View source for Looe

{{Short description|Town in Cornwall, England}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox UK place
 |country                 = England
 |label_position          = left
 |static_image_name       = 1 looe aerial pano 2017.jpg
 |map_type                = Cornwall
 |region                  = South West England
 |official_name           = Looe
 |cornish_name            = Logh
 |coordinates             = {{coord|50.354|-4.454|display=inline,title}}
 |population              = 5,311
 |population_ref = (Parish, 2021)<ref name=2021census>{{cite web |title=2021 Census Parish Profiles |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021_pp |website=NOMIS |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=31 March 2025}} (To get individual parish data, use the query function on table PP002.)</ref>
 |civil_parish            = Looe
 |unitary_england         = [[Cornwall]]
 |lieutenancy_england     = [[Cornwall]]
 |constituency_westminster= [[South East Cornwall (UK Parliament constituency)|South East Cornwall]]
 |post_town               = LOOE
 |postcode_area           = PL
 |postcode_district       = PL13
 |dial_code               = 01503
 |os_grid_reference       = SX254533
}}

'''Looe''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː}}; {{langx|kw|Logh}},<ref name="swfplacenames">{{cite web|url=http://www.magakernow.org.uk/pdf/placename_masterlist.pdf |title=List of Place-names agreed by the MAGA Signage Panel |access-date=11 January 2015 |publisher=Cornish Language Partnership |date=May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729194902/http://www.magakernow.org.uk/pdf/placename_masterlist.pdf |archive-date=29 July 2014 }}</ref> {{literal translation|deep water inlet}}) is a coastal town and [[civil parish]] in south-east [[Cornwall]], England, United Kingdom. It lies {{convert|20|miles|km|0}} west of [[Plymouth]] and {{convert|7|miles|km|0}} south of [[Liskeard]].<ref>Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 ''Plymouth & Launceston'' {{ISBN|978-0-319-23146-3}}</ref> At the [[2021–2022 United Kingdom censuses|2021 census]] the parish had a population of 5,311.

Looe developed as the two separate towns of '''East Looe''' ({{langx|kw|links=no|Logh}}<ref name="swfplacenames" />) and '''West Looe''' ({{langx|kw|links=no|Porthbyghan}},<ref name="swfplacenames"/> {{literal translation}} "little cove") on opposite sides of the [[River Looe]]. The two towns were linked by [[Looe Bridge]] from the 15th century, but remained separate [[ancient borough|boroughs]] until the 19th century. They were administratively united in 1898.

The town is centred on a small harbour and extends along the steep-sided valley of the River Looe, which flows between East and West Looe to the sea beside a sandy beach. Offshore to the west, opposite the stonier Hannafore Beach, lies [[Looe Island]].

==History==

===Prehistory and foundation===
Archaeological evidence indicates that the area around Looe has been inhabited since the [[Neolithic]] period, although a possible series of ancient field systems, south of nearby Penarthtown, could suggest earlier [[Paleolithic|Palaeolithic]] activity.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heritage Gateway - Results |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO38859&resourceID=1020 |access-date=12 October 2022 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> A Neolithic stone axe, made of [[Elvan|greenstone]], was found in 1978 on a tidal gravel bank in the bed of West Looe River.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heritage Gateway - Results |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO1828&resourceID=1020 |access-date=11 October 2022 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> Further Neolithic finds, such as flint arrow heads, have also been found in the fields above Trenant Point.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heritage Gateway - Results |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO39881&resourceID=1020 |access-date=11 October 2022 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> A large [[Bronze Age]] [[tumulus]], which was likely also used as the site for a post-medieval [[beacon]], was located in a field just north of Hillcrest Nursing home in East Looe. Some time after 1823 the site was levelled.<ref name="pastscape.org.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=434864|title=Pastscape - Detailed Result: MONUMENT NO. 434864|website=www.pastscape.org.uk|access-date=21 January 2020}}</ref> Other tumuli are also recorded as having previously existed in the area, such as at Wooldown field,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heritage Gateway - Results |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO3061&resourceID=1020 |access-date=11 October 2022 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> and at the base of Shutta hill.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heritage Gateway - Results |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO61393&resourceID=1020 |access-date=12 October 2022 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> Throughout the Looe area, there are also numerous [[Iron Age]] and [[Romano-British culture|Romano-British]] forts. These include the nearby forts/settlements near [[Trelawne]] and Great Tree.

