Joan The Wad & Polperro Piskey Headquarters - Cornish Silver Jewellery

A jewellery shop in Polperro that takes the local folklore seriously - perhaps too seriously, but in the best way. Joan The Wad is a Cornish pisky legend, a golden-haired spirit who supposedly leads lost travellers to safety, and this place has made her their whole brand. You'll find silver jewellery (mostly pisky-themed, naturally) alongside the shop's own mythology, which ranges from genuinely charming to amusingly over-the-top.

It's worth a quick pop-in if you're already wandering Polperro's narrow streets - and you probably will be, given how photogenic the harbour is. Expect to spend twenty minutes maximum browsing, unless you're genuinely into Celtic silverwork, in which case you might linger. The staff seem to actually believe in the pisky angle, which either delights or makes you slightly uncomfortable depending on your tolerance for whimsy.

Families with young children tend to enjoy the pisky headquarters concept more than teenagers, who'll likely find it a bit much. History types might appreciate the attempt to keep Cornish folklore alive, even if the execution is heavily commercialised. It's free to browse, though obviously they'd appreciate a purchase.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Killigarth Manor and Tencreek are both within walking distance - Polperro itself is the main draw, and this shop slots into a half-day wander around the village. The real attraction is the picturesque setting; the pisky shop is just a good reason to stop.