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The small town of Looe is located on the South East Coast of Cornwall, 20 miles west of Plymouth (Devon), 10 miles from both Liskeard to the north and Lostwithiel to the north-west, and 240 miles from London. It is made up of the two seperate towns of East and West Looe which are divided by the sandy estuary of the East and West Looe Rivers which is crossed by a Victorian bridge. Until the Reform Act of 1832, each town sent its own representative to parliament.
East Looe, with its 13th century church dedicated to St Mary has a fishing harbour and an Old Guildhall which now houses a museum. Its narrow streets and alley ways, built on a sand spit along the river, contain many quaint buidings. West Looe is built around its 14th century church with a campanile belfry, dedicated to St Nicholas.
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About half a mile offshore, Looe or St George's Island rises from the water. It possesses the ruins of a medieval monastery.
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The town has a safe wide sandy beach adjacent to its famous Banjo pier and nearby is the harbour, now a fishing port and haven for pleasure craft. During the boom in mining tin and copper at Liskeard 10 miles inland, the town and the port were connected by the Liskeard-Looe Union Canal, later replaced by a railway, along the Looe Valley to export the ore and granite from Looe Harbour. The railway still operates as the Looe valley Line. The beautiful steep river valleys and hills are wooded, beech and chestnut being the predominant species.
The Old Guild Hall in Higher Market Street was built c.1500. The original ground floor dates from 1450 and was used as the meeting house of the merchants of the town. The building also served as a Court House and the pillory, with holes for two hands and two heads, can still be seen under the gable. It now serves as the town's museum.
Looe's harbour is sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds and is rarely closed except during the most extreme winter storms. It has often provided a safe haven for passing vessels during gales.
The harbour retains a fishing fleet and, like many South Coast ports, is associated with the smuggling which was rife in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Looe has the second busiest fish market in Cornwall where the fish are auctioned in the early hours of the morning.
The South west Coast Path enters and leaves Cornwall by the Devon coast hugging the whole of the beautiful Cornish coast, only brocken by the county's towns and villages. It offers particularly outstanding coastal walking through an ever changing landscape of picturesque coves, creeks and spectacular cliffs.
However far you plan to walk sturdy footwear and a basic first aid kit are advisable. Allow plenty of time, for coastal walking usually takes longer than you anticipate. Check local public transport times before setting out.
Living From the Sea Museum
| The Living From the Sea Museum tells the story of fishing up to the present day. |
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Monkey Sanctuary
| Breeding colony of monkeys. |
| | Monkey Sanctuary, Looe, Cornwall PL131NZ
tel: 01503 262532
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Old Guildhall Museum
| Local history and culture. |
| | Old Guildhall Museum,
Higher Market Street, East Looe, Looe, Cornwall PL13 1BS
tel: 01503 263709
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see also: WEST-COUNTRY MUSEUMS
There are also regular guided walks through the town.
see also:
Museums in Cornwall
The name of the town originates from the Cornish
"looe" meaning
"pool " - an allusion to the estuary above the bridge which widens and the
still waters of the river here.
The Cornish "looe" is similar to the Scottish "loch" and the Welsh "llwch".
A wooden bridge of fifteen arches was built connecting East and West Looe in the
early 15th century. For a time, a chapel dedicated to St Anne,
mother of the Virgin Mary, stood in the middle of the bridge. This early wooden structure burnt down.
By the late seventeenth century, Looe's old bridge was in a bad state of repair and
the town could not afford to do the necessary work. The County Magistrates ordered the cost of
the rairs to be paid from the county purse and, in recognition of the event,
a granite plaque marks the position of the old bridge in the Fore Street carp park inscribed
"REPEARED BY THE COUNTY 1689"
see also:
Museums
The first record of the occurence of the Mediterannean sea slug Tylodina perversa on the British coast is of a specimen found at Hannafore, Looe in December 1996 by Jon Makeham. He discovered another specimen in March 1997.
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| | | | OTHER PLACES | | Paul Corins Magnificent Music Machines
St Keyne Station, Liskeard, Cornwall
Working exhibits from the Victorian era to the 1930s exhibited and playing. | 7.2 km NW | | Lanreath Folk & Farm Folk Museum
Chruchtown, Lanreath-by-Looe, Looe, Cornwall PL13 2NX
Hundreds of exhibits displayed at the village tithe barn. | 7.9 km NW | | Liskeard & District Museum
Foresters Hall, Pike Street, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 6BW
Liskeard and District Museum and Stuart House were opened on June 6th, 2002 by HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall | 10.8 km NW | |
| 22 km NE | | Bodmin Museum
Mount Folly, Bodmin Cornwall PL31 2DB
Awaiting Information | 22.7 km NW | | Regimental Museum
The Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry,
The Keep, Victoria Barracks, Bo
Displays cover history of the Regiment (32 & 46 Foot) from 1702 until 1959. An important collection of military small arms since mid-18C, uniforms, pictures and artefacts. Library and Archives. | 22.7 km NW | | Savernake Forset
Wiltshire, England | 203.5 km NW | | | | | Video Sales & Hire | | Choices Video
127 Union St, Plymouth, Devon PL1 3HF | | 21.4 km NW | | Peebees
127 Market Stalls, Plymouth, Devon PL1 1PR | | 22 km NW | | E.T Videos
16 Buckwell St, Plymouth, Devon PL1 2DA | | 22.6 km NW |
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