Archaeological evidence suggests there was some small-scale [[Roman Empire|Roman]] influence and possible occupation in Looe. A probable Roman [[urn]] was found in 1840 whilst building a new road up the hill to St Martins. The urn was brown, about {{convert|10|inches|cm|0}} high, and contained several burnt human bone fragments.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Heritage Gateway - Results |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO61395&resourceID=1020 |access-date=15 October 2022 |website=www.heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> Pieces of a Roman [[amphorae]], stone boat anchors, Roman coins and a number of late prehistoric or [[Roman Britain|Romano-British]] finds have been made in the vicinity of nearby Looe Island. A large bronze ingot was found by divers to the south of the island. This has led to a number of historians to suggest that the island could possibly be [[Ictis]], the tin trading island seen by [[Pytheas]] in the 4th century BC and recalled by [[Diodorus Siculus]] in the 1st century BC. A small hoard of eight late Roman coins, dating to the late 3rd or early 4th century AD, was recovered in 2008 from shallow ditches forming a 'pear-shaped enclosure' which encompassed the top of Looe Island and the later Christian chapel site.

[[File:The Giant's Hedge, near Lanreath - geograph.org.uk - 1139260.jpg|thumb|left|Image of part of the Giant's Hedge, taken near Lanreath]]
The 'Giant's Hedge' is an ancient earthwork which runs over {{convert|15|km|miles|0}} westwards from Looe to the [[Fowey]] estuary. In some places it is still twelve feet high, and where it is best preserved (for example, in Willake Wood) it is stone-faced and flanked by a ditch. Over the years, there have been many theories to what the ancient earthwork may have been or its intended purpose. The name recalls early folklore that it was built by a giant. A local rhyme goes "One day, the Devil having nothing to do, built a great hedge from Lerryn to Looe". The 19th-century antiquarian [[William Copeland Borlase|William Borlase]] believed it to be a [[Roman road]], and there have been Roman finds in the area, but the general consensus of modern historians is that this linear earthwork marked a post-Roman territorial boundary.<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Linear boundary called the Giant's Hedge|num=1006681}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grigg |first1=Erik |title=The Linear Earthworks of Cornwall: What if they were Early Medieval? |journal=Offa's Dyke Journal |date=2023 |volume=5 |pages=122–124 |url=http://revistas.jasarqueologia.es/index.php/odjournal/article/view/7732/308 |access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Giant's Hedge |url=https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/766/giants_hedge.html}}</ref>

At the time of the [[Domesday Book]] in 1086 the [[Manorialism|manor]] of Pendrym, which included much of the site of modern-day East Looe, was still held by [[William the Conqueror]], as part of his own [[demesne]], which he later devolved to the Bodgrugan ([[Bodrigan]]) family. Land across the river belonged to the manors of Portalla (or Portallant) and Portbyhan (variously spelt Portbyan, Porthbyghan, Porthpyghan, among others).

Shutta, on the steep hillside over East Looe, is recorded as being inhabited by the 12th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilovelooe.co.uk/looe/|title=Looe Cornwall geography, history, accommodation, events and Looe guide|website=www.ilovelooe.co.uk|access-date=26 March 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327090056/https://ilovelooe.co.uk/looe/|archive-date=27 March 2018}}</ref> East Looe's layout looks like a "planted borough", a concept similar to modern [[new town]]s, since most of its streets form a grid-like pattern.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/parking/cornwall-council-car-parks/car-park-locations-charges-and-facilities/looe-area/|title=Looe area - Cornwall Council|first=Cornwall|last=Council|website=www.cornwall.gov.uk|access-date=26 March 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327084243/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/parking/cornwall-council-car-parks/car-park-locations-charges-and-facilities/looe-area/|archive-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

