Part 7
A very considerable trade is carried on here in iron, coals, timber, groceries, and merchandize in general. Padstow has a market weekly, and two fairs annually. These are now little more than mere holiday fairs; though within these 60 years they were well supplied with cattle, cloth, hats, &c. Leland, speaking of this town, says—“There use many Britons with smaul shippes to resorte to Padestowe, with commodities of their countrey, and to by fische: the town of Padestowe is ful of Irisch men: there is a large exporte of corne.” Carew again says—“It hath lately purchased a corporation, and reapeth greatest thrift by traffiking with Ireland, for which it commodiously lieth.” We have not been able to learn any thing about the charter of corporation alluded to by Carew, and are assured that the town has no such charter. The principal import-trade, for iron, is from Cardiff; coals, from Wales; timber, from Norway; and groceries, and bale goods, from Bristol: and considerable quantities of corn are still exported; the other principal exports are malt and block-tin.
In the _Church_, an antique building, situated at the head of the town, are several handsome memorials: that of Sir Nicholas Prideaux, Knt., who was Carew’s contemporary, and died in 1627, commemorates also Sir William Morice, who married a daughter of Humphrey Prideaux: “he was knighted,” says his epitaph, “by King Charles II., on his landing at Dover, and afterwards made Secretary of State and a Privy Counsellor, in consequence of his great services in bringing about the Restoration, by his influence with General Monk. He died at Werrington, in 1676, aged 75.” The learned Dr. Humphrey Prideaux, Dean of Norwich, was a grandson of Sir Nicholas above-mentioned, and was born at Padstow, in 1648. Dr. Prideaux, who was educated at Liskeard school, besides his well-known work on the connexion between the Old and New Testaments, published “The True Nature of Imposture fully displayed in the Life of Mahomet.”—The _Font_, in this antient building, is in itself a curious relic of antiquity, decorated with effigies of the twelve Apostles.
There are several antient _Chapels_ in this parish. That of St. Saviour, of which the east wall remains, stood on the brink of the precipice which overlooks the town: near Place-house, at the top of the town, was St. Sampson’s chapel: at Trethyllic, near Place grounds, was a chapel with a cemetery: between St. Saviour’s, and Stepper-point, was another chapel, the name of which is not known: and about a mile and a half from the town, that of St. Cadock, which had a tower, the pinnacles of which were used in rebuilding that of Little Petherick church.
One of the schools founded by the trustees of the Rev. St. John Elliot’s charitable donations (1760;) and endowed with £5 per annum each, was established in Padstow. Two Sunday-schools, and several Day-schools, have also been established; by which several institutions for relieving the poor, and encouraging the industrious, are supported.
Padstow contains, according to the late returns, 1702 inhabitants, or an increase of 204, since the year 1811.
On Sander’s Hill, a handsome residence was erected a few years ago, at a very considerable expense, by the late Thomas Rawlings, Esq., but which is about to be taken down, owing to the death of that gentleman, and as the property cannot be disposed of.
_Place-House_, the seat of the Rev. Charles Prideaux Brune, situated a little distance above the church, is an antient embattled mansion. It contains a few remarkable fine family portraits, and other works of art. The house has been lately beautified and enlarged at a considerable expense, and may now be ranked as one of the finest residences in the county. The western front with its circular tower and Gothic library window, has a very handsome effect.
The _Rocks_ off the coast in the neighbourhood of Padstow, and the sand banks on the coast, not always visible at low water, have been the cause of many shipwrecks, and scarcely a winter passes without the occurrence of such dreadful calamities. The Rev. Mr. Warner, in his Tour through Cornwall, speaking of the dangerous rocks off this coast, says, “their black perpendicular heads frown inevitable destruction on every vessel that approaches them, and seldom does one of the unhappy crew survive to tell the horrors of the wreck.”
Again she plunges! hark a second shock Tears her strong bottom on the marble rock. Down on the vale of death, with dismal cries, The fated victims shuddering roll their eyes In wild despair, while yet another stroke With deep convulsions rends the solid oak: ’Till like the mine, in whose infernal cell The lurking dæmons of destruction dwell, At length asunder torn, her frame divides, And crashing spreads in ruin o’er the tides.
Quitting Padstow, the lover of the picturesque will be much delighted with the village of LITTLE PETHERICK, where a bridge across the road, an old mill, the church, a few rustic cottages, and some luxuriant foliage, form a picture highly interesting.
After crossing the river Camel at Wadebridge, over which there is a bridge, built in the year 1485, of 17 Gothic arches, and 320 feet long, in the parish of EGLESHALE, is _Peucarrow_, the handsome seat of Sir Arscott O’Molesworth, Bart. The house has lately undergone a complete repair, and is fitted up in an elegant style, with a good library, billiard room, and the usual comforts attached to a gentleman’s residence. Here are also a few good pictures, but mostly portraits. The gardens and hot-houses are very beautiful, and kept in excellent order.
