| There were originally two towns on opposite banks of the
River Looe - East Looe and West Looe. They were connected by 1411 by an
estuary bridge, the earliest recorded in Cornwall. This bridge was replaced
in 1853 by a new one built about a hundred yards upstream from the site
of the original. East Looe is the site of the fishing harbour and has the
best beach in the immediate vicinity. Originally laid out as 4 parallel
streets, it has some fine early houses despite the addition of more modern
frontages to original buildings. The Guildhall was built around 1500 and
other houses date from the 16th and 17th century. A centre for shark fishing,
it was once a common sight to see boats returning to harbour with their
catch of sharks proudly hanging up before being weighed on the quay. Shark
numbers have decreased dramatically in recent years because of over-fishing
and today caught sharks are tagged and then released back into the sea in
order to assist conservation and for scientific study. Looe is still the
home of the headquarters of the National Shark Angling Club. Crossing the
bridge to West Looe either leads you on to Polperro or, by following the
river quay to river mouth, to Hannafore which overlooks St. George's or
Looe Island. |
