Tradition tells us, that a ball of apple-wood with a thick coating of silver is the object contended for. Two goals are each one mile distant from the place where the ball is thrown up, being thus two miles apart from each other. One is designated the ‘town goal’ and the other the ‘country…Continue Reading “Cornish Hurling”
This is a Cornish Story, a story of the old wooden ships and the iron men who sailed them. It is also a story of a small fleet of Cornish ships from Fowey and of my own family’s maritime heritage. We have all seen those captivating old Victorian images of Cornwall featuring harbour scenes with…Continue Reading “Wooden Ships and Iron Men”
In part 2, John Dirring related how regular institutionalized banking in Cornwall began with the Miners’ Bank in Truro in 1771. He now continues with the story of the Cornish Bank, established very soon afterwards. Prominent in its earlier years was Francis Basset of Tehidy (Lord de Dunstanville), whose monument on Carn Brea (seen here)…Continue Reading “Banking in Cornwall Part 3: The early Cornish Bank, 1771-1830”
Lime kilns are an important part of our industrial history and most Cornish coastal or river communities would have had at least one with the resultant product used locally. They were mostly stone structures and their purpose was to convert limestone to quicklime, mainly for the construction and agricultural industries. It is difficult to be…Continue Reading “Cornish Lime Kilns”
(photo: Terry Harry) Botallack When you gaze out to sea at Botallack You’re transported back in time As you stand on top of the cliffside And look down on the remains of the Mine The two most iconic of buildings Are set low on the edge of the sea The Mine stretches out under…Continue Reading “Botallack – A Poem by Ruth Tremayne Harry”
Botallack Mine – an engraving This poem is from an anonymous elderly lady down St Just way who was clearing out her late parents’ papers so it likely dates from the 19th century and, because of the use of the present tense, maybe from the time of the disaster. We are indebted to Paul Phillips…Continue Reading “Botallack Mine Disaster 18th April 1863 – A poem by Anon”