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Mousehole (; kw, Porthenys) is a village and fishing port in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England, UK. It is approximately south of
Penzance Penzance ( ; kw, Pennsans) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated ...
on the shore of
Mount's Bay Mount's Bay ( kw, Baya an Garrek) is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head. In the north of the bay, near Marazion, is St Michael's Mount; the origin ...
. The village is in the
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of Penzance. An
islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanent ...
called St Clement's Isle lies about offshore from the harbour entrance. Mousehole lies within the
Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers in Cornwall, England, UK; that is, about 27% of the total area of the county. It comprises 12 separate areas, designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 for s ...
(AONB). 27% of Cornwall has AONB designation, with the same status and protection as a National Park.


History

The first mention of the village of ''Mousehole'' is in 1283 and the first mention of ''Portheness'' is in 1267. Although usually thought of as the same place, a document from 1309 names ''Porthenys juxta Mousehole'' (i.e. next to Mousehole), implying two separate places. Compare with nearby
Newlyn Newlyn ( kw, Lulyn: Lu 'fleet', Lynn/Lydn 'pool') is a seaside town and fishing port (the largest fishing port in England) in south-west Cornwall, UK.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' Newlyn lies on the shore of Mount ...
which is separated by a stream from
Tolcarne Tolcarne ( kw, Talkarn) is the name of a number of places in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The name Tolcarne is derived from Cornish Talkarn i.e. "hill-brow tor". A carn is a pile of stones (usually natural) and is the same as Tor (rock formation), t ...
and both were once considered individual places. There is also a 1339 document naming ''Porthengrous juxta Porthenes'' (harbour by the cross, next to the harbour by the island). If the amount of tax collected is indicative of how important a place was, in the 14th century, tax collected on the number of fishing boats from Mousehole was £5. Nearby
Marazion Marazion (; kw, Marhasyow) is a civil parish and town, on the shore of Mount's Bay in Cornwall, UK. It is east of Penzance and the tidal island of St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore. At low water a causeway links it to the town and ...
paid £1 6s 8d, Newlyn £1, Penzance 12s and
Porthgwarra Porthgwarra ( kw, Porth Gorwedhow, meaning ''very wooded cove'') is a small coastal village in the civil parish of St Levan, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom situated between Land's End and Porthcurno. Access to the cove is via a minor ro ...
and
Penberth Penberth ( kw, Benbryhi) is a valley, coastal village and cove on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, England. It is approximately southwest of Penzance. Most of the village is within the parish of St Buryan and the boundary with St Levan foll ...
12s. There were three medieval chapels, including the one on St Clement's island. In 1383 a chapel was dedicated to ″the Blessed Virgin Mary″ and was in ruins by 1414 due to storms. It was rebuilt around 1420 and finally destroyed during the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
. Another chapel was licensed in 1441 and dedicated to
St Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...
. Records show that
pilchards "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the Ital ...
were exported to France as early as 1302, and in the late 18th century there were five seines and 55 boats based in the harbour. In the 1880s there was still a
drift Drift or Drifts may refer to: Geography * Drift or ford (crossing) of a river * Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States * In Cornwall, England: ** Drift, Cornwall, village ** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village ...
pilchard fishery and in the autumn around sixty boats fished in the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
. Along with Marazion, it was until the 16th century one of the principal ports of
Mount's Bay Mount's Bay ( kw, Baya an Garrek) is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to Gwennap Head. In the north of the bay, near Marazion, is St Michael's Mount; the origin ...
. Before its decline as a major commercial centre, Mousehole also had a number of fairs and markets, including the charter for a market on Tuesdays, with a fair for three days at the festival of St Barnabas, granted to Henry de Tyes in 1292. Mousehole, like many communities in Mount's Bay, fell within the authority of the
Manor of Alverton The Manor of Alverton was a former manorial estate located in the hundred of Penwith, west Cornwall, England, UK. History The first historical details of the manor were recorded in the Domesday book which stated that before the Norman conquest ...
; all early charters, fairs etc. associated with Mousehole are associated with this manorial estate. Mousehole, like Penzance,
Newlyn Newlyn ( kw, Lulyn: Lu 'fleet', Lynn/Lydn 'pool') is a seaside town and fishing port (the largest fishing port in England) in south-west Cornwall, UK.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' Newlyn lies on the shore of Mount ...
and
Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
, was attacked in the 1595 raid on Mount's Bay by Spaniard
Carlos de Amésquita Carlos de Amésquita (also Carlos de Amézqueta or Carlos de Amézola) was a Spanish naval officer of the 16th century. He is remembered for his raid on English soil, known as the Raid on Mount's Bay, in the context of the Brittany Campaign during ...
, the only surviving building being the 'Keigwin Arms', a local pub. Outside the Keigwin Arms (now a private residence) is a plaque with the wording "Squire Jenkyn Keigwin was killed here 23 July 1595 defending this house against the Spaniards".