Low-lying parts of Looe continue to suffer frequent [[flooding]] when the [[tide]]s are very high. For practical reasons, most [[fishermen]]'s houses in ancient Looe, like elsewhere along the south coast, were constructed with their living quarters upstairs and a storage area at [[Storey|ground level]] below: for [[boat]]s, [[tool]]s and [[fishing tackle]], ''etc''; these are termed "fishermen's [[Basement|cellars]]".<ref>[http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/term_definitions.asp?thesaurus_code=ty&term_id=3699 www.ncl.ac.uk] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129083555/http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/term_definitions.asp?thesaurus_code=ty&term_id=3699 |date=29 November 2014 }}</ref>

===Early churches===
Some time before 1144, [[Order of Saint Benedict|the Order of Saint Benedict]] occupied [[Looe Island]], building a chapel there, and the monks established a rudimentary lighthouse service using [[beacon]]s. Another chapel was founded on an opposite hillside just outside West Looe; both are now marked only by ruins.

The parish church of East Looe was at [[St Martin by Looe]] but there was a [[chapel of ease]] in the town. [[St Mary's Church, East Looe]] was dedicated in 1259 by [[Walter Bronscombe]], [[Bishop of Exeter]]. The church was largely rebuilt in 1806 and again in 1882, with the oldest surviving part being the 15th-century tower. The church closed in the 1980s and the building has now been converted to residential use. On the centre of the bridge in medieval times stood the Chapel of St Anne, dedicated in 1436.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Orme |first1=Nicholas |title=The Saints of Cornwall |date=2000 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780191542893 |page=49 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Saints_of_Cornwall/JxIjiMStTKIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=anne%20chapel%20looe%201436&pg=PA64&printsec=frontcover |access-date=19 September 2025}}</ref>

[[File:Church in Looe.jpg|thumb|[[St Nicholas' Church, West Looe]]]]
West Looe comprised part of the [[parish]] of [[Talland]] since the early [[Middle Ages]], but a chapel of ease, [[St Nicholas' Church, West Looe]] was extant before 1330 when it is recorded as being further endowed and enlarged. After spells as a [[Guildhall|common hall]] and a schoolhouse, this building has reverted to its original ecclesiastical use, having been substantially restored in 1852, 1862 and 1915.<ref name="Cornish Church Guide 1925 pp. 148-49">''Cornish Church Guide'' (1925) Truro: Blackford; pp. 148-49</ref>

===Medieval era===
{{see also|Looe Bridge}}
[[File:FoweyLooeRiversMapCornwallUK.gif|thumb|Sketchmap of the East and West Looe Rivers]]
The town was able to provide some 20 ships for the [[Siege of Calais (1346)|Siege of Calais]] in 1347.

An early wooden bridge over the Looe River was in place by 1411; but it burned down and was replaced by [[Looe Bridge|the first stone bridge]], completed in 1436. This featured a chapel dedicated to [[Saint Anne|St Anne]] in the middle. The current bridge, a seven-arched [[Victorian era|Victorian]] bridge, was opened in 1853. By that time Looe had become a major port, one of Cornwall's largest, exporting local [[tin]], [[arsenic]] and [[granite]], as well as hosting thriving [[fishing]] and [[Boat building|boatbuilding]] industries.

In the Middle Ages and Tudor era, Looe was a busy port. The [[textile industry]] was also an important part of the town's economy, in addition to the traditional boatbuilding and fishing (particularly [[pilchard]]s and [[crab]]s). Trade and transport to and from thriving [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] also contributed to the town's success. The [[Old Guildhall, Looe|Old Guildhall]] in East Looe is believed to have dated from around 1450.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://welcometolooe.com/explore/the-old-guildhall-museum-looe/|title=The Old Guildhall Museum, Looe|publisher=Welcome to Looe|access-date=9 August 2023}}</ref>

