Bid to save Coverack's historic Fishermen's Rest

The Fishermen's Rest, on the edge of the harbour, needs extensive refurbishment and a new roof, with the cost estimated to be between £20,000 and £25,000.

A committee has been set up to raise this money and two of its members were at the last meeting of St Keverne Parish Council to ask for councillors' support.

Representative Tony Carey said the roof would be the first priority, explaining: "It's getting to a state where it's dangerous I think."

He said at the time of the meeting the committee had already raised £5,000 itself, largely through donations from local people and holding fundraising events.

"The Fishermen's Rest is probably the historic focal point of the village. When you walk inside it's like going back in time - there's paintings and artefacts and photographs, and it would be a great shame if we lost these," he added.

Fellow committee member Liz Hanley said there was a good deal of community support, adding: "We have got the whole village behind us. Everybody keeps asking how it's going, as they all want it to be done before it falls down."

She said a huge number of organisations used the building, from the RNLI on Lifeboat Day and Coverack Carnival committee to Coverack Regatta and the snooker club.

"It could be used for a lot more things if it was in a safe state," she added, saying once the maintenance issues had been taken care of there were hopes to refurbish the kitchen.

Councillor Bill Frisken said it had been built for the pilchard fishermen and had become the property of the village long before the harbour was.

"It was deemed to be very important for the village," said Mr Frisken, who believed the council should give the project £2,500 as "a minimum."

The council agreed to give £2,500 from its charity car park fund, much of which is raised through money left in Coverack's own North Corner and Dolor car parks.

Mr Carey told councillors that the committee was also in the process of applying to the National Lottery Community Fund.