Doorway In Fowey

You might easily miss this wonderfully detailed doorway on a steep street leading to Fowey harbor. The nautical theme appears naturally in a town on one of the best natural harbors in the world and, in the 14th century, the most important port on Britain's south coast. Its busy international shipping necessitated the presence of a number of foreign consuls. Legendary Cornish writer Sir Arthur Quiller Couch ("Q") immortalized Fowey as 'Troy Town' in whimsical novels featuring gentle caricatures of local people, while real life smugglers used nearby coves to escape the eyes of the revenue men at the local Customs House. Not car friendly, the mile-long principle street is narrow and winding along the river. Fowey's sheltering steep cliff forbids expansion of the central town, preserving its old buildings and forcing newer homes to spread along the heights.