===17th century===
In June 1625, the fishing port of Looe was raided by [[Barbary pirates]] who streamed into the cobbled streets and forced their way into cottages and taverns. Much to their fury, they discovered that the villagers had been forewarned of their arrival and many had fled into the surrounding orchards and meadows to escape. The pirates still managed to seize eighty mariners and fishermen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/servlet/DCARead?standardNo=0374289352&standardNoType=1&excerpt=true|title=White Gold: The Extraordinary Story of Thomas Pellow and Islam's One Million White Slaves|website=www.worldcat.org|access-date=21 January 2020}}</ref> Those individuals were led away in chains to [[Barbary Coast|North Africa]] to be enslaved, and the town itself was torched. 
[[File:Lantau, an historic town house.jpg|thumb|Example of Elizabethan house in East Looe]]

===19th century===
By the start of the 1800s, Looe's fortunes were in decline. The [[Napoleonic Wars]] had taken their toll on the country; in 1803, the town formed a volunteer company to man guns in defence against attack from the French. The blockade of 1808, which prevented the Looe fleet from reaching their pilchard-fishing areas, also put considerable financial strain on the community. In 1805, the old St. Mary's Chapel (apart from the tower) had to be demolished due to dilapidation, and in 1817, the town was badly damaged by heavy storms and flooding.

With the building of the [[Liskeard and Looe Union Canal]] linking Looe to [[Liskeard]] in 1828, and the development of booming [[copper]] mines in the [[Caradon]] area from 1837, Looe's fortunes began to revive. The Herodsfoot mine produced 13,470 tons of lead between 1848 and 1884 and more than 17 tons of silver between 1853 and 1884. The canal was used first to transport [[Lime (mineral)|lime]] from [[Wales]] for use in Cornish farming, and later to carry copper and granite between the railhead at Liskeard (from where rail links reached to the [[Cheesewring]] on [[Bodmin Moor]]) and the port of Looe. In 1856 the large quay of East Looe was built to handle the demands of the shipping trade, and in 1860, with the canal unable to keep up with demand, [[Looe Valley Line|a railway]] was built linking Looe to [[Moorswater]] near Liskeard, along the [[towpath]] of the canal, which was used less and less until, by 1910, traffic ceased entirely. The railway was later linked to Liskeard proper, and as the mining boom came to an end, it adapted to carry passengers in 1879.

In 1866, a [[Lifeboat (rescue)|lifeboat]] station had been established on East Looe Beach, and in 1877 a new town hall was built: the new [[Looe Guildhall]].<ref>{{NHLE|desc=Guildhall|num=1280863|access-date=9 August 2023}}</ref>

===20th century and beyond===
[[File:Celtic Cross War Memorial Looe - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The war memorial]]
[[File:Burgee of Looe Sailing Club.svg|thumb|Burgee of Looe Sailing Club, established in 1934]]
With the Victorian fashion for seaside holidays, Looe evolved as a tourist town, with nearby [[Talland Bay]] being dubbed "the playground of Plymouth". This trend continued throughout the 20th century; more and more hotels and tourist facilities were built in the town, and Looe grew and prospered, with peaks in fishing and boatbuilding following the First and Second World Wars.

New Zealand writer [[Katherine Mansfield]] stayed in Looe for spring and summer 1918, while recovering from [[tuberculosis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theartsdesk.com/visual-arts/brick-red-frock-flowers-everywhere-painting-katherine-mansfield|title='That brick red frock with flowers everywhere': painting Katherine Mansfield|website=theartsdesk.com|date=15 June 2018 |language=en|access-date=18 September 2018}}</ref> She joined there her long-time friend the American painter [[Anne Estelle Rice]], who famously painted her in red.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/41995|title=Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa|website=collections.tepapa.govt.nz|language=en|access-date=18 September 2018}}</ref> The ''Portrait of Katherine Mansfield'' made in Looe has been exhibited since 1946 in the [[Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa|Te Papa Tongarewa museum of New Zealand]].

