Ann-Christine invites us to explore our local neighbourhood this week, which is apt seeing as we in England are requested not to stray too far from home. I think I have ‘done’ my local area to death this year as we really haven’t been very far at all. So on a trip to the local supermarket this week (4 miles) I took time to have a quick stroll around the harbour in Hayle and get a few snaps on my phone before the rain began. Again.
The tide was in so the estuary was full of water. I was intrigued by these odd contraptions floating in the centre. Floating rafts with Lobster pots? I am guessing that they are towed out into the sea. I love lobster, but I think most of it heads to London and the expensive restaurants. I rarely see it on the menus here in Cornwall and probably wouldn’t pay the price wanted for it anyway.
To the right of me are the old warehouses on the east quay, the silvering wood matching the more modern fencing around the harbour and the bleached grass echoing the sand dunes (towans) in the background. A picture of fading colour rather matched the mood of the day as clouds descended.
One interesting new discovery as I walked along the harbour walls of the south quay was this splendid rusty anchor. I can never resist getting in close to a rusty object.
It’s strange to think that there was a big ship building industry in this area during the 19th century. A shipyard, slip and dry dock were established here on the south quay in 1819 and by 1835 ships of 100 tons were being constructed. The first iron and wood ship, the Prussian Eagle, was built as a tug on the River Rhine. And by 1880 many more ships were built by Harvey & Co, including the Cornubia in 1858, originally used for the steam packet service but later sold to the American Confederate States where she was used as a blockade-runner during the American Civil War.
It must have looked very different here 200 years ago. And how fascinating to discover a connection with the American Civil War and this small, sleepy Cornish town, more famous now for the Towans and three miles of golden sands.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge # 123 | Found in the Neighbourhood
Cornwall in Colours 
Nice tour of the harbor. The anchor and hanging bouy are my favorites. Too bad about the old warehouses. I guess the powers that be won’t be happy until every inch of coastline is lined by overpriced townhouses.
History, beauty and the sea – I kinda like your neighbourhood 😀
It’s going to look very different in a couple of years.
ooh why?
Great big development going on which will transform that whole area. https://www.north-quay.co.uk/
It’s not allowing me to look at the website on my phone, most irritating. I’ll try again later on laptop x
I can’t open it on my phone either! But hopefully you can Google it.
Love the yellow buoy with the wonderful colour of the sea and the textures of the wall behind it. I hope the new development doesn’t destroy the feel of the local communities.
I hope so too. It is supposedly being carried out sympathetic to the surrounding area, so it ought to look good. My worry is that the prices of the homes will end up blocking sales to locals and they will end up as holiday lets and second homes. Hayle is still very much a local town and it would be a shame for it to go the way of Padstow and St Ives.
It’s always interesting to learn about how towns were in the past. I think I would prefer to visit now when it’s so pretty and peaceful.
A lovely walk despite the impending rain – it must have been so nice to have an excuse to get out of the house. The history of the shipbuilding with the German and American connections is so interesting – Hayle must have been so different back in those times!