• Knowing Our Boundaries • Keen Eyes at Old Kea

AN UPDATE FROM CORNWALL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S AREA REPRESENTATIVES

Any opinions or errors in these articles are those of the authors and must not be assumed to be those of Cornwall Archaeological Society.

JUNE 2019

Issue 31 This month:  KNOWING OUR BOUNDARIES  KEEN EYES AT OLD KEA  PAINTING WHITECROSS  NEWS FROM PENWITH  DISPATCHES FROM VICE-ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD  KERDROYA  BROADCAST FROM BODMIN  STOP PRESS: APPEAL FOR INFORMATION!!!!

KNOWING OUR BOUNDARIES

Rosy Hanns has immersed herself in a massive endeavour to plot and record the numerous boundary stones in Cornwall. No doubt many of us have stumbled across (or even over) these mysterious objects while out and about and have wondered what the letters carved on them once signified. Though not the most impressive of features, they may indicate estate ownership or parish or other boundaries, and therefore help to tell the story of local land-use, social structures and power at the time of their placement.

Rosy has sent in photographs of stones she has discovered around Treslea Downs in Cardinham and Warleggan parishes. The map below shows various stones plotted in 1881; now Rosy is recording these in order to inform Cornwall Council’s Historic Environment record (which can be found at https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/community-and-living/mapping/).

Treslea Downs from the 1881 Ordnance Survey Six- inch to the mile map XXVII.SW.

Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/copyright.html

Spotting these stones on old maps is one thing; actually finding them on the ground is something else, as Rosy has found. Here are some of the 7 stones she has located on Treslea Downs:

The stone at SX 14667 68808. More research is needed but Rosy has suggested that the ‘A’ indicates land owned by the Agar-Robartes family of Lanhydrock.

Photo: Rosy Hanns

The boundary stone at SX 14160 68334.

Photo: Rosy Hanns

The stone at SX is somewhat different and would appear to mark the boundary between Cardinham and Warleggan parishes.

Photo: Rosy Hanns

It is only by such painstaking research of once commonplace features like this that historians and archaeologists can build an accurate understanding of the historic environment, so Rosy deserves great praise for undertaking the task.

KEEN EYES AT OLD KEA

Area Rep Sheila James was alerted to work at Old Kea and has provided the following report of her investigations thus far:

The 15th century tower of Old Kea Church

Photo: Sheila James

Old Kea churchyard is normally a quiet spot. Recently however it has been the site of considerable activity as volunteers have been clearing part of the churchyard, and a new disabled access and parking area are planned.

In February CAS member Nigel Baker contacted the society to say that a number of trees in the churchyard had been felled, and the clearance work had exposed the old churchyard boundary wall. The wall appeared to contain a number of regular holes, perhaps indicating that it had been the wall of an old building. AR Sheila James visited the site and reported that the trees had been felled due to

disease. At that point the wall was still covered with ivy but it was possible to see that the holes do go right through, and there also appear to be similar holes in the wall in front of the chapel.

Old Kea Churchyard wall Photo: Sheila James

A follow-up visit was made in May to see how the work was progressing. By this time much of the area behind the chapel had been cleared and volunteers were busy tidying up the site. The ivy had been completely cleared exposing the whole length of the wall. The section immediately behind the chapel had at one time been plastered and painted, indicating it had been part of a small building. Judging from the rusty ironwork left behind, it was thought that this could have been the churchyard privy! Further up the wall there is a short section which appears to be the gable wall of a building on the far side, and beyond this the wall seems to be topped with cap stones. Whatever the history of this wall, it has certainly seen some changes.

According to the record, there has been a church on the site since at least the 13th C. Population changes meant that by the start of the 19th C the church was no longer needed, and in 1803 it was pulled down, leaving only the 15th C tower. The mission chapel was built in 1862, replacing an old alms house which had been built on the same site following the demolition of the old church. The old tower still stands in the churchyard, and has been cleared of the ivy which was starting to affect the structure.

Old Kea Chapel, from the rear

Photo: Sheila James New trees have been planted in the cleared area behind the chapel, and the intention is to create a quiet space here for reflection. The church is still fund raising for the new disabled parking space and access. This will require cutting through the wall in front of the chapel. The work will be carried out in conjunction with the CAU, and may be an opportunity to learn a bit more about this ancient site.

