About Mousehole
More Information
Mousehole is a historic fishing village in Cornwall and is renowned for retaining its original character, charm and beauty. The village is well-known for its picturesque harbour, history and the Christmas illuminations, surrounded by narrow streets and lichen covered cottages which huddle together creating a stunning backdrop to Mounts Bay.
Location
Mousehole is on the south west coast of Cornwall, three miles west of Penzance, twelve miles south of St Ives and is an unspoilt seaside village with its charming cluster of fisherman's granite cottages, art galleries, independent shops and restaurants plus a great traditional local pub, The Ship Inn. Wind your way through the narrow cobbled streets of Mousehole and immerse yourself in its fascinating history.
Mousehole has a south facing harbour beach popular with families when the tide is out and then there is also the Mousehole Rock Pool, a natural tidal pool and the perfect spot for a wild sea swim with the chance to spot seals in the bay. The sea wall is a great promenade to be able to take in the views across the bay looking towards St Michael’s Mount. You can also easily access the South West Coast Path, walking towards Newlyn and Penzance or Lamorna Cove and beyond.
History
Historically, Mousehole was a prominent fishing harbour, being the main port for Mount’s Bay during the 13th century and is rumoured as the home to Cornwall’s oldest pier, dating back as far as 1266. Its breakwater was the earliest in Cornwall begun in 1393.
Mousehole exported cured ‘fish train’ oil from compressed pilchards and also woollen cloth, and imported salt for fish curing.
It was going well for Mousehole until the Spanish Raid of 1595 where they burnt all the buildings down except one, the Keigwin Arms, the pillars of which are instantly recognisable and can still be seen in the village.
Mousehole has a proud history of saving lives at sea and supplied the crews of the RNLI lifeboats after the station was transferred in 1913 to the lifeboat house which still stands on Penlee, just outside of the village. The Penlee lifeboats carried out many heroic rescues including saving those on board the famous old battleship “Warspite” which, on tow for the scrapyard, was driven ashore by a south westerly gale at Prussia Cove on 25 April 1947.
The village has a long and at times traumatic history, too. The Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19 December 1981 off the coast of Cornwall when it went to the aid of the coaster, Union Star, after its engines failed in heavy seas. Conditions were atrocious with hurricane force winds and waves up to 60 feet high. After the lifeboat had managed to rescue four people, both vessels were lost with all hands. In all, sixteen people died including eight volunteer lifeboatmen, all from the village.
The memory of the event lives on. Every year, on the 19th December, the famous Christmas lights are switched off in memory of those who gave their lives. This tragedy is commemorated in a Garden of Remembrance just to the north of Mousehole on the road to Newlyn at the Penlee station which was closed after the lifeboat “Solomon Browne” was lost. The present Penlee lifeboat is now based in Newlyn.
Lights in the darkness
One of the highlights of Mousehole’s year are the Christmas Lights that fill the village with colour at the darkest time of the year. Visitors come from miles around to enjoy the spectacle which ties in with Tom Bawcocks Eve on December 23rd when the famous Stargazy Pie is made in the village. The lights are turned off on December 19th in respect to the lifeboat men from the village who were lost in the 1981 Penlee disaster.