Loe Bar, Gunwalloe Fishing Cove & Pedngwynian

THE LANDSCAPE BETWEEN GUNWALLOE FISHING COVE, HALZEPHRON AND PORTHLEVEN IS DOMINATED BY CLIFFS AND BEACHES. HOWEVER, THESE ARE NOT THE SANDY BEACHES USUALLY FOUND AROUND THE CORNISH COAST. CONSTRUCTED BY THE SEA OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS, IN A PROCESS OF "LONGSHORE DRIFT", IS ONE DOMINANT FEATURE, THAT OF LOE BAR. IT IS COMPOSED OF SAND AND SHINGLE WHICH HAS BLOCKED THE VALLEYS OF THE COBER AND CARMINOWE LEADING TO HELSTON AND CREATED A LAKE KNOWN AS LOE POOL.

THE STORMS AND STRONG CURRENTS WHICH HAVE MADE THE LOE BAR HAVE ALSO BEEN HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR HUNDREDS OF SHIPWRECKS OVER THE CENTURIES WITH PROLIFIC STORIES OF WRECKS AND LIVES LOST. THE PORTHLEVEN LIFEBOAT WAS INSTALLED IN 1863 BUT LIKE ALL LIFEBOATS AT THE TIME, HAD TO BE ROWED BY SIX OARSMEN, AND BECAUSE OF THE DANGEROUS CURRENTS MANY RESCUES WERE MADE FROM THE BAR WITH SHEER BRAVERY, A ROCKET APPARATUS AND A ROPE. OFTEN SHIPWRECKED SAILORS AND PASSENGERS, ALREADY WEAKENED BY THE STRUGGLE TO SWIM, REACHED THE WATERS EDGE ONLY TO FIND THAT THE LOOSE SHINGLE SLID AWAY AND THEY SLIPPED BACK INTO A FOAMING SEA.

MANY SHIPS BECAME EMBAYED ON THE WEST COAST OF THE LIZARD PENINSULA. IN NOVEMBER 1872, A BARQUE, THE LOCHLEVEN FLOWER, CARRYING WHEAT, GOT INTO DIFFICULTIES IN THE BAY. PEOPLE GATHERED FROM PORTHLEVEN AND GUNWALLOE TO WATCH THE SITUATION DEVELOPING. ABOUT 8PM ONE SHIPS BOAT CARRYING 9 OF THE 14 CREW WAS SEEN 2-3 MILES OUT. IT WAS MAKING FOR THE BAR.

"... THE SAILORS RODE THE WAVES MANFULLY AND THE BOAT RODE THE WAVES BEAUTIFULLY, THE RUDDER WAS WELL HANDLED, BUT THE SAILORS HAD EVIDENTLY LOST THEIR RECKONINGS BY RUNNING FOR THE BAR, ONE OF THE MOST DREADFUL SPOTS IN MOUNTS BAY, AND WHERE DESTRUCTION WAS ALMOST INEVITABLE.

FROM SEAWARD, THE OPENING OF THE LOE POOL VALLEY LOOKS LIKE THE ENTRANCE TO A LAND LOCKED HARBOUR, WITH CLIFFS RISING ABRUPTLY ON EITHER SIDE. THE SEA WAS BREAKING OVER THE BAR AND STREAMING ACROSS THE STRIP OF SAND THAT DIVIDES THE LAKE FROM THE OCEAN. ON CAME THE BOAT.THE FACES OF THE SAILORS COULD BE CLEARLY SEEN. NO SOONER WAS THE LAST BREAKER PASSED THE BOAT FELL INTO THE TRUCK, A HUGE MASS OF WATER ROSE LIKE A WALL AND ALL WERE ENGULFED.THE BOAT WAS SMASHED INTO SPLINTERS AND THE SEAMAN WERE SEEN STRUGGLING FOR A SHORT TIME IN THE WHITE SEETHING WATERS AND IN SIGHT OF UNAVAILABLE ASSISTANCE AND PITYING FRIENDS,THEY PERISHED. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE BY JOINING HANDS TO RESCUE SOME BUT THE SEA CLAIMED ITS VICTIMS". (RCG 1872)

THE LOCHLEVEN FLOWER LATER WENT AGROUND UNDER ALMOST FULL SAIL AND WAS SMASHED TO PIECES UNDER THE CLIFFS AT HALZEPHRON. (RF 2016)

LOE POOL IS ABOUT ONE AND A QUARTER MILES IN LENGTH, WITH TWO CREEKS- PENROSE AND CARMINOWE. IT COVERS APPROXIMATELY 150 ACRES AND IS FED MAINLY BY THE RIVER COBER. IN 1859 A DEPTH OF FORTY FEET WAS RECORDED ABOUT 350 YDS FROM THE BAR. THE LENGTH OF THE BAR IS ABOUT 550YDS AND WAS CROSSED BY CARTS, ITS WIDTH WAS ABOUT 200 YDS.

HISTORICALLY HEAVY RAIN DRAINING INTO THE POOL HAS CAUSED FLOODING BACK TO HELSTON. IT WAS A CUSTOM- AND VERY NECESSARY, THAT IF THIS REACHES THE MILLS IN HELSTON THEN THE LORD MAYOR WOULD APPROACH THE OWNER OF THE POOL WITH A PURSE CONTAINING THREE HALPENNIES, SEEKING PERMISSION TO CUT THE BAR. THIS CAUSED A BREACH WHICH REDUCED THE WATER LEVEL, AND ALLEVIATED FLOODING.

IN THE MID 19TH CENTURY, THE MINERS AT A SILVER AND LEAD MINE CALLED WHEAL POOL JUST SOUTH OF HELSTON CUT AN ADIT DIRECTLY TO THE SEA AT A POINT TO THE NORTH WEST OF THE BAR. THIS KEPT THE LEVEL OF THE POOL DOWN. HOWEVER WHEN THE MINE CLOSED THE ADIT BECAME BLOCKED AND IT WAS LEFT TO TIN MINERS AND CAPTAIN ROGERS, LORD OF THE MANOR, TO MAINTAIN THE ADIT.

IN JANUARY 1896, THE HELSTON MILLS WERE UNDER 3 INCHES OF WATER AND COULD NOT BE WORKED. HERE WAS THE WORST FLOODING TO THE HELSTON MILL OVER THE 26 YEARS THE TENANT HAD BEEN PRESENT. ALDERMAN MARTYN, WHO WAS THE MILL TENANT, MADE AN APPROACH TO CAPTAIN ROGERS, LORD OF THE MANOR, FOR THE BAR TO BE CUT & THE CUSTOM OF HANDING OVER THREE HALFPENNIES IN A LEATHER PURSE WAS COMPLETED.

THE BAR WAS 550 YARDS LONG, AND A SPOT, 7 FOOT ABOVE THE SEA LEVEL, WAS SELECTED TO BE CUT. IT WAS TO BE 40 FOOT WIDE, 14 FOOT DEEP, AND 150-200 FEET LONG. MEN AND MACHINERY WERE SUPPLIED AND EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE. FATE FAVOURABLY TURNED ITS ATTENTION TO THE BAR AS BY THE FOLLOWING DAY THE FLOOD HAD ALREADY SUBSIDED, SO THE CUT WAS NOT MADE AND THE ORDER WAS RESCINDED. (Corn. & Redruth Times 3.1.1896) (RF 28.1.2016)

BELOW; MEMORIAL TO THE 100 PEOPLE DROWNED AT THE WRECK OF HMS ANSON 1807. (OPENED BY COUNCILLOR FRANK STRIKE IN 1949)

BELOW; LOE BAR AND GUNWALLOE FISHING COVE LOOKING NORTH FROM PEDNGWYNIAN AND CLIFFS AT PEDNGWYNIAN FEBRUARY 2016.