Nanny Pat’s days out: Mevagissey


Boats floating in the harbour in Mevagissey in Cornwall. Flags fly in the wind as people walk past.

Mevagissey is our nearest port. Like Fowey it’s an ancient harbour with a long history of smuggling, pirates, fishing and festivals. Today it is a lively fishing port (you can buy fresh fish on the quay) but as with many Cornish seaside towns earns most of its living from the tourist trade.

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Walk into the main street and turn left for the harbour and quay. The high wall at harbour entrance is a great place for fishing and crabbing. You can always find a man with a boat who will take you out for a fishing trip. Many of our guests who visit Mevagissey come home with a mackerel or pollock to cook for tea; we think the best bit is getting out on the water and taking in views of our spectacular coastline.

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You can take a boat trip from here to Fowey on the Mevagissey-Fowey ferry. The timetable is available online; dogs travel free, and you can even take your bike across if you arrange it in advance. It’s a fabulous trip well worth doing.

On the way to the harbour wall you’ll find the Aquarium. It’s manned by volunteers, and Nanny Pat, Wilf and Megan love it. All the fish in the tanks (some of them are whoppers) are found in our Cornish waters and it’s quite eye-opening to see how many species there are – do go in and take a look.

Mevagissey Feast Week

Mevagissey is transformed during Feast Week (in 2014 it takes place 29 June – 5 July). The whole town gets involved with the celebrations, including a Fish Festival, boat and raft races, and a flora day ending with a carnival and firework display.

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Nanny Pat’s top tip: “As with many Cornish seaside towns you can indulge in lots of eating and shopping but my two like to visit the pirate shop just off the harbour – during Feast Week there were real pirates at the shop and Wilfred had a pirate’s parrot on his arm! I also recommend Marie Morrison’s silver jewellery shop, just off the harbour.”

Other things to do in and around Mevagissey

One of the best ways to explore this historic fishing village is by taking on the challenge of the Mevagissey Treasure Trail. It will take about 1 1/2 hours to complete and will have the whole family engaged searching for clues.

The South West Coast Path also runs through the village, and there are plenty of walks in the local area.

Getting there

Mevagissey is just a short drive from Bosinver. Drive down through Polgooth village, and when you reach the crossroads at London Apprentice (opposite the Kingswood restaurant), turn right onto the B3273 and follow the road past Pentewan until you reach Mevagissey. It is best to park in the first large car park as you drive into town as the streets are very narrow and congested.

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Action Nan and the rest of the team are always busy writing posts that we think you’ll like – from top tips on where to take the kids, to what’s likely to be going on in the local area when you stay – we’ve got it all in our blog!