Looe (Cornish: Logh) is a small coastal town and cargo port in the Caradon district of south-east Cornwall, England, UK. It lies around 20 miles west of the city of Plymouth and 7 miles south of Liskeard.
Situated around a small harbour and along a steep-sided valley, Looe is in fact two towns, East Looe and West Looe, connected by bridge across the River Looe which flows between them, to reach the sea beside a sandy beach. Off shore to the west, opposite the stonier Hannafore beach, lies the picturesque St. George's Island, commonly known as Looe Island.
History
Prehistory and foundationArcheological evidence, such as the so-called Giant's Hedge and the stone circle at Bin Down (from the Cornish "Bin Dun", meaning "hill fort") on a hill above East Looe, indicates that the area around Looe was inhabited as early as 1000 BC.
At the time the Domesday Book was created in 1086, the manor of Pendrym, which included much of the site of modern-day East Looe, was held by William the Conqueror as part of his own demesne and came to be managed by the Bodgrugan (Bodrigan) family. Land across the river belonged to the manors of Portalla (or Portallant) and Portbyhan (variously spelt Portbyan, Porthbyghan, Porthpyghan, among others).
Shutta, on the steep hillside over East Looe, is known to have been inhabited by the twelfth century. At some time between 1154 and 1189 a charter was granted by Henry II to Sir Henry Bodrugan for the town of East Looe. West Looe was given free borough status sometime after this (the first known historical mention of the town dates from 1327) and in the 1230s East Looe gained the right to hold a weekly market and a Michaelmas fair.
In these early days, East Looe may have been a "planted borough", a concept similar to modern new towns; much of it is laid out in a grid-like pattern. Even today the low-lying parts of Looe suffer frequent flooding when the tides are very high. Most houses in early Looe would have been constructed with the living quarters upstairs, above storage areas for boats, tools and fishing tackle.
Looe today
Looe remains a fishing town, and several fish dealers operate from the docks of East Looe. With its fleet of small fishing boats returning their catches to port daily, Looe has a reputation for producing excellent fresh fish. The town is also a centre for shark fishing, and is the home of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain.
Looe's main business today is, however, tourism, with much of the town given over to hotels, guest houses and holiday homes, along with a large number of pubs, restaurants, and shops selling beach equipment, ice cream and Cornish pasties. Inland from Looe lie many camping and caravan sites, as well as a famous Woolly monkey sanctuary. Other local attractions include the beaches, sailing, fishing and diving, and spectacular coastal walks (especially that via Talland to Polperro. In the area are several stately homes, including Antony House, Cotehele, Mount Edgcumbe, and Lanhydrock House, as well as the Eden Project near St Austell.
Outside the busy summer months, the town remains a centre for shopping and entertainment for local villages. There is a tradition of the townsfolk wearing fancy dress on New Year's Eve, when the streets throng with revellers in inventive outfits. Looe is in the top 10 places in the UK to celebrate New Year.
