Uncategorized | Newlyn Old Harbour Restoration Project

Newlyn Old Harbour Officially Removed from Heritage at Risk Register

Wooden heritage sign for the old harbour.

Newlyn Old Harbour Officially Removed from Heritage at Risk Register

After 18 months of dedicated restoration work, Newlyn’s 14th-century Old Harbour has been officially removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. The announcement came today as Historic England unveiled its 2026 list, marking a major milestone for the historic heart of Cornwall’s most important fishing port.

Supported by Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, the £10,000 project was spearheaded by Harbour Commissioner Nick Howell, working alongside local specialists and community volunteers. The team tackled decades of neglect, clearing out undergrowth and repairing the historic granite structures. The Red Lion Slip has been resurfaced with new Cornish granite setts, whilst 19th-century iron moorings, rings, and ladders were carefully restored using matching materials.

Paul Durkin, chairman of the Commissioners, added that historic vessels and community groups are already full of ideas for future maritime and artistic events in the space.

Whilst 43 new historic sites across the South West were unfortunately added to the at-risk list this year, Newlyn stands as a prime example of what local collaboration and skilled conservation can achieve. The Old Harbour is now ready to welcome people back to exactly where the port’s rich fishing story began over 700 years ago.

Ceramic photo tile of the same view 100 years ago.

Nick Howell compared the 18-month process to an archaeological dig, noting it was like uncovering a “graveyard for old wooden boats”. The hard work revealed a wealth of historical details that had been hidden beneath vegetation and decay for years.

The project goes beyond just preserving the past; the goal is to make the Old Harbour a working part of Newlyn once again. Jonathan Poynter, CEO and Harbour Master for Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commissioners, highlighted that the restoration has gone well beyond simply bringing the site back into use, returning it to a living, working part of Newlyn Harbour.

Historic England to the rescue!

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Newlyn’s Old Harbour is recognised as one of the oldest medieval harbours in continuous use since the 14th century—and quite possibly long before that. Backed by timely support from Historic England, the site has been revitalised as a working community asset.

As the modern port expanded over the last fifty years to accommodate England’s largest commercial fishing fleet, the historic medieval quay gradually fell into disuse. It reached a point where it could no longer provide basic facilities for modern, traditional, or leisure craft.

Harbour Commissioner and retired fish merchant Nick Howell recognised that restoring the old harbour was about more than just securing moorings and servicing local boats; it offered significant benefits for the wider community. The old quay holds deep cultural significance, having been recorded by artists long before the Newlyn School of Art made the town internationally famous at the turn of the 19th century—a legacy that continues to draw creatives today.

Today, local luggers—some over 130 years old—have once again made the old harbour their home. Thanks to the newly restored quay surfaces, moorings, and ladders, events like the ‘Boats on the Beach’ gathering held in the summer of 2026 are set to become a regular fixture on the maritime calendar. With water and electricity now readily available around the quay, the site is perfectly equipped to host a growing number of community events in the years ahead.

None of this would have been possible without a determined group of local artists in the 1950s who had the foresight to get the structure Grade II* listed. They stepped in after watching the old quay being dismantled stone by stone, as local builders had started helping themselves to a handy supply of cut granite for nearby house repairs.

Finishing touches continue in the Old Harbour

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Cornwall Council, still own the embankment where nine buildings once stood. The buildings were compulsory purchased by the Council in the late 1950s and then demolished in order to widen the road and allow HGV traffic to transport stone from Penlee Quarry just down the road.

This 1937 Compulsory Order map with the site of the buildings bounded in orange shows just how narrow the road was at this point – hence this part of Fore Street is known locally as the ‘narrows’ – and in the same way the entrance to the harbour is known locally as the ‘gaps’ – a plural is used when there is only one narrow!

This aerial view of the old harbour clearly shows where the buildings were before being demolished and just how narrow the road was between the cottages on either side of Fore Street. There is no Fishermen’s Rest on the Old Quay which was built in 1967. The harbour wall had also been faced with granite when this was taken.

Looking across the access road to Parodi’s Store which was one of nine buildings in this area. Some of the stone from these walls were recycled and used to rebuild the walls that now contain the embankment. The only remaining section of the wall from all of these buildings is on the corner as in the image below.

Cornwall Council have cleared the brambles and weeds from the bank.

Council workers have finally cleared away the undergrowth that swallowed up the grassy bank over the last few years, uncovering a brilliant spot to sit and take in the harbour views. Plans are also in motion to extend the flat, accessible section, giving people even more room to enjoy the scenery. There is even talk of setting up permanent easels around the site. It is a great idea that encourages today’s artists to paint the busy port, keeping the 1880s Newlyn School tradition alive.

More good news this week as local councillor Thalia Marrington stepped in and promptly had the handrail and fence repaired at the top access area to the Red Lion slip.

Reminiscent of an episode of the Repair Shop, the light at the end of the Old Quay is now back in place and full working again. The light was de-commissioned in 2023 and is no longer recognised as an official navigation aid. However, it as stood at the end of the quay for well over 100 years and now has a new electricity supply where once it was powered by carbide and a member of the harbour staff had the job of ensuring it was lit every evening.