Fowey is a port town on the south coast of Cornwall, standing where the river Fowey meets the sea. In Kernewek it is Fowydh, which means beech trees, and the English name is pronounced "Foy". The town has existed since before the Norman invasion, its church was first established in the seventh century, and the estuary has kept it working as a harbour ever since.
The port
The natural harbour made Fowey a trading centre in the Middle Ages, with ships trading to continental Europe. There was harder business too: the privateers known as the Fowey Gallants were licensed to seize enemy vessels during the Hundred Years' War, and Breton pirates attacked the town in 1457. St Catherine's Castle was built around 1540 to guard the harbour entrance, and its ruin still watches the water.
Clay and crossings
The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway brought china clay down to the harbour for export, and the jetties at Carne Point still handle clay today. Foot ferries cross the river to Polruan and Bodinnick, and Readymoney Cove has a beach of its own beneath the woods.
Writers
Daphne du Maurier lived in Fowey, and the town holds a festival of arts and literature each May. Writers have been drawn here for a long time, and the town is still small enough to read at walking pace.
Sources
Last checked: 2026-10-11