Visiting Camborne, St. Austell and Lots of Trees

We had a fleeting visit to Camborne but, unfortunately, I only had time for five quick photos. Above is the Wesleyan Chapel and below some roadside art work.

Next is the Commercial Square, Camborne Town Centre.

I'm not sure what the next building actually is  ...

... or indeed the stone below, which was in its grounds. It looks old and interesting - but I couldn't find any info on the internet.

Camborne is somewhere I rarely visit. I guess it is probably most known as the centre of Cornwall's copper and mining industry, though this was at its peak in the 18th century and early 19th.

I always think of Richard Trevithick and his Puffing Devil when I think of Camborne. This was the world's first self propelled passenger vehicle. It was steam powered and made its first appearance on Christmas Eve way back in 1801. There is a traditional song to go along with Trevithick's ride up Camborne Hill ...

Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down
Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down
The horses stood still;
The wheels went around;
Going up Camborne Hill coming down

White stockings, white stockings she wore (she wore)
White stockings, white stockings she wore
White stockings she wore:
The same as before;
Going up Camborne Hill coming down

I knowed her old father old man (old man)
I knowed her old father old man
I knowed her old man:
He blawed in the band;
Going up Camborne Hill coming down

I 'ad 'er, I 'ad 'er, I did
I 'ad 'er, I 'ad 'er, I did
I 'ad 'er, I did:
It cost me a quid
Going up Camborne Hill coming down

He heaved in the coal, in the steam (the steam)
He heaved in the coal, in the steam
He heaved in the coal:
The steam hit the beam
Going up Camborne Hill coming down

Oh Please 'ave a baby by me
Oh Please 'ave a baby by me
I'm young and I'm strong:
Won't take very long
Going up Camborne Hill coming down

Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down
Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down
The horses stood still;
The wheels went around;
Going up Camborne Hill coming down

With the song ringing in my ears I'll move on!

Look who I saw on a house roof. I wondered why the seagulls were squawking and behaving strangely.

I like trees in winter, the branches and trunks have a chance to take centre stage. The new style house below has such a lovely display of winter trees at the back of the property.

An early morning walk at Charlestown showed a perfect silhouette of trees on the distant skyline.

A few trees in the church grounds at Tywardreath.

Small birds enjoying the branches.

As we cling on to life some leaves are also clinging on, and trying not to fall.

Winter trees alongside the beach at Carlyon Bay - and there's a blue sky too.

Signs pointing the way near St. Austell Trinity church.

A fancy signpost in St. Austell pointing the way: left is to the Eden Project (4.5 miles) and Bodmin (10 miles). Look right for Heligan (4 miles) and Mevagissey (6.5 miles). Must say that I'm not too sure about this sign's accuracy. 

While in St. Austell I was near the building below. This is all that remains of the once extensive Pentewan Railway Terminus. This was operational from 1828 to1918. The building itself dates back to circa 1860.

The building was originally 200+ feet long and was used for the storage of china clay This was carted here by horse drawn wagons. The clay was later transported by railway wagons to Pentewan Harbour. There is a 1900 photo of the harbour on my blog post here.

That's all for this week - all good wishes ~ Mike.

Flowers in Cornwall Plus a Church and a Harbour

I'm by no means an expert gardener, but I do enjoy flowers even if I don't necessarily  know their names. The flowers don't seem to be upset by my lack of knowledge. Maybe it's because I chat to them as I tend their needs.

Above is a geranium at the front of my house and below a dahlia from the back garden.

Just realised I have lots of pink colours in the garden. This wasn't planned  but just developed over the years. I seem to have captured a finger in the next photo along with the dahlia.

A fuchsia below. I lifted the flower giving him/her a helping hand as I clicked the photo.

Yes, more pink. Looks like I was on night patrol.

We have lots of passion flowers or Passiflora this year. You probably know the story - it is  said to be symbolic of Jesus on the cross. The flower has spikes protruding from the center symbolising the crown of thorn and the flower has ten petals for the ten faithful apostles.

