Portreath Outer Harbour Wall and Monkey Hut

DescriptionNot the busy port it was when mining was in its heyday in Cornwall, Portreath on the north coast is still a magnet for surfers and photographers, especially when a storm is forecast and I couldn’t resist stopping by with my camera at high tide in March 2019.
As usual the new Monkey Hut, as it is known by the locals, was getting a battering. The old one was washed away in the storms of 2012 and this replica was built to replace it.
The shelter dates back to 1824 during the days when Portreath was a busy port, shipping coal in and copper out. The harbour was important but the entrance was very treacherous. The Monkey House was used for shelter by the harbour pilots who would wave flags or lanterns to guide ships into harbour, or warn away if conditions were too dangerous.
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