What Three Words: ///honest.kicks.lilac
OS Grid Reference: SX104596
This is where the town’s busy industries loaded and unloaded their goods and supplies on to barges bound for Fowey, from where they were transferred onto ships bound for the open sea
Prison Lane (renamed Quay Street in the 1880s) ran by a series of quays, visible on the river side of the flood wall that was built in 1960. It was from here that sea-going vessels were loaded and unloaded at what was the official port of the River Fowey. By the 15th century, silting of the river, the increasing size of sea-going ships, and the growth of the town of Fowey, led to the replacement of sea-going ships by river barges. Fowey River bargemen may have helped to reopen earlier navigation routes. In 1670 they were taking sand along the course of the River Fowey to fertilise Cornwall’s acidic fields. This sand was rich in shell fragments that helped to neutralise the soil acidity. Principal imports were wine from Bordeaux, salt, iron, pitch, corn, dried fruit, and garlic. Exports included tin, cloth, cured fish, cheese, salt pork, hides, and Lostwithiel Ware pottery. The barges returned carrying manufactured goods. The whole scene was busy with industrial activity.
The 13th century quays were wooden landing places opposite the Duchy Palace. From the early 18th century new quays were built and by 1750 there were three major quays: Moor’s Quay opposite the prison, Drake’s Quay, and, furthest south Elliot’s Quay (later known as the Town Quay). These have now been built over, but a part of the Town Quay, comprising an area of surfacing, steps and wall, is visible where the flood wall meets the building line by the Cober outlet. From here to the common was originally called Shirehall Street, but was renamed as part of Quay Street in the 1950s. Later quays stretched along the bank and intro what is now Coulson Park. Many of these are still visible behind the flood-defence wall.
The Town Quay
Barges in the nineteenth century were carrying iron ore from Restormel Iron Mine. Immediately before the railway bridge was the gas works, of which some buildings remain. Coal for the production of gas arrived on the barges from Fowey. The gas works closed in 1957. A few yards beyond the railway bridge is a plaque set into a granite boulder. This in turn sits on a horizontal granite post which was one of a number of mooring posts used by the river barges. The mooring ring is still in place. Other mooring posts with rings can be seen as part of the edging to the roadway. The last barge ceased operations in 1936 and the anchor from this barge is mounted on a granite plinth in the park.
The quays in the 1950s, Brunel carriage works to the right