20th century

Although a
lifeboat Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen ...
had been available in Mount's Bay for many years, a new lifeboat station at Penlee Point, on the outskirts of the village, was opened in 1913. On 19 December 1981 the entire lifeboat crew of eight was lost during an attempted rescue in
hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
-force winds. The lifeboat was moved to
Newlyn Newlyn ( kw, Lulyn: Lu 'fleet', Lynn/Lydn 'pool') is a seaside town and fishing port (the largest fishing port in England) in south-west Cornwall, UK.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' Newlyn lies on the shore of Mount ...
in 1983 but continues to be known as the 'Penlee Lifeboat'. The village's harbourside was once the location of the Lobster Pot guest house, in which
Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Under ...
and
Caitlin Macnamara Caitlin Thomas (née Macnamara; 8 December 1913 – 31 July 1994) was an author and the wife of the poet and writer Dylan Thomas. Their marriage was a stormy affair, fuelled by alcohol and infidelity, though the couple remained together until D ...
spent their honeymoon after marrying at Penzance register office. In 1936 the
GPO Film Unit The GPO Film Unit was a subdivision of the UK General Post Office. The unit was established in 1933, taking on responsibilities of the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit. Headed by John Grierson, it was set up to produce sponsored documentary films ...
made ''
The Saving of Bill Blewitt ''The Saving of Bill Blewitt'' is a 1936 documentary film produced by Alberto Cavalcanti of the GPO Film Unit and directed by Harry Watt. Synopsis Intended as a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the National Savings and Investments, Post Off ...
'', a short film to promote the Post Office Savings Bank, featuring local postman
Bill Blewitt Bill Blewitt was a Cornish postman 'discovered' by film-maker Harry Watt and cast in his 1936 film '' The Saving of Bill Blewitt''. The documentary was about the Post Office Savings Bank and featured Blewitt and the villagers of Mousehole in C ...
. Mousehole hosts a vibrant variety of festivals and community activities. It is known for its Christmas
illuminations Illuminations may refer to: Shows and festivals * IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, a nightly fireworks show currently at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort *'' IllumiNations'', original nightly firework show at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resor ...
. Since 1981, every 19 December the lights have been turned off in memory of the victims of the lifeboat disaster.
Tom Bawcock's Eve Tom Bawcock's Eve is an annual festival, held on 23 December, in Mousehole, Cornwall. The festival is held in celebration and memorial of the efforts of legendary Mousehole resident Tom Bawcock to lift a famine from the village by going out to fi ...
is a unique celebration held on 23 December each year to celebrate the ending of a famine in the 16th century by local resident
Tom Bawcock Tom Bawcock is a legendary character from the village of Mousehole, Cornwall, England. He appears to have been a local fisherman in the 16th century. According to the legend, one winter had been particularly stormy, meaning that none of the fish ...
. This festival is the inspiration behind the book '' The Mousehole Cat'' by
Antonia Barber Antonia Barber (real name Barbara Anthony; 10 December 1932 - 4 April 2019), was an English author of books for children and adults. Barber resided in Kent and Mousehole, Cornwall. Her book ''The Mousehole Cat'' was adapted as an animated film a ...
and the associated television productions. This festival is also the origin of ' Star Gazey Pie', a mixed fish, egg and potato pie with fish heads protruding through the pastry. Mousehole also holds a small maritime festival every two years called 'Sea, Salt and Sail'. Parts of the 1995 feature film ''
Blue Juice ''Blue Juice'' is a 1995 British drama film directed by Carl Prechezer and starring Sean Pertwee, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ewan McGregor, and Steven Mackintosh. It follows JC (Pertwee) as he attempts to reconcile his surfer lifestyle and loser f ...
'' were filmed in the village. The local
community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular ...
station is Coast FM (formerly Penwith Radio), which broadcasts on 96.5 and 97.2 FM.


Local government

Mousehole was part of the
ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...
of
Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
, and from 1866 part of the civil parish of Paul. In 1894 Mousehole became part of Paul Urban District. The urban district was abolished in 1934 and Mousehole was absorbed into the
municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
of Penzance. Penzance Municipal Borough was itself abolished in 1974 under the
Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...
, and Mousehole became part of the new
Penwith Penwith (; kw, Pennwydh) is an area of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, located on the peninsula of the same name. It is also the name of a former Non-metropolitan district, local government district, whose council was based in Penzance. ...
District. The former borough was unparished until 1980. The unparished area was formed into a civil parish in 1980, and the new Penzance parish council elected to call itself a town council. Penwith District was abolished in 2009, and Mousehole now falls under the unitary
Cornwall Council Cornwall Council ( kw, Konsel Kernow) is the unitary authority for Cornwall in the United Kingdom, not including the Isles of Scilly, which has its own unitary council. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a tradition o ...
.


Sport

There is a football team based nearby named Mousehole A.F.C., currently playing in the Premier Division of the
Western Football League The Western Football League is a football league in South West England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The league's current main sponsor is Toolstation, so it is also known as ...
.


