Saltash
Encyclopedia
Saltash is a town and civil parish in Cornwall
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...

. It has a population of 14,964. It lies in the south east of Cornwall, facing Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

 over the River Tamar
River Tamar
The Tamar is a river in South West England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall . It is one of several British rivers whose ancient name is assumed to be derived from a prehistoric river word apparently meaning "dark flowing" and which it shares with the River Thames.The...

. It was in the Caradon
Caradon
Caradon was a local government district in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It contained five towns: Callington, Liskeard, Looe, Saltash and Torpoint, and over 80 villages and hamlets within 41 civil parishes...

 district until March 2009 and is known as "the gateway to Cornwall". Saltash means ash tree by the salt mill. Saltash is the largest town within the East Cornwall area and is one of the largest in Cornwall.

Description

Saltash is the location of Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...

's Royal Albert Bridge
Royal Albert Bridge
The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge that spans the River Tamar in the United Kingdom between Plymouth, on the Devon bank, and Saltash on the Cornish bank. Its unique design consists of two lenticular iron trusses above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives...

, opened by HRH Prince Albert on May 2, 1859. It takes the railway line across the River Tamar. Alongside it is the Tamar Bridge
Tamar Bridge
The Tamar Bridge is a major road bridge at Saltash in southwest England carrying traffic between Cornwall and Devon. When it opened in 1961 it was the longest suspension bridge in the United Kingdom...

, a toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...

 carrying the A38
A38 road
The A38, part of which is also known as the Devon Expressway, is a major A-class trunk road in England.The road runs from Bodmin in Cornwall to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. It is long, making it one of the longest A-roads in England. It was formerly known as the Leeds — Exeter Trunk Road,...

 trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...

, which in 2001 became the first suspension bridge to be widened whilst remaining open to traffic.

Saltash railway station
Saltash railway station
Saltash railway station serves the town of Saltash in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south side of the town between the Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar and Coombe Viaduct which spans a small tributary of the same river...

 is close to the town centre. It was hoped that the empty buildings could be restored as a visitor centre for the bridge, but they have instead been purchased by a property developer. The station is served by a regular train service, with some direct High Speed services to and from London Paddington.

The cottage of Mary Newman, Sir Francis Drake's first wife, can be found in Saltash on Culver Road downhill from Saltash railway station.

Nearby are the castles at Trematon
Trematon Castle
Trematon Castle is situated near Saltash in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is similar in style to the later Restormel Castle, with a 12th century keep. Trematon Castle overlooks Plymouth Sound and was built probably by Robert, Count of Mortain on the ruins of an earlier Roman fort: it is a...

 and Ince
Ince Castle
Ince Castle is three miles from Saltash, Cornwall, England. It is not a castle in the conventional sense, but a manor house built of brick. It was built in 1642, at the start of the English Civil War and was captured in 1646. Attached to the house are four three-storey towers with walls 1.2 metres...

, as well as the nature reserve at Churchtown Farm
Churchtown Farm
Churchtown Farm is a community nature reserve one mile south of Saltash, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is owned and managed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and includes diverse habitats such as grassland, estuarine mudflats, wetland, woodland, disused quarries and hedgerows.Situated within the Tamar...

, where there are some wonderful walks, with stunning views of the river. Burrell House near Saltash was built in 1621 and has a wing dated 1636. The entrance side was altered in the 18th century.

The town expanded in the 1990s with the addition of the large new estate Latchbrook, and is currently growing further with the recent building of another housing area, Pilmere. In the summer of 2009 the Saltash postcode area was judged as the most desirable place to live in Great Britain in a survey that included statistics from school results and crime figures
Crime statistics
Crime statistics attempt to provide statistical measures of the crime in societies. Given that crime is usually secretive by nature, measurements of it are likely to be inaccurate....

.

Saltash Ferry

There is no doubt that the history of Saltash is linked to the passage, or ferrying place across the Tamar. The original ferry became established by fishermen for those passing to and from the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

 at St Germans and to Trematon Castle.

After the Norman Conquest, Robert, Count of 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...

