Carn Marth
Encyclopedia
Carn Marth is the name of a hill in Cornwall
, England
, United Kingdom
, near Redruth
. It is 235 m (771 ft) high, and is well known for the granite
quarried
from it in the past.
(see also Geology of Cornwall
).
In prehistoric times men settled on the uplands as they had many advanteages over the more densely vegetated lowlands. From the late Stone Age they have been natural places of refuge, offering easily defended bases and view points over what was the densely wooded landscape of prehistoric Britain. In early modern times they have been perfect sites for beacons to warn of impending attack, mark victories and celebrations of all sorts. (As in case of the feared Spanish invasion of the 1580s.)
The hill can be seen from the hills of Bodmin Moor
on a clear day, over 45 kilometres (28 mi): the reverse is also true. One can look back, up to the East past St Agnes Beacon to the hills of the Moor, Rough Tor and Brown Willy
, the highest hill in Cornwall at 420 metres (1,378 ft), Carn Marth being 185 metres (607 ft) lower at 235 metres (771 ft). The Celtic Sea and Bristol Channel to the north and the English Channel to the south are both easily seen. Those with keen sight or binoculars will be able to pick out St Anthony's Light at the entrance to Carrick Roads
with Pendennis Castle and Falmouth
opposite. Turning further west there is the glint of light on the reservoir at Stithians
, then more hills, Carnmenellis
and Carn Brea
, with views across the Great Flat Lode and its attendant engine houses making such poignant relics of the great age of mining
s. The Carnmarth Trust exists to care for the area.
: Carnmarth Deanery was established in 1875, the division into North and South is 20th century. On the Richard D. James Album
by electronic musician Aphex Twin
is a song called Carn Marth.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, near Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
. It is 235 m (771 ft) high, and is well known for the granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarried
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
from it in the past.
Geography and history
Carn Marth lies 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast of Redruth and is part of the Carnmenellis granite plateau, the 'Carnmenellis Granite', one of several granite plutons in Cornwall that make up part of the Cornubian batholithCornubian batholith
The Cornubian batholith refers to the group of associated granite intrusions which underlie the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. The main exposed masses of the batholith are seen at Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor, St Austell, Carnmenellis, Land's End and the Isles of Scilly. It formed during the...
(see also Geology of Cornwall
Geology of Cornwall
The Geology of Cornwall is dominated by its granite backbone, part of the Cornubian batholith, formed during the Variscan orogeny. Around this is an extensive metamorphic aureole formed in the mainly Devonian slates that make up most of the rest of the county...
).
In prehistoric times men settled on the uplands as they had many advanteages over the more densely vegetated lowlands. From the late Stone Age they have been natural places of refuge, offering easily defended bases and view points over what was the densely wooded landscape of prehistoric Britain. In early modern times they have been perfect sites for beacons to warn of impending attack, mark victories and celebrations of all sorts. (As in case of the feared Spanish invasion of the 1580s.)
The hill can be seen from the hills of Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor
Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in size, and originally dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history....
on a clear day, over 45 kilometres (28 mi): the reverse is also true. One can look back, up to the East past St Agnes Beacon to the hills of the Moor, Rough Tor and Brown Willy
Brown Willy
Brown Willy is a hill in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The summit is the highest point of Bodmin Moor and of Cornwall as a whole....
, the highest hill in Cornwall at 420 metres (1,378 ft), Carn Marth being 185 metres (607 ft) lower at 235 metres (771 ft). The Celtic Sea and Bristol Channel to the north and the English Channel to the south are both easily seen. Those with keen sight or binoculars will be able to pick out St Anthony's Light at the entrance to Carrick Roads
Carrick Roads
Carrick Roads is located on the southern Cornish coast in the UK, near Falmouth. It is a large waterway created after the Ice age from an ancient valley which flooded as the melt waters caused the sea level to rise dramatically , creating a large natural harbour which is navigable from Falmouth to...
with Pendennis Castle and Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
opposite. Turning further west there is the glint of light on the reservoir at Stithians
Stithians
Stithians is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It lies in the centre of the triangle bounded by Redruth, Helston and Falmouth. Its population is 2,004....
, then more hills, Carnmenellis
Carnmenellis
Carnmenellis Hill gives its name to the area of west Cornwall between Redruth, Helston and Penryn. The hill itself is situated approximately three miles south of Redruth....
and Carn Brea
Carn Brea
Carn Brea is a civil parish and hilltop site in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hilltop site is situated approximately one mile southwest of Redruth.-Neolithic settlement:...
, with views across the Great Flat Lode and its attendant engine houses making such poignant relics of the great age of mining
Ecology
The topmost parts of the Carn are clothed in lowland heath, gorse, bracken and a generous mixture of wild flowers. As one would expect this makes for an equally rich population of insects and in turn, as one moves up the food chain, there are small mammals, reptiles and amphibians and then birds being among the most visible. Cuckoos, warblers, swallows drinking on the wing in the flooded quarries, falcons soaring overhead may be seen. Lower down there are fields for grazing, their limits marked by Cornish HedgeCornish hedge
A Cornish hedge is a style of hedge built of stone and earth found in Cornwall, south-west England. Sometimes hedging plants or trees are planted on the hedge to increase its windbreaking height. A rich flora develops over the lifespan of a Cornish hedge...
s. The Carnmarth Trust exists to care for the area.
Other things by the same name
Carnmarth North and Carnmarth South are deaneries of the Diocese of TruroDiocese of Truro
The Diocese of Truro is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury.-Geography and history:The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall including the Isles of Scilly. It was formed on 15 December 1876 from the Archdeaconry of Cornwall in the Diocese of Exeter, it is thus one...
: Carnmarth Deanery was established in 1875, the division into North and South is 20th century. On the Richard D. James Album
Richard D. James Album
Richard D. James Album is an electronic album by Aphex Twin, whose real name is Richard David James. It was released on Warp Records in 1996. The work features use of software synthesizers and unusual beats. It is his fourth official full-length album. The album garnered high acclaim from music...
by electronic musician Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
is a song called Carn Marth.