Travel
Popular Cornish port town Fowey has plenty to entice for a weekend away in the cooler months
With its golden beaches, turquoise coves, and fabulous fish and chips, it’s little wonder that Cornwall is among the UK’s top summer getaways.
Yet with July and August crowds often proving overwhelming – and high seasonal prices reflecting the demand – it pays to time your visit during a sleepier time of year. In the pretty town of Fowey on the south coast, there’s plenty to do in late winter or spring, whether you want lovely walks, enticing shopping or fabulous food.
And because there’s a train station in nearby Par, you don’t even have to drive.
Old-world charm
With its prime location on a south-coast estuary, attractive Fowey has a long history that stretches back to before the Norman invasion. Over the centuries, the higgledy-piggledy centre, built on a steep hillside, has been a place of trade, piracy, smuggling and fishing – with each era leaving its mark on the cosy cottages and winding streets. Today, the town centre is bursting with attractions for visitors, from restaurants to beautiful boutiques; shoppers will love stop-offs such as The Webb Street Company for gifts, or Quba & Co for nautical clothing. There’s also a pretty parish church and, while not open to the public, the impressive exterior of grand Place House – private residence of the local Treffry family – towers above town.
Culinary calibre
Despite its modest scale – the main part of Fowey consists of just a few streets – this town has major foodie credentials. Wander through the main centre strip and you can graze on everything from hot chocolates at Brown Sugar Cafe (brownsugarfowey.com) to flapjacks at Flapjackery (flapjackery.co.uk) and ice cream at Ruby’s. If you want to stock up on goodies for later on, Johns Wines (johnswines.co.uk) has an excellent selection of Cornishmade beers, ciders and spirits, and Kittows of Fowey (kittowsfowey.co.uk) sells fresh local meats, crab and deli goods. Some of Fowey’s most renowned restaurants, including trendy, minimalist Fitzroy (fitzroycornwall.com), close for the winter, but if you feel like something sophisticated, you can still enjoy the likes of squid-ink linguine at Appleton’s (appletonsrestaurant.com).
Coastal walks
Whichever way you strike out from the town centre, you’ll be welcomed by wonderful coastal walks – with views over rolling green hills and the sparkling squiggle of the estuary. Follo
