Christmas at Mousehole Harbour
Twinkling lights and festive reflections, we share the story behind Mousehole Harbour’s famous Christmas lights.
Every year, Mousehole Harbour welcomes the festive season with its famous displays of harbourside Christmas lights. Twinkling strings of lights illuminate the harbour and evening sea, filling the small Cornish fishing village with colour and joy.
The glowing lights and their rippling reflections inspired our Christmas collection this year. Ready for a season of winter walks and Christmas parties, you’ll find the harbour’s festive colour and sparkle woven through cosy knits and painted into hand-sketched prints.
The tradition began in 1963 when a local artist suggested a string of lights along the quay to make the village a bit brighter over Christmas. The lights captured the imagination of a few local carpenters who began making decorative items to form the displays.
From there the event quickly grew, and elaborate designs were crafted, including the iconic floating sea serpent and sailboats. From the Mousehole cat to a fishy stargazy pie, many of the original designs still feature, though they have been rebuilt a few times after being weathered by stormy nights and the winter sea air.
The displays are set up entirely by volunteers who work hard to keep the tradition alive and provide a festive experience for the event’s many visitors. This year, the lights will be lit from mid-December to illuminate the village until January.
To learn more about the Mousehole Lights and support the tradition, visit www.mouseholelights.org.uk