| Mevagissey is a fishing village lying on the South Coast
of Cornwall. An inner harbour was built in 1774 to replace a medieval quay
which was situated roughly where the present East Quay is today. The medieval
quay offered little protection against easterly gales so local people colloborated
to bring about the Act of Parliament necessary to enable the construction
of the East and West Quays to form todays inner harbour. Later, in 1888,
an outer harbour was built but this was washed away in the great storms
of March 1891. The outer harbour was rebuilt and completed in 1897 but over
the years much repair work has been necessary, the last major work being
completed in 1998. The local fishing industry has shared the problems and
decline of the national fishing industry but Mevagissey remains a working
fishing port with a sizeable number of registered fishing vessels. However,
over the years, its attraction as a "typical" Cornish fishing village has
attracted the tourist industry and much of the local economy now depends
on this trade. |
