Mevagissey

Cornwall Information & Accommodation Guide

Mevagissey from the air

Mevagissey, in Cornish, Lannvorek, is a charming and picturesque fishing port with its own working fishing fleet.

Fishing has always been important here and was responsible for the growth of the town from a tiny hamlet in the 16th Century to the village which we see today.

The name, Mevagissey, is believed to derive from the dedication of the parish church to two Saints, Meva and Issey.

Shipwrecks are numerous around Cornwall's coasts and this stretch of coastline has had its share of shipwrecked vessels including the French ship L'Indurance which foundered here on the 25th January 1838.

A day later the Brandywine Packet was lost in the same area with its precious cargo of casks washed ashore. Wreckers would be only too pleased to get their hands on such a cargo.

In the 1700's and early 1800's, smuggling contraband was also popular and a sometimes necessary way of supplementing otherwise poor incomes.

When exploring Mevagissey, the oldest part of the town is around the area of The Cliff.

Famous Men and Women

Andrew Pears was born into a farming family in Mevagissey around 1770. In 1789 he moved to London, where he opened a barber's shop. He noticed that the London upper classes cultivated a delicate white complexion and realised that there was a need for a gentle soap for these delicate complexions.

He invented the transparent soap for which Pears are still famous.

His method of mellowing and ageing each long-lasting Pears Bar, for over two months, is still used today where natural oils and pure glycerine are combined with the delicate fragrance of rosemary, cedar and thyme.

He died in 1845 and is buried at Kensal Green cemetery in London.

Film and TV in Mevagissey

Several films have been made around Mevagissey.

Bad Education Movie (2015)
Doomwatch (1988)
Dracula (1979)
Johnny Frenchman (1945)
Next of Kin (1942)
Never Let Me Go
Street of Abandoned Children (1929)

General Information

The Tourist Information Centre is located at St Georges Square
Tel:+44 (0)1726 844857

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Location:
Located on the south coast of Cornwall.
Mevagissey is accessed from the St Austell area.

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