Cornwall's Hidden History Blog
“The two seas, the waters of St Ives Bay separated only by a narrow stretch of land from the ocean where St Michael’s Mount guards Marazion. Cut a canal and western Cornwall is an island.” Claud Williamson shaw, The Cornishman, 20th September 1906 For a number of years during the late 19th and early 20th […]
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In the early hours of Sunday morning, 12th January 1890, Lewannick church caught fire. The alarm was raised at one o’clock and pretty soon the whole village was awake, crowding in the narrow roads around the building, wondering what to do. The Launceston fire crew was sent for but it was already too late. The […]
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In 1848 the author Catherine Crowe published a book called The Night Side of Nature, it was an exploration of ‘ghosts and ghost seers’. The book quickly became a bestseller and interestingly it introduced its readers to a new word – Poltergeist. Originating in Germany in the mid-19th century poltergeist came from poltern meaning to […]
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This summer sees the release of a beautiful book of short stories set in Cornwall and inspired by the generations of strong women that have made this elemental peninsula their home. I spoke to the author Jackie Taylor about Strange Waters, what brought her to Cornwall and why she finds the area so inspiring. Jackie […]
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For the jet-setters of the 21st century it is hard to imagine a world without powered flight, but just for a moment put yourself in the shoes of one of the people in the enormous crowds that gathered around Mounts Bay on July 23rd 1910. They were there to see their first aeroplane take to […]
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A few years ago I visited the Tower of London and for some reason, with all its 1000 years of history, all those momentous episodes that have played out within its walls, the one memory that sticks with me is standing on the spot where Anne Boleyn lost her head. I find her a fascinating […]
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Charlestown is one of the most picturesque of Cornwall’s many harbours. Now well known as a set for film and television productions, perhaps most famously in the BBC’s Poldark, it was once a fishing village and a busy port from which ships sailed with their cargo to destinations across the globe. But don’t ask me […]
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Over a period of twenty years at least eight men and one woman are known to have escaped from Helston Prison. Considering the gaol was only open for twenty-nine years in total that seems a pretty poor track record. In fact, while compiling this article I haven’t really come across many other instances of prison […]
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The deeply wooded banks of the upper reaches of the River Fal are a quiet, sparsely populated place. A place where the pace of life can seems as timeless as the stealthy creep of the tide over the mudflats. There are many hidden corners in this part of Cornwall, places where you can escape the […]
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Beside the dead-end road to Restronguet Barton near Mylor, tucked away under trees and painted bright white, there is a stone cross. This small monument was erected here in 1948 by a group of Ukrainians who had been living and working in the area in the post-war era. This cross was as much a symbol […]
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