Part 1
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EXCURSIONS
IN
CORNWALL.
EXCURSIONS
IN THE
COUNTY OF CORNWALL,
COMPRISING A CONCISE
HISTORICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL DELINEATION OF THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES,
TOGETHER WITH
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE RESIDENCES OF THE NOBILITY AND GENTRY,
Remains of Antiquity,
AND EVERY OTHER INTERESTING OBJECT OF CURIOSITY;
FORMING A COMPLETE GUIDE FOR THE TRAVELLER AND TOURIST;
BY
F. W. L. STOCKDALE,
AUTHOR OF “ANTIQUITIES OF KENT,” &c. &c.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED FOR THE PROPRIETORS, BY SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL, STATIONERS’ COURT; AND KNIGHT AND LACEY, PATERNOSTER-ROW.
1824.
WITHAM AND MALDON: PRINTED BY P. YOUNGMAN.
TO THE MOST NOBLE
WILLIAM SPENCER CAVENDISH,
DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE,
MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON, LORD LIEUTENANT AND CUSTOS ROTULORUM OF DERBYSHIRE, HIGH STEWARD OF DERBY, AND D.C.L.
MY LORD,
The kind attention which I have received from your Lordship on several occasions, will never be forgotten; and as a small token of gratitude, I beg leave to dedicate this further proof of my humble endeavours, to your Lordship.
Considering the great improvements which have been made in the Fine Arts, within the last fifty years, it is greatly to be regretted that many deserving artists have gone unrewarded, at least their endeavours have not been properly and liberally encouraged. It is true, my Lord, there are many public exhibitions for the sale of works of art; but the privileges of them have been so much abused, that many artists of considerable eminence, decline sending their performances to them. If the Nobility of this kingdom were to employ artists to make drawings of the antiquities and picturesque scenery of the several counties, from which their titles are derived, it would not only be a considerable benefit to them, but their works would become more generally known and admired.[1]
Although his Majesty’s Government has lately voted the expenditure of a considerable sum, for the erection of a _National Gallery_, and the purchase of Mr. Angerstein’s Pictures, which is highly to be commended; yet still there is much want of an institution, whereby the artists of this country could find a certain sale for their performances, at such prices as would enable them to live in some degree of respectability: at present many of them are obliged to have recourse to the picture dealers, who, in most instances, take every advantage of their necessities: but in expressing this opinion, I hope, my Lord, I may not be deemed invidious, and trust those persons who are acquainted with the Arts, will coincide with me.
The liberal encouragement which your Lordship has shewn, in promoting not only the Fine Arts, but every other science, merits the highest commendation; and I sincerely hope your Lordship’s example will be followed by many other Noblemen, who possess the means of promoting them.
Wishing your Lordship every success in your endeavours to collect the most choice and rare works of art,
I have the honor to remain, With the greatest respect, Your Lordship’s most obliged Servant, F. W. L. STOCKDALE.
LONDON, MAY 1, 1824.
INTRODUCTION.
On the completion of the present volume, the Author begs to observe, that owing to the great distance of the County of Cornwall from the Metropolis, its hilly surface, and other unforeseen circumstances, his endeavours have been greatly retarded; the great interest, however, which is attached to the county in a commercial point of view, much more its importance to the antiquarian and geologist, will, it is presumed, render the work highly interesting. Although much has already been written upon this county, most of the works extant are either calculated as books of reference, or deficient in graphical embellishments. The trouble and expense which has attended the collection of the several views contained in the work, has been very great; for as the Author was desirous of selecting the most picturesque subjects, he has been compelled to visit almost every place in the county.
When the work was first announced, the Author regrets to state that many gentlemen declined to promote his endeavours, from the circumstance of his being a stranger to them; and many unforeseen difficulties have also presented themselves; but perseverance will, it is presumed, overcome most impediments. It is to be regretted that Cornwall contains so few Noblemen and Gentlemens’ Seats, compared with other Counties; but the kind assistance the Author has received from several eminent characters, will always be remembered. To Sir William Lemon, Sir Christopher Hawkins, the late Sir A. Molesworth, Joseph Carne, Esq., J. T. Austin, Esq., Colonel Trevanion, the Rev. George Moore, Jun., and the Rev. John Wallis, of Bodmin, he feels particularly indebted.