Looe and its surrounds are the filming location of BBC television crime drama ''[[Beyond Paradise (TV series)|Beyond Paradise]]'', which first aired in 2023. It stands in for the fictional Devon town of Shipton Abbott.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/where-beyond-paradise-filmed-location-icornwall-bbcs-death-in-paradise-spin-off-series-2151396|title=Beyond Paradise filming location in Cornwall for the BBC's Death in Paradise spin-off series|first=Lucy|last=Aplin|date=15 February 2023|website=inews.co.uk}}</ref>

==Looe today==
[[File:West Looe.jpg|thumb|West Looe viewed across the river from East Looe]]
Looe remains a fishing town, and retained several fish dealers operating from the East Looe quayside until the advent of EU regulations.{{citation_needed|date=April 2024}} With its fleet of small fishing boats returning their catches to port daily, Looe has a reputation for procuring excellent fresh fish. The town is also a centre for shark [[Big-game fishing|fishing]], and is home to the [[Shark Angling Club of Great Britain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sharkanglingclubofgreatbritain.org.uk/|title=Shark Angling Club of Great Britain|publisher=Shark Angling Club of Great Britain|access-date=7 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906233840/http://www.sharkanglingclubofgreatbritain.org.uk/|archive-date=6 September 2010}}</ref>
[[File:View towards Looe.jpg|right|thumb|View towards Looe, taken from near Looe Island]]

Nonetheless, Looe's main business today is tourism, with much of the town given over to hotels, [[guest house (lodging)|guest houses]] and [[holiday home]]s, along with a large number of [[public house|pubs]], [[restaurant]]s and beach equipment, ice cream and [[Pasty|Cornish pasty]] vendors. Inland from Looe lie many camping and [[Travel trailer|caravan]] sites, as well as the famous [[Monkey Sanctuary|Woolly Monkey Sanctuary]]. Other local attractions include the beaches, sailing, fishing and [[Scuba diving|diving]], and spectacular coastal walks (especially via Talland to [[Polperro]]). South East Cornwall boasts several stately homes, including [[Antony House]], [[Cotehele]], [[Mount Edgcumbe House|Mount Edgcumbe]] and [[Lanhydrock House]], as well as the [[Eden Project]] near [[St Austell]] which tourists can access by road.

Outside the busy summer months, the town remains a centre for shopping and entertainment for local villagers. Annually in late September, the town is the destination of choice for thousands of music lovers and top name performers for the [[Looe Music Festival]], which takes place in temporary venues around the town, harbour and on East Looe beach.

There is a tradition of the townsfolk wearing [[fancy dress]] on [[New Year's Eve]], when the streets are thronged with revellers in inventive outfits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lifesize-models.co.uk/gallery/gallery_image.php?id=794|title=BIKINI GIRL - EAST LOOE, CORNWALL - The Jolly Roger - Life Size 3D Models - Resin Figures|last=Createanet|website=www.lifesize-models.co.uk|access-date=26 March 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327084357/http://www.lifesize-models.co.uk/gallery/gallery_image.php?id=794|archive-date=27 March 2018}}</ref> Looe has been on the list of the top ten places in the UK to celebrate New Year, and ranked third on the list for 2007–08. Looe is regenerating itself, like many other ports, to serve as a small cargo port. On the high ground north of East and West Looe there are many modern houses and a recreational area called 'the Downs'.

===East Looe===
[[File:Looe Lifeboat Station 2007.jpg|thumb|Looe [[RNLI]] Lifeboat Station]]
East Looe centres on its broad sandy beach, with the distinctive [[Banjo Pier]] designed by [[Joseph Thomas (architect)|Joseph Thomas]], a new lifeboat station and St Mary's Church. Stretching back from the church is a grid of narrow streets forming the main business area of the town, packed with many small shops, restaurants and pubs and the Old Guildhall, now a museum. Along the estuary lies the quay with its fish merchants. Towards Looe Bridge lies the [[Victorian Era|Victorian]] Guildhall, and just north of the bridge the [[Looe railway station|railway station]]. This is the [[Terminal station|terminus]] of the [[Looe Valley Line|Looe Valley branch line]] to [[Liskeard railway station|Liskeard]], where it connects to the [[Great Western Main Line]] and services to [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]].

