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The Great Britain Guide

Viewpoints · South West England

Fowey

Also known as: Fowydh, Fowy (tre)

Free admission

Fowey is a viewpoint in the United Kingdom.

Fowey, viewpoints in South West England

Ian Hawfinch — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
20 min–45 min
Best time of year
Clear days year-round
Nearest railway station
Par · 5.2 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Fowey is a named viewpoint in South-West England, marked on Ordnance Survey maps for its outlook. The site is within the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB), and is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. It sits within the St Austell and Newquay parliamentary constituency. The nearest railway station is Par, about 5.2 km away. Postcode area PL23.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Polruan to Polperro SSSI
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cornwall

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Fowey ( FOY; Cornish: Fowydh, meaning beech trees) is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local church first established some time in the 7th century; the estuary of the River Fowey forms a natural harbour which enabled the town to become an important trading centre. Privateers also made use of the sheltered harbourage. The Lostwithiel and Fowey Railway brought China clay here for export. At the 2021 census the population of the parish was 2,244 and the population of the built up area was 2,069.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The Domesday Book survey at the end of the 11th century records manors at Penventinue and Trenant, and a priory was soon established nearby at Tywardreath. the prior granted a charter to people living in Fowey itself. This medieval town ran from a north gate near Boddinick Passage to a south gate at what is now Lostwithiel Street; the town extended a little way up the hillside and was bounded on the other side by the river where merchants had their houses backing onto the waterfront. The natural harbour allowed trade to develop with continental Europe and local ship owners often hired their vessels to the king to support various wars, although the town also developed a reputation for…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
50.3350, -4.6383
District
Cornwall
Parish
Fowey
Postcode
PL23 1JL
Parliamentary constituency
St Austell and Newquay
Nearest railway station
Par5.2 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Fowey?
Fowey is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode PL23 1JL), in the parish of Fowey.
Is Fowey a protected site?
Yes — Fowey is part of the Polruan to Polperro SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB).
Is Fowey free to visit?
Yes, Fowey is free to enter.
How do I get to Fowey?
The nearest railway station is Par, about 5.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PL23 1JL.