Notable residents

Penwith Penwith (; kw, Pennwydh) is an area of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, located on the peninsula of the same name. It is also the name of a former Non-metropolitan district, local government district, whose council was based in Penzance. ...
is believed to be the last part of Cornwall where the
Cornish language Cornish (Standard Written Form: or ) , is a Southwestern Brittonic language, Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. It is a List of revived languages, revived language, having become Extinct language, extinct as a livin ...
was spoken as the community language.
Dolly Pentreath Dorothy Pentreath (16 May 1692 aptised– 26 December 1777) was a fishwife from Mousehole, Cornwall, England. She is the best-known of the last fluent speakers of the Cornish language. She is also often credited as the last known native spea ...
, popularly known as the last recorded speaker of Cornish, is often reported as being from Mousehole and as having a memorial in the village. In fact, she was from Paul (the parish of
Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
historically included Mousehole). A year after Dolly Pentreath died in 1777,
Daines Barrington Daines Barrington, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS, Society of Antiquaries of London, FSA (1727/2814 March 1800) was an English lawyer, antiquary and naturalist. He was one of the correspondents to whom Gilbert White wrote extensively on natur ...
received a letter, written in Cornish and accompanied by an English translation, from a fisherman in Mousehole named William Bodinar stating that he knew of five people who could speak Cornish in that village alone. Barrington also speaks of a John Nancarrow from
Marazion Marazion (; kw, Marhasyow) is a civil parish and town, on the shore of Mount's Bay in Cornwall, UK. It is east of Penzance and the tidal island of St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore. At low water a causeway links it to the town and ...
who was a native speaker and survived into the 1790s.
John Keigwin John Keigwin (1641–1716) was a Cornish antiquary, born at Mousehole, Cornwall. He was a leading member of a group of antiquaries in west Penwith: this group also included John and Thomas Boson, William Gwavas, Thomas Tonkin, William Borlase, ...
(1641–1716), a scholar in the Cornish language, William Carvosso (1750–1834), the Methodist, and Joseph Trewavas VC CGM (14 December 1835 – 20 July 1905) were also born in Mousehole. Admiral of the fleet Sir Caspar John GCB (1903–1984) lived in Mousehole in retirement. The artist
Jack Pender Jack Pender (1918–1998) was a British artist. Pender was born in Mousehole, Cornwall. He started to paint in 1936 and went to the Penzance School of Art in 1938. At the end of the war, he spent a short time in Greece at the Athens School ...
(1918–1998) was born in Mousehole and spent most of his career there. English writer and illustrator
Michelle Cartlidge Michelle Cartlidge is an English writer and illustrator. Early life and studies Cartlidge was born in Hampstead, London to a British father and a German Jewish refugee mother. Her sister Katrin Cartlidge was an English actress who died in 2002 ...
lives in Mousehole. The potter Jack Doherty lives in Mousehole where he has his studio.


Media and literary associations

*
Charles de Lint Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian writer of Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. He is married to, and plays music with, MaryAnn Harris. Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works of urban fantasy, cont ...
, writer of many modern and urban
fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
, set his novel ''The Little Country'' in the village of Mousehole. * '' The Mousehole Cat'', a children's book written by
Antonia Barber Antonia Barber (real name Barbara Anthony; 10 December 1932 - 4 April 2019), was an English author of books for children and adults. Barber resided in Kent and Mousehole, Cornwall. Her book ''The Mousehole Cat'' was adapted as an animated film a ...
and illustrated by Nicola Bayley, is also set in Mousehole and based on the legend of
Tom Bawcock Tom Bawcock is a legendary character from the village of Mousehole, Cornwall, England. He appears to have been a local fisherman in the 16th century. According to the legend, one winter had been particularly stormy, meaning that none of the fish ...
and the continuing tradition of
Tom Bawcock's Eve Tom Bawcock's Eve is an annual festival, held on 23 December, in Mousehole, Cornwall. The festival is held in celebration and memorial of the efforts of legendary Mousehole resident Tom Bawcock to lift a famine from the village by going out to fi ...
. * The local
community radio Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular ...
station is Coast FM (formerly Penwith Radio), which broadcasts on 96.5 and 97.2 FM. * Mark Jenkin's film, '' Bait'', was filmed in Mousehole. ''Bait'' tells the story of a fisherman battling to keep his way of life afloat in the face of
gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
.


Gallery

Mousehole fromm air Fossick.jpg, Aerial shot Mousehole fromm air2 Fossick.jpg, Aerial shot Mousehole rock pool from air Fossick.jpg, Aerial shot of rock pool Mousehole St Clements Isle from air Fossick.jpg, St Clements Isle


References


External links


Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Mousehole

Mousehole tide times
* {{authority control Fishing communities in England Villages in Cornwall Penzance Penwith Ports and harbours of Cornwall Populated coastal places in Cornwall Fishing communities