, who held the castle and manor at Trematon, took the market from the canons at St. Germans and established it at Saltash. The Count granted Trematon and other manors to the de Valletorts, who had then to provide for the ferry boat. In the twelfth century a borough was founded (1190), and Saltash became the only franchised seaport between Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...

 and 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:...

. This fact has given rise to the Saltash saying, Saltash was a borough town, when Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

 was a fuzzy down
('fuzzy' = 'fursy' i.e. covered in gorse), as the town of Plymouth and its seaport did not exist in 1190. In medieval times the ferry was part of the manor of Trematon, held by the Valletorts.

Toponymy

The Charter of Incorporation refers to the place as 'Essa' (Latin for 'Ash'). However, the spelling of the town has changed over the years. For example, in Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....

's time it was called and spelt 'Aysche'. In the 1584 Charter it is stated that Essa is now commonly called Saltash. A family called Essa lived in the twelfth century at their property near Ashtor Rock, where the Manor Courts were once held. The 'Salt' part of the name was added to distinguish it from other places called Ash.

Early history

Roger de Valletort (Reginald de Valle Torta) sold out in 1270 to Richard, Earl of Cornwall and King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...

 while Edward, the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....

, became the first Duke of Cornwall
Duke of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall was the first duchy created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...

, and a visitor to Trematon Castle.

in 1549 there was a Cornish insurrection against the introduction of the Protestant liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...

, and the rebels under Humphrey Arundell
Humphrey Arundell
Sir Humphrey Arundell was the leader of Cornish forces in the Prayer Book Rebellion early in the reign of King Edward VI. He was executed at Tyburn, London after the rebellion had been defeated.-Life:...

, for which he was beheaded at Tyburn
Tyburn
Tyburn is a former village just outside the then boundaries of London that was best known as a place of public execution.Tyburn may also refer to:* Tyburn , river and historical water source in London...

, gained possession of Trematon Castle by treachery, capturing Sir Richard Grenville, the elder, in the process. They then carried out acts of barbarity on their surprised visitors.

Parish church

The parish church of Saltash was until 1881 at St Stephen by Saltash, one mile from the town. Though of earlier foundation the structure of the building is largely 15th century: there are two aisles and the tower is west of the north aisle.

Education

Bishop Cornish C of E VA Primary School
Bishop Cornish C of E VA Primary School
Bishop Cornish C of E VA Primary School is a registered Church of England primary school with seven year groups taking in children aged 4-11. The majority of intake choose to progress to the nearby saltash.net secondary school, although some still choose to move onto different institutes.The school...

 is a registered Church of England primary school with seven year groups taking in children aged 4-11. The majority of intake choose to progress to the nearby saltash.net secondary school, although some still choose to move onto different institutes. The school has roughly 200 students attending. The head-teacher is Mrs. Jenny Thomas. It is named after John Rundle Cornish
John Rundle Cornish
John Rundle Cornish was an Anglican bishop, the inaugural Bishop of St Germans from 1905 to 1918.Born on 7 October 1837 he was educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he was 14th Wrangler in 1859. He was a Lecturer then Fellow at the College before studying for ordination...

, Bishop of St Germans from 1905 to 1918.

The community school in Saltash was designated as a Science and Mathematics & Computing Specialist College in September 2004, and renamed saltash.net community school
Saltash.net community school
Saltash.net community school is a specialist science and mathematics & ICT college, in Saltash, Cornwall, England, with 1350 pupils aged 11–18. The school added the ".net" to its name in September 2004 to reflect the extent to which the use of ICT and emerging web technologies were influencing...

. It recently topped the list for schools in South East Cornwall.

Cornwall College
Cornwall College
Cornwall College is a further education college situated on various sites throughout Cornwall with its main centre in St Austell. The college is a member of the 157 Group of high performing schools...

 has a campus in Saltash.

