The Mousehole Christmas Lights
Every year the festive lights at Mousehole (pronounced ‘mow-zul’) Harbour are a sight to behold, with people making the trip from miles around to see the waterside all lit up for Christmas. Floating sculptures reflect their colourful lights off the inky black sea and bring a sense of magic to this picturesque Cornish village.
Normally from mid-December to January, the lights are on from 5pm each day with a buzz around the harbour as people come to watch, have a mulled wine and enjoy some late-night shopping.
A Community With Imagination…
The Mousehole lights were first started in 1963 by local artist Joan Gillchrest who hung a string of coloured bulbs along both quays. Since then the tradition has grown rather a lot, with local carpenters making and donating frames for all sorts of illuminations.
There has been a serpent, whale, celtic cross, pudding, robin, cat, and of course Father Christmas and his sleigh, to name just a few! Each year the dedicated committee maintains and installs the lights across the festive season, led by generous volunteers with the electricity costs covered by local people, visitors and businesses donations.
The Tale of Tom Bawcock…
The original tradition of the lights in the harbour is said to come from the 1500’s, when wild winter storms meant that the local fisherman were unable to leave the safety of the harbour for days, and so the villagers were in for a very hungry Christmas…
On 23 December, it’s said that a young man named Tom Bawcock decided to brave the waves and headed out to catch fish despite the terrible weather. Though he caught a good haul, it became too dark and stormy for him to find his way home. The villagers thought he was lost at sea, but rather than lose hope they ran to the harbour walls and cliffs with lanterns in their hands to guide him home.
When, against the odds, Tom arrived safely back into the harbour with a plentiful catch, the village celebrated and baked the famous ‘Stargazy Pie’ – recognisable for its seven fish (complete with heads) poking up through the crust!! The pie has remained an iconic symbol of the traditional Cornish Christmas. The Ship Inn still serves it on 23rd December to this day…
The Penlee Lifeboat Memorial
There is one evening, the 19th December, where all the lights except the RNLI and the cross go dark, in memory of the Penlee Lifeboat disaster on 19th December 1981. When a large coaster ship lost engine power and began drifting towards the coast in a heavy storm, a helicopter was scrambled but was unable to rescue those on board due to the treacherous conditions.
The Solomon Browne lifeboat was launched from Penlee Point (the headland past Mousehole village) and set off through 90-knot winds and 18m waves to try and rescue the ship’s crew. The radio reports hear of them getting four of the ship’s crew onto the lifeboat, before all contact was lost.
Lifeboats from Sennen Cove, The Lizard and St Mary’s were sent to help, but the search was unsuccessful and the Penlee Lifeboat disaster remains the last time that an entire crew was lost during an RNLI rescue. It’s said that within 24 hours of the disaster, enough men from Mousehole had volunteered to form a new lifeboat crew.
The village honours the memory of the brave lifeboat crew each year, when the lights go dark for an hour between 8-9pm. Although a very sad time, the brightness of the lights across the festive season is also a symbol of resilience from this tight-knit Cornish community.
Visiting Mousehole at Christmas
The grand lights switch on takes place on the 11th December this year (2025) and continues until the first week of January. As it’s around an hour’s drive away from Falmouth, we recommend combining your visit with a day out to nearby Penzance or Newlyn, or perhaps doing the coastal path walk from Mousehole to Lamorna.
When you do come to Mousehole (we’d get there around 3 or 4pm to stroll the street and shops before it gets dark), it’s important not to try and drive right to the centre of the village as the streets are narrow and full of festive wanderers! Park outside the village and walk in on foot.
If you’re staying for dinner, it’s recommended to book a table ahead of time as the village may be busy! The Ship Inn, 2 Fore Street and The Old Coastguard House are popular choices.
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