Report and photographs by Sheila James

PAINTING WHITECROSS

Have you ever looked around the interior of a medieval church and wondered how different the experience would have been when the features were painted in a rich variety of colours? Some crosses were painted too, as their names testify. Andrew Langdon has been involved with a project in Illogan which has seen the cross being painted. Here is his report:

Photo: Andrew Langdon

In the Old Cornwall journal Spring 2017, I wrote an article on White Crosses, and mentioned all the crosses which have been painted over the years and how there are five villages in Cornwall called Whitecross.

In April 2018, we received a report that someone had painted the cross on Whitcross Hill in Illogan parish. (Whitcross being a corruption of White cross) This wheel-headed cross was discovered in 1930, built horizontally into the foot of a hedge at the top of the hill and was later set up on the

hedge by Redruth Old Cornwall Society in 1947. The cross has a damaged head, with part of the relief cross missing on one face.

It seems rather more than a coincidence that after mentioning Whitcross Hill cross in my article, the cross is painted, although poorly, as if someone was in a hurry to get the job done. The incident was reported to Historic England because the cross is scheduled.

The first painting of the cross. Photo: Andrew Langdon

Later Carn Brea parish council took an interest in the cross being within their civil parish and they applied for Scheduled Monument Consent to re-paint the cross properly; this was done on the 24th June this year. The work was carried out by Bob Drew the chairman of the council with the assistance of their maintenance/groundsman Chris Harper.

Councillor Bob Drew painting the cross Photo: Andrew Langdon

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Councillor Bob Drew doing a ‘proper job’ of painting the cross Photo: Andrew Langdon

Report and photographs by Andrew Langdon

NEWS FROM PENWITH

Great progress is being made by the Penwith Landscape Partnership with their project, First and Last- Our Living Working Landscape. If you haven’t already visited their website, it can be found at https://www.penwithlandscape.com/. There is a cornucopia of fascinating information, plus details of how to volunteer in numerous activities, such as vegetation clearance, archaeological surveying, restoring Cornish hedges, and helping improve biodiversity.

Laura Ratcliffe- Warren is Ancient Penwith Project Officer, as well as CAS Area Rep. She has sent in this report about what has been going on recently:

After a successful few months surveying some of the sites that were cleared of vegetation over the 2018/19 winter and spring, the volunteers are taking a bit of a break whilst we await the autumn and can move onto clearing more sites.

Bracken that has sprung up on cleared sites will be being well and truly bashed over the next few months and that is enough to keep us all busy out and about. In the meantime, it’s planning the next round of clearance and surveying to fill in gaps and update the records for our chosen sites over the 5 years of the project, and more immediately, looking into training sessions for the volunteers we can do later this year. Things like basic photogrammetry, some geophysics, dowsing, enriching the list and some graffiti recording to name but a few: so watch this space for more information in due course although I hope to pass along these opportunities via the CAS website. We are going to be doing some clearing and investigation at Tregaminion Chapel and Holy Well in Morvah in early August and opportunities to join in will be circulated for that as well.

The picture below shows Matt, our access officer, in the field where the Holy Well is, so - plenty to do! (The cows are in the next field, there is a wall in there somewhere.)

Report and photographs by Laura Ratcliffe-Warren

DISPATCHES FROM VICE-ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD

Readers of The London Gazette on Wednesday November 6, 1805 would have experienced mixed emotions on reading this announcement from the Admiralty-Offices, which began:

‘DISPATCHES, of which the following are Copies, were received at the Admiralty this Day, at One o’Clock A.M. from Vice-Admiral Collingwood, Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s Ships and Vessels off Cadiz:

Euryalus, off Cape Trafalgar,

October 22, 1805.

SIR,

The ever to be lamented Lord Viscount Nelson, who, in the late Conflict with the Enemy, fell in the Hour of Victory…’

You may be wondering what all this has to do with local heritage, Area Reps and so on but please, be patient because there is a link, and we will get there…eventually.