On the hilltop above East Looe lies Shutta, and beyond that the Sunrising [[housing estate]] and [[Looe Community Academy]].<ref>http://www.looe.cornwall.sch.uk {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140608105855/http://www.looe.cornwall.sch.uk/ |date=8 June 2014 }} Looe Community Academy</ref> Along the cliffs to the east is Plaidy Beach, and further on the bay and village of [[Millendreath]].

It is covered by the [[Looe East (electoral division)|Looe East division]] of [[Cornwall Council]].<ref name="CCM" />

[[File:West looe hill.jpg|thumb|View down West Looe Hill, looking towards the harbour]]

===West Looe===

West Looe spreads west from the bridge on the Polperro Road towards [[Sclerder]], and along the river south of the bridge, with hotels, restaurants and boarding houses along the waterfront and houses climbing the perilous cliff above, towards a cluster of shops and businesses and the Church of St. Nicholas.

West Looe rises onto the Downs, a public recreation ground, well known for local dog walkers. Beyond this is West Looe cemetery, as well as Porthbythan Road, Goonwartha Road and Tregarrick.

Further south along the coast road is Hannafore Point, marking the edge of Looe Harbour, with to the west the wide, stony Hannafore Beach, facing across a narrow channel to Looe Island. Beyond lies the [[South West Coast Path|coastal path]] leading to [[Portnadler Bay]], Talland and [[Porthallow (Talland)|Porthallow]], and then onward to Polperro. Two towers mark one end of a [[nautical measured mile]], the other end is marked by two towers near Talland Bay.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nautical Measured Mile Markers|publisher=Polperro village website|url=http://www.polperro.org/measuredmile.html|author=Tony White|date=March 2003|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727181944/http://www.polperro.org/measuredmile.html|archive-date=27 July 2011}}</ref>

It is part of the [[Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos (electoral division)|Looe West, Lansallos and Lanteglos division]] of [[Cornwall Council]].<ref name="CCM">{{cite web |title=Cornwall Council Interactive Map |url=https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/website/ccmap/?zoomlevel=7&xcoord=225505&ycoord=53126&wsName=ccmap&layerName=Electoral%20divisions |website=[[Cornwall Council]] |access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref>

==Governance==
There are two tiers of local government covering Looe, at [[Parish council (England)|parish]] (town) and [[Unitary authorities of England|unitary authority]] level: Looe Town Council and [[Cornwall Council]]. The town council is based at the Community Hub on the Millpool in West Looe, which forms part of the same building as the town's library.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact |url=https://www.looetowncouncil.gov.uk/contact |website=Looe Town Council |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Council agenda, 29 July 2025 |url=https://www.looetowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LTC-Full-Council-AGENDA-29-07-25-1.pdf |website=Looe Town Council |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref>

===Administrative history===
[[File:Looe (2023-04-08) 11.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Looe Guildhall]] in Fore Street: Built 1877 for the old borough of East Looe, subsequently served as headquarters of Looe Urban District Council 1898–1974]]
The Looe area historically straddled the [[ancient parish]]es of [[Talland]] west of the river, and [[St Martin-by-Looe|St Martin]] (often called St Martin-by-Looe to distinguish it from other parishes of the same name) east of the river.{{efn|The legal name of the St Martin civil parish was eventually changed to St Martin-by-Looe in 1996.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Langston |first1=Brett |title=Liskeard Registration District |url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/liskeard.html |website=UK BMD |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref>}} Both parishes formed part of the [[West Wivelshire]] [[Hundred (county division)|hundred]] of Cornwall.<ref name=Youngs>{{cite book |last1=Youngs |first1=Frederic |title=Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England: Volume I, Southern England |date=1979 |publisher=Royal Historical Society |location=London |isbn=0901050679 |pages=xvi, 69, 71}}</ref>

