If there is one thing that Cornwall does well, it is hide it’s industrial past. The desolate mining landscapes of 200 years ago have been largely reclaimed by nature.
Many have become unlikely havens for wildlife and recreation.
Hidden History
One of my favourite short walks takes in such a landscape. Although these days you have to look hard to find any sign of its industrious history. Scott’s Quay lies on the Helford River roughly a mile from the village of Constantine, close to Falmouth. It was built in the early 1800s by Charles Scott.
Scott was a wealthy landowner who lived at the manor of Trewadreva and owned a number of mines and quarries in the area. He saw an opportunity to move large quantities of minerals and stone via a system of merchant schooners on the river. So he built himself a quay.
A hard road was constructed from Constantine village down the hill to the quay. At the time it was built it was much wider than you see today. Horses and carts trundled up and down this track delivering the heavy loads of minerals for sale and bringing back goods such as coal, timber, salt, lime and any other materials which were needed for the local farming and industries as well as the community.
Today’s Wildlife Haven
This peaceful place was once a hive of industry and activity. Now all that you hear are the cries of birds and the splash of fish in the slowly retreating tide.
The quay fell into disrepair in the 19th century due to it falling out of use after the arrival of the railways to the region. Thankfully it was restored in the 1930s by Mrs Hext of Trebah. She arranged for the derelict quay to be rebuilt, put in place the public right of way and built the stone stiles along the route. All this so that local people could enjoy the wildlife and the river.
These days Scott’s Quay is one of the very few places that still allows free public access to the Helford river.
On the quay you will find a small board with some local history information. And a note of welcome from the present owners, the Pugh family of Goongillings Farm.
This family came to Goongillings in 1954 and have kindly continued Mrs Hext’s plan of keeping this spot unspoilt and open for the community to enjoy.
Final Thoughts
There are some excellent walks in and around Constantine village well worth exploring and more permissive paths through the woods near Scotts Quay have recently been opened to the public.
So many bucolic spots were once industrial. Here in New England that is very true about abandoned large brick buildings next to rivers.
One of my favourite discuisings of Cornwall’s inductrial past is the Eden Project, in an old clay mine. Blew me away!
A beautiful spot. Filed away for when I next get down to Falmouth 🙂
I’ve added this to my list of places to visit on my next trip to Kernow. My Pascoe ancestors were granite masons from Constantine, so I could be walking in their footsteps there! Thank you for all your beautifully written posts and lovely photos & videos – they are much appreciated when you’ve been stuck in an office all day!
Ah – Hello fellow Pascoe Person! I have the Pascoe name and Cornish ancestors too – but from Porthleven area. My great grandfather was a blacksmith in the village. My grandfather was a carpenter as a lad, but was sent off to sea to recover from tuberculosis and become, eventually, a merchant navy captain, as was my dad and uncle and brother – thus traditions take sideways shifts!
Yeah Im going to check this place out, pick some mushroons, and go into a voyage in my mind, to a place where we are no longer slaves, but fee people, able to trod the land of our ancestors and feel like real human beings once more.