In the _Church_ of Egleshale, is a very handsome carved stone pulpit, and a neat monument to the memory of Sir John Molesworth and his lady.
The road from hence to Camelford, a distance of 11 miles, contains little to interest the traveller, excepting perhaps, the celebrated _Slate Quarry_ of _Delabole_, in the parish of St. Teath, and which has been already described in page 7.
The town of CAMELFORD is a place of considerable antiquity, and has returned members to Parliament, since the reign of Edward VI. The right of election is vested in the freemen, and the town is governed by a Mayor and eight Burgesses.
Although it is a place of but little trade, yet it has a market weekly, and four fairs annually, at which great quantities of cattle are bought and sold.
The _Town Hall_ is a neat structure, built a few years ago, at the expense of the late Duke of Bedford.
According to tradition, the neighbourhood of Camelford is remarkable as having been the site of a memorable battle fought between King Arthur and his treacherous nephew, Mordred; in which the former was slain, and his troops routed with considerable loss.
About five miles north-west of Camelford, is TINTAGELL, in which parish, the small Borough-town of BOSSINEY is situated; but as far as regards appearances, this town can only rank as a village of the meanest description, although it has returned members since the reign of Edward VI. It contains about 140 houses, but the number of voters seldom exceed 14 or 15, the right of election being chiefly confined to certain individuals possessing the property.
Among its noble representatives are ranked the great Sir Francis Drake, Sir Thomas Cottington, Secretary of State to Charles I., and Sir Richard Weston, afterwards Earl of Portland and Lord Treasurer in the same reign.[33] But the most interesting circumstance relative to Tintagell, is its being the reputed birth-place of the renowned King Arthur; respecting whom, it was the opinion of Lord Chancellor Bacon, that there was truth enough in history to make him famous, besides that which was fabulous. His history, however, has been so blended with the marvellous, by the monkish historians, that some authors have been disposed to doubt even his having ever existed; and certainly the circumstances connected with his asserted birth at Tintagell, are not among those parts of his story which are most entitled to credit.
The certainty, however, that there has been a _Castle_ at this place, cannot be imaginary, even if we only judge from the ruins now existing; but as far as regards its origin, there are many different accounts, and none, perhaps, whose authority can be relied on. That there should have been a castle erected here, in the time of the antients, is very probable, as few places are so well calculated for the mode of warfare then in practice. The commanding and open situation of this spot, with other concurrent circumstances, leave but little doubt that this fortress was erected long previous to the Conquest. “The ruins now existing, consist of two divisions, one scattered over the face of the main promontory, and another over the peninsula, which is severed from it. The walls of the former are garetted and pierced with many little square holes, for the discharge of arrows. They seem to have included within them, two narrow courts. At the upper end of the most southern of them, are the remains of several stone steps, leading probably to the parapet of the walls. Here the ramparts were high and strong, this being the quarter overlooked by the neighbouring hill. As they wound round to the west, however, less labour had been expended upon their structure, for a hideous precipice of 300 feet deep, to the edge of which they were carried, prevented the fear of any assault in that quarter. The works on the peninsula had been anciently connected with those on the mainland, by a draw-bridge thrown across the chasm, in the division above mentioned.”[34] This however had gone to decay in Leland’s time, and the only means of approaching this part are by a dangerous and narrow ascent, winding up the cliffs on the western side.
Leland’s description is curious.—“This castelle hath bene a marvelus strong and notable forteres, and almost _situ loci inexpugnabile_, especially for the dungeon, that is on a great high terrible cragge, environed with the se, but having a draw-bridge from the residew of the castelle unto it. There is yet a chapel standing withyn this dungeon of S. Ulette _alias_ Ulianne. Shepe now fede within the dungeon. The residew of the buildinges of the castel be sore wetherbeten and yn ruine, but it hath beene a large thinge.” In another place he says—“The castel had be lykhod three wardes, wherof two be woren away with gulfing yn of the se: withowte the isle renneth alonly a gate howse, a walle, and a fals braye dyged and walled. In the isle remayne old walles, and yn the est parte of the same, the grownd beyng lower, remayneth a walle embatteled, and men alyve saw ther yn a postern, a dore of yren. There is in the isle a prety chapel, with a tumbe on the left syde.” Carew’s and Norden’s accounts of Tintagell castle are nearly similar; the latter of these, indeed, appears to have been taken from the former. “Half the buildings,” says Carew, “were raised on the continent, and the other halfe on an iland, continued together (within men’s remembrance) by a drawebridge, but now divorced by the downefaln steepe cliffes, on the farther side, which, though it shut out the sea from his wonted recourse, hath yet more strengthened the iland; for in passing thither you must first descend with a dangerous declyning, and then make a worse ascent, by a path, through his stickleness occasioning, and through his steepnesse threatning, the ruine of your life, with the falling of your foote. At the top, two or three terrifying steps give you entrance to the hill, which supplieth pasture for sheepe and conyes: upon the same I saw a decayed chappell. Under the iland runs a cave, through which you may rowe at full sea, but not without a kinde of horrour at the uncouthnesse of the place.” Norden is rather more particular in his description of the ascent to the island “by a very narrow rockye and wyndinge waye up the steepe sea-clyffe, under which the sea-waves wallow, and so assayle the foundation of the ile, as may astonish an unstable mayne to consider the perill, for the least slipp of the foote sendes the whole bodye into the devouringe sea; and the worste of all is the highest of all, nere the gate of entraunce into the hill, where the offensive stones so exposed hang over the head, as while a man respecteth his footinge, he indaungers his head; and lookinge to save the head, indaungers the footinge accordinge to the old proverbe; _Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim_. He must have his eyes that will scale Tintagell. Most of the iland buyldings are ruyned.” It appears by the view of Tintagell annexed to Norden’s description, that a great part of the building on the main land was in his time standing.
