Colin Crosby Heritage Tours


Mousehole is a pretty fishing village on the rocky coast of Penwith in Cornwall, 2 miles from Penzance.

It is pronounced "Mouzel".

The steep, twisting streets and alleys are closely packed with stone cottages.

The little harbour is semi-circular and was built in the 19th century, with huge walls to protect the village from Atlantic storms.

Mousehole, along with Penzance and Newlyn, was attacked by a Spanish party, who had evaded the English fleet, in 1595. As well as going on a rape spree, they burned down the whole village except the 15th century house that was then the Keigwin Arms.

Dolly Pentreath, the last person to speak Cornish as a native tongue, lived at Mousehole. She died in 1777 and is buried at the churchyard at Paul, half a mile inland.

Stargazy pie is made in Mousehole on 23rd December, in memory of the local hero Tom Bawcock, who went out in a violent storm and brought back fish for the starving villagers.

"The Mousehole Cat", a children`s book written by Antonia Barber in 1990, is based on this event. It was made into an animated film.