Owing to ill health a few years ago, the Author was unfortunately compelled to relinquish the situation of Assistant to the Military Secretary, East India Company; but from the feeling which he has always possessed for the picturesque, and as travelling agrees much better with his health, it is the Author’s intention to endeavour to bring to light many of the hidden Relics of Antiquity, which the several Counties of England contain. Much has already been done; and considering the improved state of the Arts, there is now sufficient talent in this country for the publication of works in any branch. It is also the Author’s intention, with some exceptions, to retrace the steps of the late Francis Grose, the celebrated antiquarian; for since his time, many antient buildings have been considerably altered; and such as were published in his work upon antiquities, were made when the art of engraving was not so generally known. The completion, however, of any work upon a similar plan to the present volume, is certainly most preferable; and will, it is presumed, be found not only useful to the tourist, but valuable to the lovers of the picturesque.
As an Antiquary, few Gentlemen possessed a higher claim to notice than the late Samuel Lysons, Esq., F. A. S.; and the Author cannot but participate in the feelings which exist with every one who knew him; especially in deploring the great loss the country has sustained by his lamented death.
In concluding, the Author begs to return his grateful acknowledgments to those Noblemen and Gentlemen who have been pleased to subscribe to the work; and takes the liberty of stating, that he is now engaged in completing a similar one, relative to the County of Devonshire, which he hopes will also meet their approbation.
LONDON, MAY 1, 1824.
EXCURSIONS THROUGH CORNWALL.
Cornwall is the most western county in England, and is almost wholly surrounded by the sea, excepting the eastern side, which is partly separated from Devonshire by the Tamar river. The greatest length of the county from Moorwinstow to the Land’s End, is nearly 90 miles; but its greatest breadth from Moorwinstow on the north, to Ram Head on the south, does not exceed 43 miles, and diminishes gradually till it is only, from Mount’s Bay to St. Ives, little more than seven miles. Its form, therefore, nearly resembles a horn, or as some historians term it, a cornucopia.—The surface of the county being extremely difficult to compute, owing to the many promontories and juttings on the coast, is stated at about 210 miles, containing 758,484 acres, but is supposed to have been much larger in former times.
According to the works of the most respectable historians, the original name of Cornwall was CERWYN, and so called from its peculiar shape. The antient inhabitants were also called _Carnibii_, or _Cerwyn and Gwyr_, or Men of the Promontory; but after the Roman invasion, that name is supposed by _Borlase_, to have been latinized into _Cornubia_, which it retained till the Saxons imposed the name of _Weales_ on the Britons driven by them west of the rivers Severn and Dee, calling their county in the Latin tongue, _Wallia_; after which, finding the Britons had retreated not only into Wales, but into the more western extremities of the island, the Latinists changed Cornubia into Cornwallia; a name not only expressive of the many natural promontories of the county, but also that the inhabitants were Britons of the same nation and descent as those of Wales; and from this Cornwallia, the name of Cornwall is derived.
The population of the county, according to the returns of 1811, was 216,667, and 28,398 greater than it was 10 years previous; but by the late census, amounts to 261,000, the extraordinary increase of about 45,000 in the last 10 years.—It is divided into nine hundreds, 203 parishes, (of which 85 are Rectories, 100 Vicarages, and 18 Curacies,) 30 market towns, and now returns _forty-two_ members to Parliament.