The immense height of the cliffs on which these ruins are situated, the desolated aspect of the surrounding country, and the grandeur of the ocean raging beneath, all conspire to form a scene truly sublime, and cannot fail to make a lasting impression on the mind of those who have visited this interesting spot.
O’er Cornwall’s cliffs the tempests roar’d, High the screaming Sea Mew soar’d On Tintagel’s topmast tow’r, Darksome fell the sleety show’r, Round the rough Castle shrilly sung The whistling blast, and wildly flung On each tall rampart’s thund’ring side The surges of the trembling tide. When Arthur rang’d his red-cross ranks, On conscious Camban’s crimson banks, By Mordred’s faithless guide decreed, Beneath a Saxon spear to bleed!
_Wharton’s Poems, p. 95._
After the Conquest, Tintagell Castle became the occasional residence of several of our English Princes, and here Richard, Earl of Cornwall, entertained his nephew, David, Prince of Wales, when the latter rebelled against the King in 1245.
In subsequent centuries, almost within a few years of the commencement of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it had, like other fortresses in this county, a governor, (being annexed to the Duchy of Cornwall) and was occasionally used as a state prison. The remains are now fast mouldering to decay; and in a few years, perhaps, not a vestige will be standing, to shew where grandeur had once usurped its despotic power.
The _Church_ of Tintagell was formerly appropriated to the abbess and convent of Fontevralt in Normandy, and having passed in the same manner as Leighton-Buzzard in Bedfordshire, was given by King Edward IV. to the collegiate church at Windsor; the Dean and Chapter of which church have now the great tithes, and are patrons of the vicarage. There were chapels in this parish dedicated to St. Piran and St. Dennis, besides that in the castle of Tintagell.
At Tintagell is a Charity-school, supported by the mayor and free burgesses, who pay a salary of £10 per annum to the master.
About two miles from hence, over a rocky road, is BOSCASTLE, a small village, in a very romantic situation. Here a pilchard fishery has been established some years, but with little success to the adventurers.
The _Quay_ has been greatly improved, and several new buildings erected.—This place had formerly a _Castle_, the antient residence of the Bottreaux family; but it was entirely gone prior to Leland’s time.
In the _Church_ is the following epitaph for the Rev. W. Cotton and his wife, who died within a short time of each other.
Forty-nine years they lived man and wife, And what’s more rare, thus many without strife, The first departing, he a few weeks tried To live without her, could not and so died.
The road from hence to Stratton, is highly pleasing, and presents many fine prospects of the surrounding country.
The village of ST. MARY WEEK is noticed by Carew, as the birth-place of _Thomasine Bonaventure_, who, although a poor cottager’s daughter, had the good fortune to marry for her last husband, (the last of three,) Sir John Percival, a wealthy merchant, and Lord Mayor of London; at whose death she became possessed of a large property. She retired to this, her native village, where she spent the remainder of her life and fortune in acts of unbounded charity.
STRATTON is a small market town, standing rather in a low situation, 223 miles from London, and 18 from Launceston, but noted in history as the place where a great victory was obtained during the civil wars by the King’s forces, in consideration of which, Sir Ralph Hopton was in 1643, created Lord Hopton of Stratton. The parliamentary force amounted to upwards of 5000 men, with 13 pieces of ordnance, and although the troops of the King were very inferior, they fought with such desperate fury, that the enemy were completely defeated, their baggage, ammunition and ordnance, being all lost. A few years after the death of Lord Hopton, Sir John Berkeley was created Baron Berkeley of Stratton, but the title became extinct in 1773. In the year 1797, Lord de Dunstanville was created Baron Basset of Stratton, with remainder to his daughter and her issue male.[35]
The market is on Tuesday, and there are here held three fairs annually. The former appears to have been held by prescription: it is for corn and provisions. Camden states this parish to have been famous for gardens and garlick: there are now no gardens in the neighbourhood, but such as are cultivated for private use, nor is it remarkable for the culture of garlick, although it is occasionally to be seen in the market, where it is purchased by the cattle doctors.
