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Fowey (pronounced [fɔɪ], Cornish: Fowydh) is a town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, UK. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.

Geography

Fowey lies at the end of the Saints' Way, and has ferries across the river to Polruan, Mevagissey and Bodinnick. There are many historic buildings in the town, including the ruins of St Catherine's Castle, while Readymoney Cove possesses a local beach.

There is a popular legend that Jesus visited Fowey as a child, along with Joseph of Arimathea who was a merchant visiting local tin mines in which he had a commercial interest. At the entrance to the River, on the eastern side below the cliffs to the south-west of St Saviour's Point, there is a cross to commemorate this supposed visit. This cross is marked on very early charts and was maintained by monks from Tywardreath. The cross is known locally as "Punchy Cross", supposedly derived from the name of Pontius Pilate.

A hundred yards west of the lighthouse on the west of the harbour entrance, about thirty feet below the top of the cliff edge and broadly concealed, is a small grass area known as "Johnny May's Chapel". This name is believed to be that of a Methodist preacher at the time when non-Conformism was persecuted.

Economy

Fowey has thrived as a port for hundreds of years, initially as a military town, then as the centre for china clay exports, and today is busy with trawlers and yachts, the Royal Fowey Yacht Club being on its front.

A few miles away from the town is Golant's 'Sawmill Recording Studios'. Local bars have been frequented by the likes of Oasis and the Stone Roses.

Culture

Fowey has a regatta in the third week of August every year, which is extremely popular with the inhabitants of the surrounding villages and with tourists. Fowey has held a Christmas Market since 2005.

Fowey has been the inspiration for many authors including Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch ('Q'), Daphne du Maurier and Kenneth Grahame.

Administration

Fowey elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons until the Reform Act 1832 stripped it of its representation as a rotten borough, it having lost its borough corporation a few years before ^[1]. It was restored as a municipal borough in 1913, and then was merged with the nearby and much larger St. Austell in 1968 to form the borough of St. Austell with Fowey. This was itself in 1974 replaced with the Restormel Borough, and Fowey now constitutes a civil parish ^[2]

Residents

In common with most of Cornwall, Fowey's house prices have escalated as non-locals have bought holiday homes in the county. Residents with homes in or around Fowey include:

Richard and Judy
Janet Ellis
Lenny Henry and Dawn French - paid £2.4million for an 1865 seaside mansion in October 2006 ^[3]
Gloria Hunniford ^[4]
Cliff Richard

References

^ http://13.1911encyclopedia.org/F/FO/FOWEY.htm
^ http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10055088
^ http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=dawn-%2D-lenny%2Ds-%2Dpound%2D2%2D4m-mansion-%26method=full%26objectid=18046803%26siteid=62484-name_page.html
^ http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/story/1064161.html

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 == Administration ==
-Fowey elected two members to the [[Unreformed House of Commons]] until the [[Reform Act 1832]] stripped it of its representation as a [[rotten borough]], it having lost its borough corporation a few years before. [http://13.1911encyclopedia.org/F/FO/FOWEY.htm] It was restored as a [[municipal borough]] in 1913, and then was merged with the nearby and much larger [[St. Austell]] in 1968 to form the borough of [[St. Austell with Fowey]]. This was itself in 1974 replaced with the [[Restormel]] Borough, and Fowey now constitutes a civil parish. [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10055088]
+Fowey elected two members to the [[Unreformed House of Commons]] until the [[Reform Act 1832]] stripped it of its representation as a [[rotten borough]], it having lost its borough corporation a few years before <ref>http://13.1911encyclopedia.org/F/FO/FOWEY.htm</ref>. It was restored as a [[municipal borough]] in 1913, and then was merged with the nearby and much larger [[St. Austell]] in 1968 to form the borough of [[St. Austell with Fowey]]. This was itself in 1974 replaced with the [[Restormel]] Borough, and Fowey now constitutes a civil parish <ref>http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10055088</ref>
+==Residents==
+In common with most of Cornwall, Fowey's house prices have escalated as non-locals have bought holiday homes in the county. Residents with homes in or around Fowey include:
+*[[Richard and Judy]]
+*[[Janet Ellis]]
+*[[Lenny Henry]] and [[Dawn French]] - paid £2.4million for an [[1865]] seaside mansion in October [[2006]] <ref>http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/tm_headline=dawn-%2D-lenny%2Ds-%2Dpound%2D2%2D4m-mansion-%26method=full%26objectid=18046803%26siteid=62484-name_page.html</ref>
+*[[Gloria Hunniford]] <ref>http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/story/1064161.html</ref>
+*[[Cliff Richard]]
+==References==
+<references/>
 ==See also==