Fowey isn’t just a town with a literary connection, it’s the place that made Daphne du Maurier fall in love with Cornwall on sight, and it quietly shaped Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows too. This is a genuinely deep literary history, not a marketing add-on.
Daphne du Maurier’s Fowey
Where did Daphne du Maurier live in Fowey?
She lived at three houses over her lifetime here. Ferryside, near the Bodinnick ferry, was her first Cornwall home, bought in 1926. She later leased Menabilly, the inspiration for Manderley in Rebecca, for 25 years, before moving to her final home, Kilmarth, near Tywardreath.
What house inspired The House on the Strand?
Kilmarth, du Maurier’s third and final Cornwall home, overlooking St Austell Bay near Tywardreath. The 1969 novel is set in and around the house and the surrounding landscape she researched carefully.
Is Ferryside open to the public?
No, it remains a private family home, still occupied by du Maurier’s son, so it can only be admired from the water or the Bodinnick ferry crossing rather than visited directly.
Which books are set in or around Fowey?
Rebecca draws on the countryside just outside Fowey, The House on the Strand is set around Kilmarth and nearby Tywardreath, and My Cousin Rachel and The King’s General both drew on Menabilly and its history too. Her very first novel, The Loving Spirit, was inspired by a wrecked schooner she discovered nearby.
Other Literary Connections
What other authors lived in or visited Fowey?
Alongside Daphne du Maurier, novelist Rosamunde Pilcher also has strong Cornwall connections celebrated locally, and Kenneth Grahame’s link to the town is one of its best-kept literary secrets.
Did Kenneth Grahame visit the Fowey river?
Yes, he first came to Fowey in 1899 and stayed at the Fowey Hotel, now Fowey Hall Hotel, where he wrote much of what became The Wind in the Willows on the hotel’s own letter-headed paper. The hotel’s grand hillside position is widely believed to have inspired Toad Hall.
Books, Tours & the Festival
Where is the local independent bookshop?
Fowey has its own independent bookshop in the town centre, well stocked with local and Cornish titles alongside general fiction, a fitting stop given the town’s literary reputation.
Are there literary tours available in the town?
Yes, seasonal walking tours covering du Maurier’s Fowey run at various points through the year, particularly around Festival time, check current local listings for what’s on during your visit.
What is the Fowey Festival of Words and Music?
An annual literary festival hosted by the du Maurier Festival Society, bringing authors, speakers, and musicians to venues across the town in honour of Fowey’s literary heritage.
When does the literary festival take place?
Usually in May each year, check the official festival website for exact dates, as these shift slightly year to year.
Guides
The Ultimate Fowey Travel Guide: 100+ Questions Answered
Fowey Basics & Planning Your Visit
Walks & Outdoors in Fowey
Beaches & Swimming Near Fowey
Getting to & Around Fowey
Food & Drink in Fowey
Literary Fowey
The History of Fowey
Events & Activities in Fowey
