Sign inFairgrieve, c. 1930
The photograph shows the small harbour at Mousehole in Cornwall with the village clustered around it and the small port filled with mainly clinker built sailing boats at low tide. An islet called St Clement’s Isle lies 350 metres offshore. The picturesque nature of the village has had both positive and negative effects. Particularly in the summer it is overcrowded on most days with holidaymakers and tourists. Fishing for pilchards has always been important to this small village.
Student focus
- Visit Cornwall has information about Mousehole heritage walks on ‘Wrecks, lifesaving and lifeboats’ and ‘Village history’. Is the focus of the walks a positive thing for visitors to Mousehole? Why/Why not? What positive and negative effects might these walks have on the village itself?
- In the past, pilchard oil lamps were used to light the cottages in Mousehole. What do you think pilchards caught today are used for? Give reasons for this change of use.
Current OS Explorer Sheet: 102