Level 1
Porthmeor Cellars
Porthmeor Studios and Cellars was one of a series of industrial scale buildings constructed behind the Porthmeor sea wall for the pilchard industry. Cellar 2 was probably the first structure to be built behind the wall, although it has been considerable altered since. The cobble floor lying beneath Cellars 1 and 2 shows evidence to support the idea that this was a site for processing pilchards, and which also included a cooperage for making the barrels used to pack the pilchards.
The site was extensively rebuilt in the 1890s to incorporate the latest industrial innovations, including the construction of ten large concrete pilchard tanks. However this coincided with the last days of the pilchard seine industry. Fishermen still occupy the cellars, but instead of processing and packing pilchards, they are now used for storing and mending fishing gear, and for setting nets.