As you will see from the dates between the news being sent and actually printed, there is quite a gap. With no Tweets, phone-calls or even emails to hurry the news along, this had to be passed on by hand, over the sea and along England’s roads. There are arguments about where the news was first brought ashore, with most opting for Falmouth. However, this is not without dispute, with some arguing that Penzance heard the news first. The excellent Penwith Local History Group website (http://www.penwithlocalhistorygroup.co.uk/on-this-day/?id=271) states that a local fisherman brought the news to the Assembly Rooms in Penzance. While at sea he had: ‘met His Majesty’s Schooner Pickle which was bringing the news of Nelson and Trafalgar to Falmouth but was beating slowly up against an easterly wind and off the Lizard. She exchanged signals with some ships going in the opposite direction, explaining her errand. As soon as the Penzance fishing boat returned to Penzance, the Captain made his way into town to spread the news.

‘There appears to be no written or published evidence of this story, but it seems not unlikely or impossible that as the wind changed, Pickle made faster progress to Falmouth and that the news therefore reached both towns at about the same time. In any event, the Union Hotel in Penzance (previously the Assembly Rooms) makes much of it and has a panel outside, claiming the first announcement to the British public, of the news.’

Leaving aside Penzance’s claims, the official version states that the news came to Falmouth first and as part of the bicentenary celebrations a Trafalgar Way, marked by commemorative plaques, was established along Lieutenant Lapenotiere’s route between Falmouth and London in 1805.

Recently, ARs have been asked to list and record the plaques in Cornwall so they can be added to the Historic Environment Record. Sheila James has sent in photographs of the plaque outside the Royal Oak pub in Perranwell Station:

Photo: Sheila James

The plaque can also be seen in the next photo and those interested in this important episode should most certainly pay a visit – purely in the interests of research, of course!

The Royal Oak, Perranwell Station Photo: Sheila James

For the more energetic amongst you, there is a chance to cycle the route this year. Go to https://ridethetrafalgarway.com/ for details. And if you can do that, a visit to the Royal Oak will be thoroughly deserved.

KERDROYA

After a very successful exhibition at this year’s Royal Cornwall Show Cornwall AONB’s exciting Monumental Improvement project continues to gather momentum and support. If you fancy learning some of the skills that created Cornwall’s superb hedges (much of the county is Anciently Enclosed Land), why not try one of the activities in the Kerdroya Cornish Community Hedge project, which is being managed by Golden Tree on behalf of the AONB department. The following poster gives all of the details:

BROADCAST FROM BODMIN

Travellers on the A30 west of Innis Downs may have glimpsed an unlovely cluster of derelict and vandalised buildings surrounded by security fencing. Before the new road was built it would have been easier to see but was unlikely to have drawn people’s interest; most would have directed their eyes towards something more visually appealing (or better still, have kept their eyes on the road!). But a recent planning application has revealed the historic importance of a site that began as the Bodmin Beam Transmitting Station, in the parish of Luxulyan.

Planning application PA19/00098 (Part demolition and conversion of the former Bodmin Radio Station to form a workshop and offices for the storage, repair, maintenance and distribution of plant and tool hire equipment (B1/B8/sui generis use), along with associated parking, provision of hardstanding, and landscaping | Bodmin Radio Station Lanivet [sic] Bodmin Cornwall PL30 5HY) can be viewed at http://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online- applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=PKYTPCFGHCF00 where fascinating information is freely available, including an informative Heritage Impact Assessment by Avalon Planning & Heritage that also contains some excellent historic photographs.

The Historic Environment Record sums up the fascinating and important role that this station has played in recent history:

Bodmin Radio Station opened in 1926 as the first (Directional High Frequency Dominion Beam Service) radio service in the world to Canada and South Africa. The development of Bodmin Radio Station can be clearly traced from air photographs ... The WW2 phase, which was plotted as part of the NMP, comprised a line of 8 tall, T-shaped masts enclosed within a perimeter fence. By 1953 some of these masts had been dismantled and replaced by 19 new ones. During this phase the station expanded to its greatest extent, with some of the masts sited on the northern part of Innis Downs. Also around this time the perimeter fence seems to have become redundant. By 1964, the site had contracted in terms of area. Only four of the 1953 masts survived but a new series of smaller single stanchion aerials had been introduced. 1967 saw the introduction of a line of multi-antennae and the distinctive circular dish aerials are first evident in 1988. During all this time the building complex changed little. During and after the war Bodmin was operated by or on behalf of the Admiralty and in the 1980s the station served as the hotline to Moscow. Bodmin can claim to be the oldest Short Wave Radio Station and the first Directional Radio Station in the world. In 1995 a field visit noted a number of aerial masts were located around SX 0200 6288 and a series of parallel banks were also noted and it is likely that these once formed part of the maintenance trackway ...The site was closed and dismantled during 2002. Source: https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO40969&resourceID=10 20

The conclusion reached by Avalon was that:

The Beam Station site is of historic significance and the original station buildings contribute to that significance. Any demolition would therefore result in harm to that significance. If the Local Planning Authority grant planning permission for demolition works, it is recommended that thorough historic building recording work is carried out together with associated works of mitigation.