The climate of this county has long been noted for its mildness and salubrity. Its inhabitants in respect to longevity, are said to surpass every other county in England, and Carew says, “that 80 and 90 years is common in every place, and in most persons accompanied with an able use of the body and senses.” In the parish where he resided, an instance is mentioned of the decease of four persons, within 14 weeks space, whose united ages amounted to 340 years. Various instances of the longevity of the inhabitants of Cornwall, are also recorded by _Borlase_ and other subsequent writers. As a proof of the mildness of the climate, even the most tender shrubs and plants, such as _myrtles_, _hydrangea_, _geraniums_, _Balm of Gilead_, _&c._ live and thrive the whole year in the open ground, and in many parts, grow to the greatest state of perfection. Notwithstanding so much rain falls in Cornwall, heavy showers are not, however, so frequent as in other counties.—The storms which occur, are very severe, but are considered extremely conducive to the healthiness of the inhabitants, by clearing the air of the pernicious vapours which exhale from the mines, leaving in their room, the vivifying qualities wafted by the genial breezes of the ocean.—The winters, in general, are very mild; frosts are of short duration; and snow seldom lies upon the ground more than three or four days. Mr. Worgan, the author of a work upon the Agriculture of Cornwall, says, “a kind of languid spring prevails through the winter, which brings forth early buds and blossoms, raising the expectations of agriculturists, to be too often disappointed by blighting north-east winds, in March, April, and even so late as May.”
The cause of such frequent rains in Cornwall is, that for three-fourths of the year, the wind blows from the intermediate points of the south and west, and sweeping over a vast tract of the Atlantic Ocean, collects large bodies of clouds, which being intersected in their passage by the hills, descend in frequent showers. Notwithstanding the salubrity of the climate of Cornwall, the harvests in general, are much later than in midland counties; but owing to the great improvements which have been made of late years in agriculture, the corn which it produces, is equal, if not superior, to any other.
The sterile and rugged aspect of many parts of the county, (especially the road from Launceston to Truro, which presents, excepting the town of Bodmin, almost nothing but extensive and waste moors,) impresses the minds of travellers with a very unfavourable opinion of the county; but the admirers of the picturesque will always be delighted with the beauty of its numerous valleys and more cultivated parts. On the other hand, Cornwall, from its maritime situation, and the numerous mines with which it abounds, possesses many advantages. To an antiquarian it will always be highly interesting, as _few_ other counties contain so many _Druidical and Roman remains_. The mineralogist will always have an endless source for amusement in the great variety of mineral specimens which it presents to his notice.
The north and south parts of the county are divided by a ridge of barren and rugged hills, running from east to west, like a distorted back bone. The most remarkable hills are _Brown-Willy_, _Roughton_, and _Henborough_; the first being no less than 1,368 feet above the level of the sea.
The most considerable _rivers_ in the county, are the _Tamar_, the _Lynher_, the _Looe_, the _Fowey_, the _Fal_, and the _Camel_ or _Alan_.
The _Tamar_ rises in the northern side of the county, in the parish of Moorwinstow, and with little variation, pursues a southerly direction, for nearly 40 miles, when it unites with the _Lynher Creek_, and ultimately forms the spacious harbour of Harmoaze, between Plymouth Dock and Saltash. The banks of this river, which is the most considerable in the West of England, are richly diversified with rocks and woods, and the scenery in many parts of its course is extremely beautiful.[2]
The _Lynher_ rises in the parish of Alternon, eight miles north-west of Launceston, and after running a circuitous course of 24 miles, spreads itself into the form of a lake, near St. Germains, (called Lynher Creek) and ultimately unites with the Tamar, about a mile below Saltash.
The _Looe_ rises in the parish of St. Cleer, and taking a course of seven or eight miles, meets the tide at Sand Place, becomes navigable, and at the distance of three miles empties itself into the sea, between the towns of East and West Looe.
The _Fowey_ rises from a well near Brown-Willy, one of the highest hills in Cornwall, between Lanson and Bodmin. It flows for some miles in a southerly direction, turns suddenly to the west, and pursues a course of some miles, till it meets the tide at Lostwithiel, and ultimately falls into the sea at Fowey. The scenery on the banks of the river from Lostwithiel to Fowey, is remarkably beautiful and picturesque.
The _Fal_, which is the most considerable river in the centre of the county, rises about two miles west of Roche Rocks, and after a course of 12 miles, meets the tide below Tregony, and passing Tregothnan Park, joins Truro and St. Clement’s Creeks, which are navigable to Truro Quay and Tresilian Bridge; from its junction with those creeks, after flowing four or five miles, it forms the principal branches of Falmouth Harbour, named Carrick and King’s Road.
