Pentewan
Encyclopedia
Pentewan is a coastal village and former port in south Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is situated at three miles (4.5 km) south of St Austell
at the mouth of the St Austell River
.
Pentewan is in the civil parish
of Pentewan Valley
and the ecclesiastical parish
of St Austell
.
and Par
meant that Pentewan's status as a port lasted for little more than a century. The last trading ship left in 1940. After that, the harbour entrance gradually silted up, though it was still possible for small boats to enter the harbour in the 1960s. Now, although the water-filled basin remains, Pentewan harbour is entirely cut off from the sea.
from the Polgooth
mines for shipment from Pentewan. Coal was shipped in and transported to the mines and (later) to the St Austell gasworks
. In 1874, the engineer John Barraclough Fell
replaced the tramway with a narrow gauge railway. This operated till 1918, when the rails and locomotives were requisitioned by the War Office
. The Pentewan Railway
was almost entirely a mineral line, but did occasionally transport passengers on special excursions. A Sunday school outing was described by A.L. Rowse in his memories of a Cornish childhood. Part of the old railway line, from London Apprentice
to Pentewan, is now a footpath and cycle path.
. Many medieval churches in Cornwall, including those at Botusfleming
, Duloe
, Fowey
, Golant
, Gorran, Lostwithiel
, Mevagissey
, St Austell, and St Columb Major
, were wholly or partly constructed out of the stone, as were some later buildings such as the eighteenth century Antony House
. In 1985 blocks of Pentewan stone were recovered from the beach near the quarry to restore St Austell church.
, was opened near Pentewan in 1780 and was worked down the valley towards the sea. A second working, 'Wheal Virgin', went up the valley. The tin streamers considered both to be places where "the old men had been", since they uncovered charcoal ashes, human remains, and bones of animals "of a different description from any now known in Britain". The Happy-Union closed in 1837, Wheal Virgin around 1874.
as the Manor
of 'Bentewoin', one of many Cornish manors held by Robert, Comte de Mortain
. It was subsequently held by the families of Pentire, Roscarrock, Dart, and Robartes (the Earls of Radnor
), then by Sir James La Roche, the MP
for Bodmin
(1768-80), and (in 1792) by the Rev. Henry Hawkins Tremayne
of nearby Heligan.
was erected in the harbour and the beach mined as part of the dragon's teeth
anti-tank defences. Bombs fell near Pentewan in 1941 and an air raid on the port in August 1942 destroyed the Methodist chapel and damaged several houses.
Since 1945, Pentewan has been dominated by the large 'Pentewan Sands' caravan and camping site that covers much of the beach to the west. The village itself contains the Ship Inn (owned by the St Austell Brewery
), a post office, and several shops. Pentewan Board School, designed and built in 1877/78 by Silvanus Trevail
, is now a restaurant. Many of the older buildings, as well as the harbour, are constructed out of Pentewan stone. Some - including All Saints Church, completed in 1821 - were built by Sir Christopher Hawkins as part of his long campaign to improve the village. A former village pub was named The Hawkins Arms, but has now been converted to a guest house called 'Piskey Cove'. Tourism is the only substantial industry remaining in the village. Session guitarist Tim Renwick
is a Pentewan resident.
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...
, 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...
. It is situated at three miles (4.5 km) south of St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
at the mouth of the St Austell River
St Austell River
The St Austell River properly known as the River Vinnick, but historically called The White River, is a long river located in south Cornwall, United Kingdom....
.
Pentewan is in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Pentewan Valley
Pentewan Valley
Pentewan Valley is one of four new civil parishes created on 1 April 2009 for the St Austell area of south Cornwall, United Kingdom.The new parish is the largest of the four by area and is rural in character...
and the ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
.
Village and harbour
The village and its harbour date back to medieval times, when Pentewan was mainly a fishing community, with some stone-quarrying, tin-streaming, and agriculture. Leland, writing in 1549, referred briefly to 'Pentowan' as "a sandy bay witherto fischer bootes repair for socour". Between 1818 and 1826, local land- and quarry owner Sir Christopher Hawkins substantially rebuilt the harbour, partly to improve the existing pilchard-fishery and partly to turn the village into a major china clay port. At its peak, Pentewan shipped a third of Cornwall's china clay, but continual problems with silting (caused by tin and clay mining) and the rise of the rival ports of CharlestownCharlestown, Cornwall
Charlestown is a village and port on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, in the parish of St Austell Bay. It is situated approximately south east of St Austell town centre....
and Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
meant that Pentewan's status as a port lasted for little more than a century. The last trading ship left in 1940. After that, the harbour entrance gradually silted up, though it was still possible for small boats to enter the harbour in the 1960s. Now, although the water-filled basin remains, Pentewan harbour is entirely cut off from the sea.
Tramway and railway
In 1829, Sir Christopher Hawkins made further improvements by linking the harbour to St Austell by means of a horse-drawn tramway that hauled china clay from the quarries on St Austell moor and tinTin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
from the Polgooth
Polgooth
Polgooth is a former mining village in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It lies mainly in the parish of St Mewan and partly in the parish of St Ewe...
mines for shipment from Pentewan. Coal was shipped in and transported to the mines and (later) to the St Austell gasworks
Gasworks
A gasworks or gas house is a factory for the manufacture of gas. The use of natural gas has made many redundant in the developed world, however they are often still used for storage.- Early gasworks :...
