Mevagissey harbour has been eerily quiet whilst all the shops, pubs and restaurants were closed. Some days we walked around the quay without seeing a soul. On the plus side, the weather has been great, and we have had the opportunity to appreciate the beautiful part of the world that we live in.
Here at Harbour View, as has been the case everywhere, we’ve had a strangely quiet time when usually we would have been welcoming guests to enjoy all that the village has to offer. On the plus side, it’s given us a chance to do all of those little jobs we kept putting off.
Despite the lockdown, our fishermen have continued to go to sea and have adapted to the times by selling their fish direct to the residents from the quay.
The Harbour Tavern has been supplying a meals and wheels food service for those vulnerable residents who were unable to get out and about. The volunteer community support group is undertaking deliveries. In addition, they have also delivered groceries and prescriptions from the village shops which have remained open.
If you’ve been missing the village and its activities you may have been keeping an eye on us via Mevagissey harbour webcam. For example, you can spot the fishermen going about their business, see the kids harbour jumping or even just check the weather. You can watch live here.
Mevagissey Harbour – Life after Lockdown
With the news of the end on restrictions, Harbour View is getting ready to welcome guests once more.
We have acquired the Industry Standard mark, which means that our business has followed government and industry COVID-19 guidelines. A Risk Assessment is in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.
These few, but not too many adjustments to our routine and terms and conditions to make sure that we can welcome you all safely and ensure that you enjoy your holiday.
Guest Safety
- Harbour View operates a self-check-in system. You can obtain the door key from a key safe outside the front door with no need for any face to face contact. Before you check-in, you will get the code for the safe.
- We now have an automatic hand sanitiser in the entrance hall. We ask guests to use this before entering the house to minimise infection.
- It is still advisable that regular handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds is the best defence against any virus. Harbour View has soap dispensers at all sinks in the property.
Cleaning and disinfecting
- As well as our usual thorough cleaning routine we now also use additional anti-viral disinfectant on all hard surfaces, touchpoints such as light switches, door handles, bannisters etc. The disinfectant anti-viral spray is used on soft furnishings.
- We have removed some soft aesthetic furnishings to enable the cleaning routine. This will not impact the comfort of your stay.
- Check-in times are unaltered. Check out is 10 am, and check-in is 4 pm. This allows time to ensure that the set up of the house is proper and safe, so please adhere to them.
Symptoms – NHS Guidance
- Anybody who is exhibiting symptoms or who has any reason to believe they may have come into contact with the virus up to 14 days prior to their booking must follow the Government instruction to self-isolate and follow NHS guidelines. The same applies if you have been contacted by the NHS track and trace team as having been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.
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Do not leave home if you or someone you live with has any of the following symptoms:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
- Therefore, you should not arrive on site. Please contact us to arrange to rebook.
- If you fall ill during your stay, we ask that you inform us immediately and return to your primary residence as soon as possible. You must then follow the NHS guidelines in relation to testing and track and trace. We are almost fully booked during the summer period and cannot accommodate extended stays due to illness. Any guest who extends their stay due to illness will be liable for any additional costs incurred. Please use your common sense in relation to this and be considerate of others.
Hopefully, these points will not impact your stay with us. As we all get used to new routines and social distancing, we can welcome everyone.
Mevagissey Harbour Businesses
During your stay in Mevagissey, the village businesses will also be reopening and may also be operating slightly differently. There are plenty of food outlets currently offering takeaway and as restrictions ease there will be opportunities for eating in. Non-essential shops have started to open. However, Mevagissey harbour businesses tend to be smaller than many, and there are few outdoor eating/drinking areas, so it will be prudent to plan ahead when thinking about your meals.
Social Distancing
Please be mindful of social distancing in the village. Our narrow streets and quirky buildings don’t lend themselves well to lots of people, so everyone will have to be considerate when going about their business. As a result, most shops have social distancing markings outside to help you.
You will also see signs as you enter the village in your car advising you to use the car parks. This is to avoid too much traffic through the village centre and therefore help avoid the pedestrians who may be queuing in the road.
Food Outlets
Currently, these are some of the businesses which are offering takeaway food/drink. They will be adjusting their times of operation and clarify what they are able to offer in line with the easing of restrictions.
If you are coming to Harbour view this summer, we will provide you with an up to date food outlet list.
Mr T’s burger and pizza takeaway
Alvorada Portuguese restaurant
Moores fruit and veg shop, Mevagissey news and Martin’s bakery are open daily for supplies.
This is not a conclusive list. Keep an eye on their pages for updates and opening times. Several Charlestown restaurants and other pubs in the local area are also supplying food. Get in touch if you need more details.
Mevagissey Feast Week
The last week in June is traditionally Mevagissey Feast Week. This is because the Feast of St Peter falls on the 29th June and which always integrates into the week.
Feast week this year has been cancelled, but the dates for 2021 are 27th June until 3rd July.