The river _Alan_ or _Camel_, rises on the north-east side of the county, near Camelford, and after a circuitous course of 12 miles, becomes navigable for barges at Egleshale, near Wadebridge, from whence it flows into the harbour of Padstow. On all these rivers, as well as others of less note, great quantities of sea sand are carried in barges for manure, and sold to the farmers at a very reasonable rate.
The most considerable _lake_ in Cornwall, is the _Loo Pool_, near Helston, and which is about two miles long and a furlong wide, formed of a bar of pebbles, sand, and shingles, forced up against the mouth of the creek, by the south-west winds; but in the winter time, the whole valley between the sea and Helston, is frequently covered with water.
_Dosmery Pool_, is a piece of water about a mile in circumference, lying in the parish of Alternon, on the borders of St. Cleer parish, and said by _Leland_, to be 15 fathoms deep, but which, upon trial, a few years back, was found to be only nine feet. It is formed and supplied by water which drains from the neighbouring hills.
Between Budock and Falmouth is a piece of water, near half a mile in length, and secured from the sea, by a bar of sand and shingles, called _Swan Pool_, from the circumstance of its having had many swans kept on it some years ago.
The _Soils_ of Cornwall chiefly consist of three species: first, the _black growan_ or _gravelly_; second, the _shelfy_ or _slaty_; third, loams differing in texture, colours, and degrees of fertility.
The first abounds in the high lands, and consists of a light, moory, black earth, intermixed with small particles of granite or gravel. The earthy parts of this are so exceedingly light, that in a dry summer, as Dr. Borlase observes, the sun quickly exhales its moisture, and in a wet summer or winter, much of the vegetable soil is washed from the tilled grounds. This soil is in general very productive, and fit for any kind of grain. The shelfy or slaty soil is far the most prevalent, and is distinguished by this name from having a large proportion of the schistus, or rotten slaty matter mixed with the light loam, of which its soil is composed. With sand and more viscuous earths, it makes an excellent compost, and produces great crops of wheat and barley. In congenial situations, barley has frequently been sown, reaped, and threshed, in less than nine weeks. This soil is not unfrequently mixed with _quartz_, provincially called _spar_, and according as this prevails, its value is lessened. When a dun or ironstone is found, it is considered a fortunate circumstance, being a certain indication of the incumbent soil.
Of the _Loamy Soils_, there are many very rich and fertile patches, interpersed in different parts of the county; and the low grounds, declivities, banks of the rivers and town-lands are composed of them. Some of these are incumbent on a subsoil of clay, and partake more or less of it in their composition. With respect to _Clays_, Cornwall presents endless varieties; good bricks are made from some of them, and in the parish of Lelant, there is an excellent species for making furnaces and ovens. A clay of a slaty nature, but soapy to the touch, is found near Liskeard, and has fertilizing powers; but the Serpentine, with veins of _steatite_, near the Lizard, is the most curious of all the earthy substances found in Cornwall, although very little of it has been used for some years in the porcelain manufactures. Large quantities of a fine white clay, found in the parish of St. Stephen near St. Austell, is exported annually, and is now become an important article of commerce.
The mineralogical substances of Cornwall are more abundant than any other county in England, and the variety and beauty of them affords an abundant source for the scientific enquirer. Of the stones most entitled to precedence, is the _granite_, or _moor stone_, which abounds in great quantities in almost every part of the county. Granite is an aggregate of _felspar_, _quartz_, and _mica_, and is found of different colours and texture. Most of the churches and gentlemen’s seats in the county are built with this stone, also the Waterloo Bridge in London, and which was exported at a very great expense. It is frequently cut into pillars, as supporters to buildings, and is very serviceable as gate posts, bridges over rivers, rollers, troughs, and many other purposes.
Another species of stone very prevalent in Cornwall, is distinguished by the name of _Killas_. It is a schistus, and forms the most considerable substratum in the county. It varies in texture and colour, some being hard, others more pliable and laniated, and of a blueish yellow, and ferrugineous brown; but either forms an excellent material for building.
The worst sort of stone found in Cornwall, is an opaque whitish debased crystal, generally called spar, and lies loose on the surface of the ground, in almost every parish. It is, however, useful for making fences and for repairing the roads.