Polperro, Cornwall

Historical Description

Polperro, a small town in Llansalloes and Talland parishes, Cornwall, on the coast, 6 miles E of Fowey, and 4 from Looe station on the Liskeard and Looe railway. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office; is an ancient place; was described by Leland as a " fishar towne with a peere;" occupies a romantic site on the rocky shore and ledges of an inlet embraced by a ravine; gives the name of " Polperro sponges " to the fossils formerly known as Cornish ichthyolites; is surrounded by rock formations of great interest to geologists; carries on a pilchard fishery and some coasting trade; and has a small harbour, a public hall, and three chapels.

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.

Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Polperro from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Polperro)

Maps

Online maps of Polperro are available from a number of sites:

• Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• Google Streetview.
• National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
• OpenStreetMap.
• old-maps.co.uk (Old Ordnance Survey maps to buy).
• Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• A Vision of Britain through Time. (Old maps)

Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following Cornwall papers online:

• Royal Cornwall Gazette
• Cornishman
• West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser
• Lake's Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser

Visitations Heraldic

We have a copy of The Visitations of Cornwall, by Lieut.-Col. J.L. Vivian online.