Festivals

Saltash hosts a number of annual festivals: Saltash Mayfair takes place in and around Fore Street during early May, and Saltash Town Regatta brings music and entertainment to the Waterside area in the summer. On the water there are intense Gig races with the best teams taking part, along with Flashboat rowing and dinghy racing, and the now infamous 'England and back' race between local organisations. For 2008 a new five towns challenge has been added to the list of events, pitting Saltash against Liskeard, Callington, Looe and Torpoint. Ashore you will find many stalls, music and marquees. See the Regatta and Mayfair websites listed below for more information.

Notable residents

  • Sir Evan Nepean
    Evan Nepean
    Sir Evan Nepean, 1st Baronet PC was a British politician and colonial administrator.-Early career:...

     1st Bt was born near Saltash.
  • George Carter Bignell
    George Carter Bignell
    George Carter Bignell was an eminent entomologist. He was born in Exeter on 1 March 1826. He left school at the age of 12 to become a bookings clerk but joined the Royal Marines when he was 16. He joined HMS Superb, one of the last all-wooden, all-sailing, ships-of-the-line to serve in the Royal...

    , the eminent entomologist, lived in Home Park Road until his death in 1910. A large collection of his insect specimens is held at the Plymouth Museum.
  • Moura Lympany
    Moura Lympany
    Dame Moura Lympany DBE was an English concert pianist.She was born as Mary Gertrude Johnstone at Saltash, Cornwall. Her father was an army officer who had served in World War I and her mother originally taught her the piano...

     the pianist was born in Saltash in 1916.
  • Ann Glanville
    Ann Glanville
    Ann Glanville was a Cornishwoman who achieved national celebrity for gig rowing.-Early life:Born in Saltash in Cornwall as Ann Warren, she married John Glanville, a waterman...

    , born 1796; champion gig rower who lived all her life in Saltash.
  • Mary Newman, first wife of Sir Francis Drake.

Sport and leisure

Saltash is the home of Caradon Pilot Gig Rowing
Cornish pilot gig
The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oared rowing boat, built of Cornish narrow leaf elm, long with a beam of four feet ten inches.It is recognised as one of the first shore-based lifeboats that went to vessels in distress, with recorded rescues going back as far as the late 17th century.The original...

 Club.

Livewire Youth Project, a music themed youth club, is located on the banks of the River Tamar. The club boasts a recording studio, band practice rooms, and a 300 person capacity music venue. Well known bands such as The Damned and The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers are an English pop/rock band, consisting of members Irwin Sparkes , Martin Skarendahl and Alan Sharland ....

 have played at the project. Social, romantic and sexual health advice and support is offered by Livewire as well.

Saltash Leisure centre is not far from the town centre, providing a leisure pool, gym and fitness facilities. Not far to the north is the China Fleet Country Club which has a 18 hole golf couse, a swimming pool with sauna and other facilities. The Farmhouse restaurant is located in South East Cornwall with head chef Marc Slater.

The Saltash Sailing Club caters for all ages with over 100 cadets out on the water on a Friday night. There are dinghy and yacht races and activities organised for those less competitive. Members have won many local and international trophies and compete at national and international levels.

A BMX and skatepark are available in the Saltmill Park. Located here are pieces of public art, often missed by visitors. Saltmill is also home to a newly developed All Weather pitch available to local organisations.

Saltash Tennis Centre, which is located behind the Leisure centre. The tennis centre consists of two grass courts and two hard courts, along with a clubhouse with male and female changing. The club currently has 3 mens team in the Plymouth and District league (P&D league) and a womans team in the associative ladies P&D league. The club also has two junior teams in the U19 P&D leagues.

Local attractions

historic grocery store
  • Mary Newman's Cottage
  • River Cruises from Saltash Pier
  • Royal Albert Bridge
  • Saltash Art Trail
  • Saltash Heritage Trail
  • Saltash Museum and local history centre
  • Saltash Tennis Centre
  • Saltmill Park
  • Tamar Road Bridge
  • Walks in town and country (more than twenty)

  • Other things named Saltash

    There have been both real and fictitious Royal Navy
    Royal Navy
    The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

     ships named HMS Saltash. "Saltash" is also a popular traditional Cornish tune.

    External links

    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
    x
    OK