The week always starts with Fish Sunday and local businesses set up around Mevagissey harbour to cook delicious food. The fishing boat race is always a sight to behold. The fish parade takes place in the afternoon with local primary school children and locals.
A stage on the jetty is the venue for several bands at various times during the week. Subsequently, a full programme of events takes place. Church feasts, crabbing competitions, flora dances and the raft race in the harbour mean that there is something for everyone.
The final Saturday sees the primary school flora dance, village fete and carnival parade before culminating with a spectacular firework display from the lighthouse quay.
Mevagissey Shanty Festival
The first shanty festival was organised in 2019 and runs from the 16th-18th October 2020. Shanty singers and groups from all over the UK sing in pubs on Mevagissey harbour and venues around the village, and there might be a beer festival too!
Cornwall Visitor Attractions
The Eden Project and The Lost Gardens of Heligan have reopened with an appointment system to ensure social distancing is adhered to. Therefore, make sure you check their respective websites for details.
Lots of other attractions and gardens are opening up. For example, Cornwall Watersports at Pentewan are operating appointments for the hire of kayaks and Sups. Check their websites for details.
Check out Visit Cornwall, Cornwall online and Best days out Cornwall, amongst others for things to do while you are here.
Places to go
Although your perfect day might be fishing off Mevagissey harbour wall, on the other hand, you would be missing out if you didn’t visit some of the other great places to visit in the county! It’s a great place to base yourself to explore the rest of the county.
St Austell, Truro and The Roseland Peninsular
Charlestown is only 10 minutes away by car. You can often see tall ships in the harbour, which is a Unesco World Heritage site. Tv and film productions often use the harbour for filming. Of course, you will recognise it as the port of Truro in the BBC production of Poldark. There are beaches on either side of the harbour and several pubs and restaurants for refreshments.
St Mawes on the Roseland Peninsular is about 40 minutes from Mevagissey. Another picturesque fishing village on the South coast, you can catch a ferry to Falmouth from here and enjoy a spectacular trip across the bay. English Heritage manages St Mawes Castle and is one of the best-preserved of Henry VIII’s coastal artillery fortresses.
Falmouth has the third deepest natural harbour in the world and the deepest in Western Europe. The National Maritime Museum is situated on the waterfront amongst a selection of shops and restaurants.
Truro is Cornwall’s only city, and Truro cathedral dominates its skyline. You can find a mix of national chains and local independent shops in the city centre. Additionally, Truro has a cinema and, when it reopens, the newly refurbished Hall for Cornwall showcasing music and theatre events.
West Cornwall
Further West, St Ives is a favourite for visitors wishing to enjoy the sandy beaches and art scene. The Tate Gallery overlooks Porthmeor beach and the Barbara Hepworth museum and sculpture garden is also worth a visit. Marazion, a couple of miles east of Penzance has a great sandy beach and view of St Michaels Mount. A causeway at low tide accesses the National Trust property. Porthcurno, west of Penzance has fabulous beaches and the famous open-air Minack Theatre which has beautiful gardens and hosts outdoor theatre right on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Most importantly, if you get the chance to go to a performance there, make sure you take a picnic and bottle of wine.
North Cornwall
The North Coast of Cornwall will provide you with amazing surfing beaches and rugged cliffs. Padstow, known for its great restaurants, lies opposite Rock on the Camel estuary. Close by is the long sandy beach at Harlyn Bay. The area, in general, is known as seven bays for seven days due to the proximity of 7 beautiful beaches. Take your pick!
Port Isaac, best known as the location for Doc Martin is another quaint fishing village, and if you are lucky, you can catch The Fishermans Friends singing on the Platt on certain Friday nights in the summer. Boscastle and Tintagel, the reputed birthplace of King Arthur are also worth a visit.
The Lizard
The most Southerly point in Britain is The Lizard where you can see seals on the rocks, and the beaches around Kynance Cove are spectacular. The seal sanctuary at Gweek allows you to witness their rehabilitation programme.
Cornish Beaches
Lots of visitors come to Cornwall for its famed sandy beaches. Mevagissey is in reach of several lovely South coast beaches including Pentewan, Porthluney (Caerhays), Gorran Haven and the great beaches of the Roseland Peninsular including Pendower, Carne and Porthcurnick beach at Portscatho.
The North Coast beaches are also within a drive of under an hour so if surfing is your thing you can head to Newquay, Watergate Bay, Constantine etc. In the far West, the beaches of St Ives and the attractive town are approximately an hour and a half away.
Hopefully, that has given you an idea of how things are in Cornwall. We are looking forward to welcoming you all back and hope that the weather we had during Spring returns for the summer holidays. Wherever you are this summer, we hope you manage to enjoy some time off and get to see friends and family that you missed during the lockdown.
Harbour View – Availability
If you would like to come and stay at Harbour View, please have a look at our vacancies. We have good availability for September/ October, and it is never too early to book for next year! You can book directly with us here.
In conclusion, best wishes to you all. Hope to see you soon. Stay safe!