Smuggling

The towns and villages of the south coast of Cornwall were rife with smuggling for centuries, and the harbour town of Looe was no exception. Looe Island lies just a mile off the coast, and was used to store illegal contraband until it could be transported and taken onto the shores of Looe. Back on the mainland, The Jolly Sailor Inn was a hub of smuggling activity thanks to the landlord and his wife.

The excise men were once tipped off concerning illegal stashes of liquor in the inn, but found nothing when they raided it. This was due to the quick thinking landlady who sat on the crate and pretended to knit, covering it with her skirts!

Looe Island

Although known as Looe Island, the real name of this landmark is St George’s Island. It lies around a mile off the coast and is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Aside from its scenery, this island is a fascinating piece of Looe history. The island was home to spinster sisters Babs and Evelyn Atkins from 1965 when they realised their dream and bought it.

The ladies lived happily on the island for nearly 40 years, and in the early days they were only able to communicate with the mainland via hand signals and flags. Difficult to imagine these days! The island is now a Looe tourist attraction, and boat trips are operated during the summer.

East Looe & West Looe

The town of Looe sits on either side of the River Looe, and East and West Looe are connected by a bridge that spans the river. However, in the medieval period East Looe and West Looe were separate towns.

An estuary bridge was constructed to join the two towns in 1411, which became Cornwall’s earliest estuary bridge and a landmark in the history of Looe.

The original bridge had 14 arches, and was replaced with a new one in 1853, which still stands about 100 yards further upstream than the first. Take a look during your holiday in Looe, as its an important piece of the area's history.

Barbary Pirates

It’s difficult to imagine a pack of Barbary pirates clambering ashore and kidnapping 80 people from a church service in Looe, but that’s exactly what happened in 1632. The Barbary pirates sailed over to the Cornish coast from North Africa, and the threat of being captured and sold into slavery wreaked fear on those who lived on the south west coast throughout the first half of the 1700s.

The corsairs plundered British ships and crept onto unguarded shores, looking for victims to drag back to their own country and sell into slavery. The pirates made life on the south coast of Cornwall a dark period in Looe and Polperro history.