West Looe's earliest known [[municipal charter|borough charter]] was issued by [[Richard of Cornwall|Richard, Earl of Cornwall]]. The charter is undated; it must date from after 1225 when Richard was made Earl of Cornwall, and appears to have been issued before 1257 when Richard also took on the title of [[King of the Romans]].<ref name=WL1835>{{cite book |title=First Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Part 1 |date=1835 |pages=539–542 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/First_Report_of_the_Commissioners_Appoin/7pNRAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA1-PA539&printsec=frontcover |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref> East Looe gained the right to hold a market by 1189 and was taxed as a borough from 1306. It was granted its first charter in 1320 by [[Otto Bodrugan]] as [[lord of the manor]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Liskeard, Looe, Redruth, Camborne and Pool origins |url=https://www.cornwallheritage.com/ertach-kernow-blogs-2022-2023/ertach-kernow-liskeard-looe-redruth-camborne-pool-origins/ |website=Kowethas Ertach Kernow |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref><ref name=EL1835>{{cite book |title=First Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Part 1 |date=1835 |pages=533–536 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/First_Report_of_the_Commissioners_Appoin/7pNRAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA1-PA533&printsec=frontcover |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref> The [[coat of arms|seal]] of East Looe was [[blazon]]ed ''An antique one-mast vessel in it a man and boy against the side of the hulk three escutcheons each charges with three bends'', with the legend "Si, comunetatis de Loo". The seal of West Looe was ''An armed man holding a bow in his right hand and an arrow in his left'', with the legend "Por-tu-an ''vel'' Wys Westlo".<ref>{{cite book|last=Pascoe|first=W. H.|title=A Cornish Armory|page=133|year=1979|publisher=Lodenek Press|location=Padstow, Cornwall|isbn=0-902899-76-7}}</ref>

West Looe was made a constituency for parliamentary elections in 1547 as the [[West Looe (UK Parliament constituency)|West Looe parliamentary borough]]. East Looe similarly became a constituency in 1571 as the [[East Looe (UK Parliament constituency)|East Looe parliamentary borough]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goring |first1=J. J. |title=West Looe Borough |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/constituencies/west-looe |website=The History of Parliament |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref> Both constituencies came to be viewed as [[rotten borough]]s and were abolished by the [[Reform Act 1832]]. A government survey of boroughs in 1835 found that the borough corporations for both East Looe and West Looe had few functions left after the abolition of the constituencies; East Looe ran a few lower-tier courts, but in both cases the main function of the borough corporations prior to 1832 had come to be managing parliamentary elections.<ref name=WL1835/><ref name=EL1835/>

From the 17th century onwards, parishes were gradually given various civil functions under the [[poor laws]], in addition to their original ecclesiastical functions. In some cases, the civil functions were exercised by subdivisions of the parish rather than the parish as a whole. Poor law functions were administered separately for the borough of West Looe and the rest of the parish of Talland, and likewise for the borough of East Looe and the rest of the parish of St Martin. In 1866 the legal definition of 'parish' was changed to be the areas used for administering the poor laws, and so West Looe and East Looe both became separate civil parishes.<ref name=Youngs/>

West Looe's borough corporation went into terminal decline after the abolition of the constituency in 1832. As the members of the corporation died or resigned they were not replaced, until eventually the corporation consisted of one man, Nathaniel Hearle. He then took the title of mayor until his death in 1869. With no one left on the corporation after his death, the corporation's remaining rights and property passed to the [[Duchy of Cornwall]] as lord of the manor.<ref>{{cite book |title=Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into Municipal Corporations not subject to the Municipal Corporation Acts |date=1880 |pages=362–363 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Report_of_the_Commissioners_Appointed_to/iHMvAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA1-PA363&printsec=frontcover |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref>

