About Fowey

Cornwall's prettiest estuary

The Fowey estuary is one of the most attractive in the world and there is always plenty of activity on the water to watch from The Fowey Hotel. There are yachts and tiny passenger ferries operating regularly across the Fowey estuary to Polruan, lots of working craft and of course, the tug boats.

Two particular annual events of note are held annually in Fowey. The hugely popular Daphne DuMaurier Literary Festival takes place each May and features many authors and personalities of note, and the Fowey Royal Regatta in August, one highlight of which is a performance by the Red Arrows. The team acknowledges this as one of their favourite shows and they always return after their show to enjoy the activities in the town. The best views of the aerobatics are to be had from The Fowey and, more often than not, you can meet these flying marvels personally in the hotel afterwards.

There are a number of superb attractions to visit nearby, including the Eden Project, Lost Gardens of Heligan, China Clay Museum and the English Heritage site of Restormel Castle. This great 13th century circular shell-keep still encloses the principal rooms of the castle in remarkably good condition. It stands on an earlier Norman mound surrounded by a deep dry ditch, atop a high spur beside the River Fowey. Twice visited by the Black Prince, it finally saw action during the Civil War in 1644.

Keen horticulturists will want to take advantage of a visit to Caerhays Castle and Gardens, home of the Williams family who sponsored the great Plant Hunters of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.  Many of the species discovered in China by these intrepid botanists were brought back to Caerhays, where they thrive to this day. The castle gardens are home to the National Magnolia Collection. The South West Coast Path is easily accessible from Fowey and from there, if you are more adventurous, you can opt to follow the path round the whole of Cornwall!