Property for sale in Looe

The local area guide to living in Looe

Looe is a beautiful little town and fishing port in the southeast of Cornwall that is actually two towns rolled into one; West Looe and East Looe. The River Looe separates the towns, though in 1857 a seven arch bridge was constructed to join them together. East Looe is the livelier part of town and is home to the main shopping area and the harbour. The West side is a little sleepier and more peaceful, though it still has plenty of shops, bars, and places to eat.

Looe is internationally famous for its New Year’s Eve celebrations, when people flock from all parts of the UK. Thousands of people in fancy dress take to the streets and there is an impressive display of fireworks from the town’s Banjo Pier.

Information about the local residents

Looe is a small town with a population of 5,280 people. As with most of Cornwall, it isn’t very ethnically diverse - within the wider district of Liskeard and Looe, 99.5% of people identified themselves as White British in the 2001 census.

Looe remains a fishing town and employs many people in the trade, with several fish dealers still operating from the town. Today, Looe’s main industry is tourism, with much of the town given over to guest houses, holiday homes and hotels, alongside the usual seaside offerings of pubs, fish and chip shops, ice cream venders, and Cornish pasty shops. Whilst the town is at its busiest during the summer months, it still remains a centre for shopping and entertainment for local residents year round and hosts the Looe Music Festival in September, as well as its popular New Year revelries.

Nearby schools

As Looe has so few residents, there aren’t many schools in the actual town itself. Looe Primary School, located in East Looe, was rated as ‘unsatisfactory’ in a 2012 Ofsted inspection, but has since made huge improvements. Polperro Community Primary School, which is a few miles away, was rated as ‘good’ in an inspection in 2015.

Looe Community Secondary School recently received academy status and was rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted in a recent inspection. There are many more secondary schools in nearby Plymouth, as well as two in Liskeard, which is 8 miles to the north of Looe.

Getting around

Looe is a very rural area and suffers from a lack of transport links, meaning most residents and visitors rely on cars to get around. Public services also tend to vary throughout the year, due to the requirements of tourists and visitors.

Looe does benefit from having a small railway station, which lies at the end of the Looe Valley Line - one of the most beautiful train rides in the country. Looe has fairly good bus services to larger towns, but nearby hamlets and villages are hard to get to without the use of personal transport.

Local shops

As with many Cornish towns, Looe’s amenities vary from season to season, with many shops opening only with the arrival of the tourists. However, it does have a good selection of pubs and restaurants that stay open all year, such as the popular Barclay House, which boasts beautiful views of the river and serves locally caught seafood.

The shops in Looe are centred mostly around the harbour and include a selection of small, independent boutiques and seaside craft shops. There is a Co-op located in Looe, but the nearest large supermarket is a Morrisons, found in nearby Liskeard. Plymouth is a 40-minute drive away and has a large selection of well-known high street chains, department stores and supermarkets.

The local area guide to living in Looe

Looe is a beautiful little town and fishing port in the southeast of Cornwall that is actually two towns rolled into one; West Looe and East Looe. The River Looe separates the towns, though in 1857 a seven arch bridge was constructed to join them together. East Looe is the livelier part of town and is home to the main shopping area and the harbour. The West side is a little sleepier and more peaceful, though it still has plenty of shops, bars, and places to eat.

Looe is internationally famous for its New Year’s Eve celebrations, when people flock from all parts of the UK. Thousands of people in fancy dress take to the streets and there is an impressive display of fireworks from the town’s Banjo Pier.

Information about the local residents

Looe is a small town with a population of 5,280 people. As with most of Cornwall, it isn’t very ethnically diverse - within the wider district of Liskeard and Looe, 99.5% of people identified themselves as White British in the 2001 census.

Looe remains a fishing town and employs many people in the trade, with several fish dealers still operating from the town. Today, Looe’s main industry is tourism, with much of the town given over to guest houses, holiday homes and hotels, alongside the usual seaside offerings of pubs, fish and chip shops, ice cream venders, and Cornish pasty shops. Whilst the town is at its busiest during the summer months, it still remains a centre for shopping and entertainment for local residents year round and hosts the Looe Music Festival in September, as well as its popular New Year revelries.

Nearby schools

As Looe has so few residents, there aren’t many schools in the actual town itself. Looe Primary School, located in East Looe, was rated as ‘unsatisfactory’ in a 2012 Ofsted inspection, but has since made huge improvements. Polperro Community Primary School, which is a few miles away, was rated as ‘good’ in an inspection in 2015.

Looe Community Secondary School recently received academy status and was rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted in a recent inspection. There are many more secondary schools in nearby Plymouth, as well as two in Liskeard, which is 8 miles to the north of Looe.

Getting around

Looe is a very rural area and suffers from a lack of transport links, meaning most residents and visitors rely on cars to get around. Public services also tend to vary throughout the year, due to the requirements of tourists and visitors.

Looe does benefit from having a small railway station, which lies at the end of the Looe Valley Line - one of the most beautiful train rides in the country. Looe has fairly good bus services to larger towns, but nearby hamlets and villages are hard to get to without the use of personal transport.

Local shops

As with many Cornish towns, Looe’s amenities vary from season to season, with many shops opening only with the arrival of the tourists. However, it does have a good selection of pubs and restaurants that stay open all year, such as the popular Barclay House, which boasts beautiful views of the river and serves locally caught seafood.

The shops in Looe are centred mostly around the harbour and include a selection of small, independent boutiques and seaside craft shops. There is a Co-op located in Looe, but the nearest large supermarket is a Morrisons, found in nearby Liskeard. Plymouth is a 40-minute drive away and has a large selection of well-known high street chains, department stores and supermarkets.