest in a wetsuit!
Great walks
If you enjoy coastal walks, Mousehole is a great base for your trip.
We’ve started to use iWalk Cornwall for walks, but Cobbles Loft does have printed maps available.
Here’s a couple of our current favourites;
Mousehole to Porthcurno. It looks quite straight forward on a map but is actually hard work in places. It’s not so much the distance, its the terrain! You might be tempted to get the bus or a taxi back, so take some cash as there is no ATM at the other end.
Zennor to The Gurnard’s Head and back. This is a great coastal walk, not too far but with some dramatic scenery. The Gurnards Head, about halfway, is a nice pub and there’s a cool little cafe in Zennor.
Runners World
As runners, we tend to run from Mousehole to Penzance via Newlyn. It gets windy and the road undulates more than you might have expected. The route is reasonably safe with a couple of sections where you need to stray onto the road for a short period. The road from Mousehole to Newlyn is not very well lit in places so you ought to wear a hi-vis or a head torch at night. From Mousehole to the ‘Tesco’s roundabout’ in Penzance and back is roughly 7 miles.
Tip: The weather can be very localised in West Cornwall. Make sure you are prepared for all eventualities!
Great places to visit
If you don’t want to hit the beach, there are plenty of great places to visit nearby to Mousehole and beyond. Here are some suggestions, but there are lots of other places too;
Nearby
Newlyn. A working fishing port, with the cool Newlyn Filmhouse cinema and the Newlyn Art Gallery.
Penzance. The Pirates of Penzance. The end of the line for the Great West Railway. Take the helicopter to the Scilly Isles or go by Sea on the Scillonian. If you need stuff, go to Penzance.
St.Ives. One of Cornwall’s most popular seaside towns. Lot’s of gift shops, outdoor clothing stores, cafes and restaurants. Excellent beaches and of course Tate St.Ives. Have a parking strategy before you arrive!
The Minack Theatre. An extraordinary clifftop outdoor theatre high above Porthcurno.
St. Michael’s Mount. Depending on the tide, you get a boat from the village of Marazion or walk across the causeway. The walk up to the Castle is quite steep and may not be suitable for the elderly but it’s well worth the effort. There’s a cafe.
Further afield
The Eden Project. Really worth the trip. A brilliant concept, which creates a great day out for all the family.
There are plenty of great gardens, a vineyard, tin mines nearby to visit, just check out the Visit Cornwall web site.
Final tip: There are lots of webcams around West Cornwall, its always worth a quick look to see what’s going on i.e. ‘Sennen Cove webcam’