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Camelford
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Camelford is a town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
The town lies on the River Camel, and a few miles north-west of the highest part of Bodmin Moor. It is the home of the North Cornwall Museum and Gallery. The only large industrial enterprise in the area is the slate quarry at Delabole. Camelford Station was some distance from the town and closed in 1966: on the site is now the British Cycling Museum.
It is part of the North Cornwall parliamentary constituency, and also of North Cornwall District: the Council has a branch office in the town.
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Encyclopedia
Camelford is a town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
The town lies on the River Camel, and a few miles north-west of the highest part of Bodmin Moor. It is the home of the North Cornwall Museum and Gallery. The only large industrial enterprise in the area is the slate quarry at Delabole. Camelford Station was some distance from the town and closed in 1966: on the site is now the British Cycling Museum.
It is part of the North Cornwall parliamentary constituency, and also of North Cornwall District: the Council has a branch office in the town. Before the North Cornwall District was created it was the administrative headquarters of the Camelford Rural District and before the improvements in transport a market town for the surrounding agricultural area. The Town Hall (now converted to other uses) was built in 1806.
The Atlantic Highway passes directly through the town centre: the bypass planned many years ago has never been built.
History
Due to its name, it has been linked to the legendary Camelot, and even Camlann, but historians have been quick to refute these suggestions. The origin of the name is probably from the original name of the river (Allen) in combination with cam- = crooked and the English 'ford'. (Also sometimes to Gafulford the site of a battle which is more likely to have been at Galford in Devon.)
The town elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons: the first M.P.s sat in the Parliament of 1552. It was considered a rotten borough and its franchise was abolished in 1832: Camelford (UK Parliament constituency) provides more information.
Water pollution incident
In July 1988, the water supply to the town and the surrounding area was contaminated when 20 tons of aluminium sulphate was poured into the wrong tank at the nearby Lowermoor Water Treatment Works on Bodmin Moor. An independent inquiry into the incident (the worst of its kind in British history) was started in 2002, and a draft report issued in January 2005, but questions still remain as to the long-term effects on the health of local residents. Michael Meacher, who visited Camelford in his post as environment minister, was said to have called the incident and its aftermath, "A most unbelievable scandal."
Churches and Schools
The parish church of Camelford is at Lanteglos by Camelford though there is also a Church of St Thomas of Canterbury (opened in 1938) in the town. In Market Place is the Methodist Church (originally a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel). The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, visited Camelford on several occasions during his journeys in Cornwall.
Sir James Smith's School provides secondary education to the town and surrounding area and there is also a primary school.
Geography
Its position near the highest land in Cornwall makes the climate rather wet. Roughtor is the nearest of the hills of Bodmin Moor to the town and numerous prehistoric remains can be found nearby as well as a china clay works. By the riverside is Enfield Park; hamlets in the parish include Helstone, Tregoodwell and Valley Truckle. Helstone (or Helston in Trigg) was in the Middle Ages one of the chief manors of the Hundred of Trigg and perhaps in Celtic times the seat of a chieftain. The naval officer Samuel Wallis was born near Camelford (among his achievements was the circumnavigation of the world).
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