THE BLOCK HOUSE

Polruan Blockhouse is one the most complete examples of a chain tower in the country and one of only five known to be in existence. Together with the one on the opposite bank it is the earliest completed example. Built in 1380 after recognition of the vulnerability of the port to attacks by the French, Spanish and Dutch, the chain, with 16” links, came from Winchelsea in Sussex and was hung from a massive iron ring. For the most part the chain lay on the bed of the harbour.

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In 1478 King Edward IV ordered the imprisonment of local officials and the removal of the chain due to the outrageous behaviour of local pirates, of which the names Michaelstow and Treffry were well-known. The chain was sent to Dartmouth. The Blockhouse became obsolete in 1541 when St. Catherine's Castle was built at the mouth of the river on the opposite bank. It was put to use again during the Civil War (1642-1651) when the royalist forces took control of the Blockhouse and prevented the Parliamentarians retreating by ship.

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A chain tower is a small structure built alongside a river or harbour to house a mechanism for raising and lowering a defensive chain to prevent the passage of ships in time of danger. The Polruan Blockhouse is located opposite another chain tower known as Fowey Blockhouse. It is constructed of local slate stones with moulded granite surrounds to some windows, gun ports and the main entrance. If you enter via the footpath from Polruan a gun port can be seen in the northeast wall and three ports above the entrance doorway. Built in the thickness of the wall these appear as wide rectangular openings on the inside narrowing to slits on the outside. On the eastern corner is a doorway with iron hinges for a door and the first few steps of a spiral staircase with a doorway given access to the first floor.

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In the southern corner is a rounded recess which probably held a spiral staircase from the first floor to the roof. On the ground floor of the northeast wall is another gun port. The northeast ground floor wall appears thicker along this side forming a wide ledge at first floor level and there are two further gun ports on the first floor. This wall looks out towards the river mouth. The northwest wall faces the opposite bank of the river towards Fowey Blockhouse. This wall contains a rectangular entrance with steps down to a rocky promontory to give access to the river at ground floor level and a gun port to the north.

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Again this wall is wider, forming a narrow ledge at first floor level with two further gun ports with granite surrounds. The western gun port is in the shape of an inverted keyhole. The south west wall faces up river and contains a fireplace at ground floor level with a gun port (probably added during the time of the Civil War) inserted into its back wall and a fireplace with chimney on the first floor. To the east of the ground floor fireplace is a window with granite mullion and on the first floor is another similar window to the west of the upper fireplace. The upper fireplace has a large slate mantle. The ledges formed by the two thick walls may have been to support floorboards or to strengthen those walls most likely to come under attack. The windows and fireplaces are in the wall looking up river, from which direction attack was least likely.

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The Blockhouse had decayed very badly until 1897 when Arthur Quiller Couch, the celebrated writer from Fowey, together with a Mr. Phelps instigated a repair programme to which local people contributed. (It has to be said that not many Polruan names appear on the list of contributors. Perhaps Fowey had the sun and the money in those days!) The surveyor’s report stressed the need for immediate remedial work to the east and north elevations which he estimated would cost £55. His estimate for the whole list of recommendations was £125. In the event the appeal raised £86-13s-6d. One of the major donors, Jonathan Rashleigh from Menabilly was anxious that the work be done quickly lest ‘... a parsimonious Parish Council or some other local utilitarian Parliament may claim it for building stone to avoid the expense of future maintenance!’

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Further repairs were carried out in 1987, thanks to English Heritage funding the majority of the works and donations from Caradon District Council, the Pilgrim Trust, English China Clays and other private donors, Polruan Town Trust were able to arrange repairs costing over £15,000.

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An improved internal walkway to allow greater access for elderly and disabled and new external granite steps to the estuary side were added in 2011 by the Town Trust.

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A leaflet containing this information can be obtained from the Car Park Office, The Reading Room and the Winklepicker.