. In 1874, the engineer John Barraclough Fell
John Barraclough Fell
John Barraclough Fell , was a British railway engineer and inventor of the Fell mountain railway system.Fell spent the early part of his life in London, living with his parents. About 1835 he moved with them to the Lake District. In 1840, he married a 25-year-old woman named Martha in Kirkstall,...
replaced the tramway with a narrow gauge railway. This operated till 1918, when the rails and locomotives were requisitioned by the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
. The Pentewan Railway
Pentewan Railway
The Pentewan Railway was a British narrow gauge railway in Cornwall. It was built as a horse-drawn tramway carrying china clay from St Austell to the harbour at Pentewan. In 1874 the line was rebuilt by engineer John Barraclough Fell and converted to locomotive working, at which time the gauge was...
was almost entirely a mineral line, but did occasionally transport passengers on special excursions. A Sunday school outing was described by A.L. Rowse in his memories of a Cornish childhood. Part of the old railway line, from London Apprentice
London Apprentice
London Apprentice is a village in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated in the St Austell River valley approximately two miles south of St Austell....
to Pentewan, is now a footpath and cycle path.
Pentewan stone
Pentewan Quarry was the source of a fine building stone, a variety of elvanElvan
Elvan is a name used in Cornwall and Devon for the native varieties of quartz-porphyry. They are dispersed irregularly in the Upper Devonian series of rocks and some of them make very fine building stones...
. Many medieval churches in Cornwall, including those at Botusfleming
Botusfleming
Botusfleming or Botus Fleming is a village and civil parish in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom.The 2001 census gives the parish population as 783. The village is about three miles north-west of Saltash at...
, Duloe
Duloe, Cornwall
Duloe is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately four miles south of Liskeard at .-Parish church:...
, Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
, Golant
Golant
Golant is a village in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the west bank of the River Fowey and lies in the civil parish of St Sampson....
, Gorran, Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
, Mevagissey
Mevagissey
Mevagissey is a village, fishing port and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately five miles south of St Austell....
, St Austell, and St Columb Major
St Columb Major
St Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay...
, were wholly or partly constructed out of the stone, as were some later buildings such as the eighteenth century Antony House
Antony House
Antony House is the name given to an early 18th-century house, which today is in the ownership of the National Trust. It is located between the towns of Torpoint and the village of Antony in the county of Cornwall, United Kingdom...
. In 1985 blocks of Pentewan stone were recovered from the beach near the quarry to restore St Austell church.
Tin mining
'Happy-Union', a stream work for tinTin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
, was opened near Pentewan in 1780 and was worked down the valley towards the sea. A second working, 'Wheal Virgin', went up the valley. The tin streamers considered both to be places where "the old men had been", since they uncovered charcoal ashes, human remains, and bones of animals "of a different description from any now known in Britain". The Happy-Union closed in 1837, Wheal Virgin around 1874.
The Domesday Book and the Manor of Pentewan
Pentewan was originally known as 'Lower Pentewan', 'Higher Pentewan' being a separate and earlier settlement to the south-west of the village, centred on Barton Farm. In 1086, Higher Pentewan was listed in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as the Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of 'Bentewoin', one of many Cornish manors held by Robert, Comte de Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st Earl of Cornwall was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother of William I of England. Robert was the son of Herluin de Conteville and Herleva of Falaise and was full brother to Odo of Bayeux. The exact year of Robert's birth is unknown Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st...
. It was subsequently held by the families of Pentire, Roscarrock, Dart, and Robartes (the Earls of Radnor
Earl of Radnor
Earl of Radnor is a title which has been created two times. It was first created in the Peerage of England in 1679 for John Robartes, 2nd Baron Robartes, a notable political figure of the reign of Charles II. He was made Viscount Bodmin at the same time. Robartes was the son of Richard Robartes,...
), then by Sir James La Roche, the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bodmin
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
(1768-80), and (in 1792) by the Rev. Henry Hawkins Tremayne
Henry Hawkins Tremayne
The Reverend Henry Hawkins Tremayne was a member of a landed family in the English county of Cornwall, and owner of the Heligan estate near Mevagissey, with significant interests in the Cornish tin mining industry...
of nearby Heligan.
Second World War
A pill boxBunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
was erected in the harbour and the beach mined as part of the dragon's teeth
Dragon's teeth (fortification)
Dragon's teeth are square-pyramidal fortifications of reinforced concrete first used during the Second World War to impede the movement of tanks and mechanised infantry...
anti-tank defences. Bombs fell near Pentewan in 1941 and an air raid on the port in August 1942 destroyed the Methodist chapel and damaged several houses.
The village today
St Austell Brewery
St Austell Brewery is a brewery founded in 1851 by Walter Hicks in St Austell, Cornwall, England. The brewery's flagship beer is Tribute Ale, which accounts for around 80% of sales...
), a post office, and several shops. Pentewan Board School, designed and built in 1877/78 by Silvanus Trevail
Silvanus Trevail
Silvanus Trevail was a British architect, and the most prominent Cornish architect of the 19th century. He was born in Luxulyan, Cornwall in October 1851. He rose to become Mayor of Truro and, nationally, President of the architects' professional body, the Society of Architects. His success...
, is now a restaurant. Many of the older buildings, as well as the harbour, are constructed out of Pentewan stone. Some - including All Saints Church, completed in 1821 - were built by Sir Christopher Hawkins as part of his long campaign to improve the village. A former village pub was named The Hawkins Arms, but has now been converted to a guest house called 'Piskey Cove'. Tourism is the only substantial industry remaining in the village. Session guitarist Tim Renwick
Tim Renwick
Timothy John Pearson 'Tim' Renwick is an English guitarist.-Career:Renwick started playing guitar in the 1960s. He performed with many bands, including Little Women, Wages of Sin, Junior's Eyes, The Hype, Quiver and Lazy Racer...
is a Pentewan resident.