East Looe's borough corporation continued to operate until 1886, although some of the courts that it was entitled to hold under its charters were in practice discontinued, with their cases passing to the county courts.<ref>{{cite book |title=Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into Municipal Corporations not subject to the Municipal Corporations Acts |date=1880 |pages=346–351 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Report_of_the_Commissioners_Appointed_to/iHMvAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA1-PA346&printsec=frontcover |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref> East Looe was never reformed to become a [[municipal borough]], which would have allowed it to take on more modern local government functions. Such [[Unreformed boroughs in England and Wales 1835–1886|unreformed boroughs]] were eventually abolished in 1886.<ref>{{cite web |title=Municipal Corporations Act 1883 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/46-47/18/pdfs/ukpga_18830018_en.pdf |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=18 September 2025 |page=50}}</ref>

When elected parish and district councils were established under the [[Local Government Act 1894]], East Looe and West Looe were initially both given parish councils and included in the [[Liskeard Rural District]]. Shortly afterwards, it was decided to create a new [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban district]] called Looe, covering both East Looe and West Looe, which came into effect in 1898.<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report of the Local Government Board |date=1898 |page=287 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Annual_Report_of_the_Local_Government_Bo/7REMAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA287&printsec=frontcover |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=u45nAAAAMAAJ   |title=A History of East and West Looe|first= John|last= Keast |year= 1987|page=79|publisher=Phillimore|isbn=978-0850336153|quote=in 1898 the Looe Urban District Council came into being, comprising East and West Looe and part of the parish of Talland, and taking over management of the East Looe Town Trust}}</ref> Looe Urban District Council took over [[Looe Guildhall]] to serve as its headquarters. The urban district was enlarged in 1934 to take in areas from both the neighbouring parishes of Talland and St Martin, including the parish church and adjoining settlement of St Martin from the latter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Looe Urban District |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10002175#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=18 September 2025}}</ref>

Looe Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], when the area became part of the new [[Caradon]] district.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|accessdate=3 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=551|accessdate=3 March 2023}}</ref> A [[successor parish]] called Looe was created at the same time covering the area of the abolished urban district, with its parish council taking the name Looe Town Council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government (Successor Parishes) Order 1973|year=1973|number=1110|access-date=31 August 2025}}</ref>

Caradon was in turn abolished in 2009. Cornwall County Council then took on district-level functions, making it a unitary authority, and was renamed Cornwall Council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cornwall (Structural Change) Order 2008|year=2008|number=491|access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Government (Structural Changes) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Other Provision) Order 2009|year=2009|number=837|article=3}}</ref>

==Cornish wrestling==
There have been [[Cornish wrestling]] tournaments, for prizes, held in Looe (both East Looe<ref name="MA29051829">Morning Advertiser, 29 May 1829.</ref> and West Looe<ref name="WT22051830">Western Times, 22 May 1830.</ref>) for centuries. Venues for tournaments have included: 
the field at Barbican Farm,<ref name="CDP12101907">Cornish & Devon Post, 12 October 1907.</ref>
the field adjoining the Old Barbican,<ref name="CG11101907">Cornish Guardian, 11 October 1907.</ref>
Looe Beach<ref name="CG22081935">Cornish Guardian, 22 August 1935.</ref> and
West Looe Down.<ref name="BLSC23051830">Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, 23 May 1830.</ref>

==Twinning==
Looe is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with [[Quiberon]] ({{Langx|br|Kiberen}}) in [[Brittany]], France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.looetowncouncil.gov.uk/textonly/twinning.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129045029/http://www.looetowncouncil.gov.uk/textonly/twinning.htm|url-status=dead|title=www.looetowncouncil.gov.uk|archive-date=29 November 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[:Category:People from Looe|People from Looe]]

==References==
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Looe}}
{{Wikivoyage}}

* [https://www.looetowncouncil.gov.uk/ Looe Town Council]
* [http://www.looe.org Looe official website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100526122017/http://looeandpolperrochamber.co.uk/ Looe Chamber of Commerce website]
* [http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=((text)='looe') Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Looe]
* [https://www.looesailingclub.co.uk/ Looe Sailing Club]

{{Cornwall|state=collapsed}}
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{{Authority control}}

<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Looe| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Beaches of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Fishing communities in England]]