Cornwall Council’s Historic Environment Planning Archaeology ([email protected] ) reinforced this conclusion, stating:

Given the historic significance of these surviving buildings, we therefore readily concur with the conclusions of the heritage assessment. We therefore consider it prudent that an archaeological building recording should be carried out prior to any further alteration of these buildings or any groundworks, undertaken by a suitably qualified archaeological organisation or individual, and subject to a Condition attached to planning consent. This is in accordance with the provisions of NPPF (2018) Chapter 16, paragraph 199 and Cornwall Council Local Plan Policy 24.

A pre-commencement condition is necessary in this instance due to the need to ensure that a

programme and methodology of site investigation and recording of archaeological features is undertaken before physical works commence on site.

Permission has recently been granted with a range of conditions (some to do with wildlife), including the requirement that there is ‘a comprehensive recording of the building (photographic and drawn) together with a detailed historic appraisal of the site; details of how clear and permanent delineation on the ground of the footprint of the buildings that would be demolished are to be carried out; and details of historic interpretation of the site in the proposed office reception area, making it available for public viewing are to be undertaken’. Full details of the conditions may be viewed at http://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online- applications/files/67ADE9C8C515A5329547BE1624708060/pdf/PA19_00098-ACFULZ_- _CONDITIONAL_APPROVAL-4521358.pdf

Some might argue that no permission should be given to alter the buildings; but others would point out that it is impossible to preserve everything and that at least the Historic Environment Record will be richer as a result of the conditions that have been imposed. One thing is for sure: the application has brought attention to a set of buildings that were overlooked and falling into decay and now the role of Bodmin in wireless and modern warfare will perhaps be better known.

STOP PRESS: APPEAL FOR INFORMATION!!!!

Rosy Hanns has just appealed for information about a stone that she has found in the St Just and Pendeen area at SW 3894 3405.

Left: front face of stone. Right: rear face. Photos: Rosy Hanns

Looking in the direction of Penzance Photo: Rosy Hanns

Not being sure about the origin and purpose of the stone, Rosy contacted Ian Thompson of the Milestone Society (https://www.milestonesociety.co.uk/) but even he is not sure about it, as his reply shows:

The stone you have recorded at SW3894 3405 in my records is 20 metres north of the 6-mile stone. Stones carved in this way, with a recess surrounding a raised letter or number, are rare. This one has a letter 'P' rather than a number. It is not a milestone.

I didn't check when I wrote the book [Cornish Milestones. The development of Cornwall’s roads in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Twelveheads Press, 2014], because at the time I had only limited access to the early OS maps, but looking now I find the P-stone with bench mark is marked on both the 1880 and the 1907 OS 6 inch maps, but the milestone and its neighbour one mile to the south are not on the 1880 map. The P-stone is older than the milestone.

The mine behind the stone is called East Boscaswell on the 1880 map and described as disused. On the west side of the road is Wheal Powle. Does the P stand for Powle? The hamlet at the crossroads is called Portherras on my two and a half inch Pathfinder map, and north of the crossroads is Pendeen. Hmm!

This is all in St Just Civil Parish and the parish boundary is a long way off, BUT Pendeen has a church of its own and was established as a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1845. So is this a Pendeen parish boundary stone? And if so are there any more?

If anyone can offer any information about this, please send it to: [email protected] and it will be forwarded to Rosy and Ian.

Area Representatives would love to hear from fellow CAS members, and the general public, about any feature of the historic environment in their parishes, whether a new discovery, something causing concern, or even just to answer queries. If you have any concerns, or new information, about any archaeological feature, please contact the Area Representative for the parish. If you do not know who that is, just look at the inside back cover of the latest journal, Cornish Archaeology 56, or send an email to [email protected] .

Roger Smith, 8th July 2019