Looe in south-east Cornwall is made up of East
Looe and West Looe separated by a bridge over the River Looe. Looe
was a major port, one of the largest in Cornwall, exporting local
tin, arsenic and granite, it also had a thriving boatbuilding and
fishing industry.
East Looe
Situated around the small harbour has narrow streets with a selection
of hotels, shops, restaurants and pubs leading to the sandy beach
and Banjo Pier (shaped like a banjo). Looe is still a fishing town,
the quay along the estuary has several fish dealers. Above East
Looe lies Shutta and along the cliffs is Plaidy Beach.
West Looe
Has hotels, restaurants etc. along the waterfront, up towards the
cliffs, is St. Nicholas Church. Further along the coast is Hannafore
Point and Hannafore Beach looking across to St. George's Island
locally known as Looe Island.
Looe Museum - East Looe
Charting the Heritage and Development of Looe covering Fishing,
Folklore, Local & Family History, Maritime, Mining, Smuggling,
Social History and Transport.
New Year's Eve
There is a tradition of the townsfolk wearing fancy dress, the streets
are alive with revellers wearing inventive outfits.
Beaches
Looe Beach
A large sandy beach with rocks to one side and Banjo Pier to the
other.
Hannafore Beach
Consists of two beaches, Hannafore Beach & Wallace Beach. Predominantly
a rocky beach with shingle and patches of course sand at low tide.
Above the beach there are grassy banks and benches along Marine
Drive. The beach has rockpools when the tide is out and looks across
to St George’s Island (Looe Island).
St George's Island - http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
Locally known as Looe Island, is 22½ acres, one mile in circumference
rising up to 150 feet. The island was owned by the Atkins sisters
from 1960s until 2003, Evelyn died in 1997, when Babs died in 2004,
she left the island to the care of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
It is now a wildlife reserve and is open to the public during the
summer months.
Things to do:
Shark Angling Club of Great Britain - http://www.sharkanglingclubofgreatbritain.org.uk/
Charter boats for shark fishing, full & half day reef fishing
The Monkey Sanctuary - http://www.monkeysanctuary.org/
Monkeys, Bat Cave, Wildlife Room and Gardens, Play area, Cafe and
Shop.
Cornwall Tourist Information Office - http://www.visitcornwall.com/
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