The manors of Stratton and Binamy belonged, at an early period, to an antient family, called in various records, De Albo Monasterio, Blanchminster, and Whitminster. Sir John de Blanchminster dying without issue, towards the latter part of the fourteenth century, these estates passed to Emmeline, only daughter and heir to Sir Richard Hiwis, who had married Alice, daughter of Sir Ralph de Blanchminster, and aunt of Sir John: this Emmeline first married Sir Robert Tresilian, Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, and after his death, Sir John Coleshill, to whom Guy de Blanchminster, rector of Lansallos, released in 1393 all right in the manors of Stratton, Binamy, &c. Sir John Coleshill, son of the above, who was killed in the battle of Agincourt in 1415, left an infant son; after whose death, in 1483, the large estates of this family passed by a female heir to a younger branch of the Arundells, soon extinct, and were afterwards in severalties among its numerous representatives. The manors of Binamy and Stratton, having been purchased by the Grenville family, passed with the Kilkhampton estate, and are now the property of Lord Carteret. Binamy Castle, which appears to have been built by Ralph de Blanchminster, in or about the year 1335, is spoken of as a seat of the Coleshills by William of Worcester, who made a tour through Cornwall in the reign of Edward IV. Borlase describes the house of the Blanchminsters as having been situated half a mile from Stratton, and a furlong from the antient causeway made by that family: on this estate, now called Binhamy, is a farm-house, a little to the west of which is a moated orchard, described in Camden’s map as a square fort, and called Binnoway.
The _Church_ contains several antient memorials, one of which, with the effigy of a knight in armour, is supposed to be intended for Ralph de Blanchminster, who was Lord of the Manor at a very early period. In the parish-register occurs the following remarkable instance of longevity:—“Elizabeth Cornish, widow, buried March 10th, 1691. This Elizabeth Cornish was baptized in October, 1578: her father’s name was John Veale: she was, when she died, in the 114th year, having lived at least 113 years, four months, and 15 days.” It appears also by the register, that not less than 153 persons died of the plague in this small town, in the year 1547: and in 1729, out of 49 persons buried, 42 fell victims to that destructive distemper the small-pox.
The lands given to the church of Stratton, for the maintenance of the poor of the parish are very considerable, and chiefly vested in eight persons, who have the appropriation of the rent of them.—There is also in the church, the following epitaph, to the memory of one of these eight trustees, and which is rather a curious piece of composition.
Near by this place interr’d does lye, One of the eight whose memory Will last, and fragrant be to all posterity. He did revive the Stock and Store, He built the Almshouse for the poor; Manag’d so well was the revenue ne’er before. The Church he lov’d and beautified, His highest glory and his pride, The sacred Altar shews his private zeale besides. A Book he left for all to view, The accounts which are both just and true; His owne discharge, and a good precedent for you. Be silent then of him who’s gone, Touch not I mean, an imperfection, For he a pardon has from the Almighty throne. Look to your ways, each to his trust, That when you thus are laid in dust, Your actions may appear as righteous and as just.
About two miles north from Stratton, is the small port of BUDE, which is much resorted to in the summer season for sea-bathing. The trade of this place will be greatly increased when the _Canal_, now making, is completed: the chief exports are timber, bark, and oats; the imports, coal and lime-stone from Wales, and groceries, &c., from Bristol. The harbour, on account of its sands, is best adapted to vessels not exceeding 60 tons burden: but occasionally, vessels of from 80 to 90 tons enter it; and one of more than 90 tons was built at Bude in 1813 for the trade of this port. Great quantities of sea sand are carried from hence for manure, not only into the neighbouring parishes, but into the north of Devonshire, to the distance of 20 miles and upwards.
KILKHAMPTON, about four miles north of East Stratton, is remarkable for the singular beauty of its _Church_. It is a large edifice, said to have been erected by a Baron of the Grenville line, who came into England with William the Conqueror, and whose arms are sculptured in many parts of the building.
The whole fabric is a light and rich piece of workmanship, particularly the southern entrance, a semicircular arch, round which is a very curious zig-zag Anglo-Norman moulding, in fine preservation. The interior contains three aisles, divided by slender pillars, supporting obtuse Gothic arches, and has an elegant appearance. It is embellished with several handsome memorials, but the most remarkable one is, the monument of Sir Beville Grenville,[36] who was slain in the civil wars; and as Hervey says, “swords and spears, murdering engines and instruments of slaughter, adorn the stone with formidable magnificence.” It bears the following inscription: