Portmellon Cove
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Sheltered Portmellon Cove, lies at the start of the stunning Roseland Heritage Coast and is situated little more than half a mile from the centre of the picturesque fishing village of Mevagissey on the Roseland Peninsula and six miles south of the town of St Austell.
The village is known in Cornish as Porthmelin. Access for boats is provided by a slipway. Portmellon has a long history of boat building with many wooden-hulled boats leaving the workshop over the years, including Denis Hame's 20-footer named Vivian.
The east facing cove can be accessed from the villages of Gorran Haven or Mevagissey via the South West Coast Path. The cove has sand and shingle beach with rock pools at high tide which is usually quiet, most tourists preferring to visit its better-known neighbours. Seals can occasionally be seen swimming off the beach or resting on the rocks. Dogs are allowed on the beach all year round and there is limited road parking nearby..
All the houses along the sea front have stout wooden shutters which can be closed over their windows at times when storms drive the waves over the sea wall. The Rising Sun Inn (pictured right) which overlooks the beach has a bar area with characterful beams and a snug provides delightful views of the cove. There is outside seating for warmer days and a cosy wood burner inside for cold evenings. The inn serves freshly cooked food from light snacks to hearty meals and sources local ingredients whenever available.
In 1849 an outbreak of cholera in the village quickly spread and was responsible for over 100 deaths. The paddock of Steep House, Portmellon was commandeered and used to isolate and quarantine people in a tented encampment There is still the stone building near the paddock which was used as a hospital and treatment centre.