Hydrangea: we have several bushes - and one of them is, of course, a shade of pink!

A fuchsia plus a mixture of other bits and pieces including the remains of an old tree.

Not sure what the flower below is. I should really know the name as it comes back faithfully every year.

A couple more flower photos.

We took some flowers to the church at St. Stephen-in-Brannel to place on a grave. Always a sad visit.

We then moved on to Charlestown to clear our heads. Made us smile to see the hat on a traffic cone looking at the postbox in the cottage wall

Roses over the door of another cottage.

A pleasant day weatherwise so people about taking photos.

The entrance to Charlestown Harbour with a sailing ship in the distance.

The next day the weather changed  so this dahlia got a bit battered with wind and rain.

Next doors' trailing plant is still tumbling over the fence and is very welcome.

A petunia - pinkish, of course.

Actually the rain didn't effect the dahlia too much.

Finally, this is a whopper of a dahlia. Last year it grew to well over five feet tall.

Thanks for visiting my blog, all good wishes ~ Mike.

St. Stephen, the Church and a Solemn Moment

The photo above is of the church at St. Stephen-in-Brannel, Cornwall. 

Often it seems as if time is going faster and faster. We were previously at this village one year ago. I know this, as it is where I get my annual car service - not at the church, of course, but at a nearby garage.

It's never the happiest of visits as someone close to us is buried here. Always makes me think about life in general. We are on Earth for such a short period and yet we seem to waste so much time on unimportant trivialities. 

Our loved one is buried in the new section, adjacent to the main churchyard. Here only headstones are allowed.

Most locals simply call the village St. Stephens. The Brannel bit is left over from medieval times when the parish was within the royal manor of Brannel.

The church dates back to 1261. It is thought that there was a previous church on this site. This is indicated by various ancient crosses in the churchyard.

Back to the car.  It was serviced, no problems and life goes on. Well for some of us ... or perhaps all of us.

When my mother died I found this poem in her purse and it was read out at her funeral service.

Death is nothing at all,

I have only slipped away into the next room,

I am I and you are you.

Whatever we were to each other,

that we are still.

Call me, by my old familiar name.

Speak to me,

in the the easy way you always used.

Put no difference into your tone.

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

What is death, but a negligible accident?

Why should I be out of mind

because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you,

for an interval,

somewhere very near,

just around the corner.

All is well.

Nothing is past; nothing is lost.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

How we shall laugh

at the trouble of parting when we meet again!

Thank you for your visit to my blog. Good wishes - Mike.

The Mystery of the Hidden Stone Tablet at St.Austell Church

St. Austell Church

Such busy lives we lead, looking but not seeing. Thousands of people have no doubt walked quickly passed St. Austell Church without noticing the stone tablet in the boundary wall. Okay, it is quite hard to see on the long wall- as the photo below shows.

The stone reads:
Here lyeth the
body of Mary
Harris who died
the 7th June
1734
aged one and
twenty 

The question is, why did she warrant such a prominent position on the church wall? There are no other such stones. All I know is that she supposedly died of drowning.

I traced her baptism in local records (above) which show she was baptised on the 13th of September 1713 and her father was Nicholas Harris - but her mother's name is left blank on the records.

A sobering thought but I guess very few of us will be remembered in 266 years time.

Village of St. Clement, The Tresillian River and The Ancient Ignioc Stone

It was a pleasant day so we decided to walk alongside the Tresillian River to the small village of St.Clement. The photo above shows some of the riverside cottages within the village.

The river is tidal and looked splendid in the sunshine. Unfortunately the tide was going out so there were mud flats in places.

The path by the river is a decent width.

No boats on the river, only those not being used.

When we arrive at St.Clement we always look out for the row of cups and mugs on one of the buildings.

The main attraction in the village is the 13th century church.

By the side of the church is a very old stone (below) known as the Ignioc Stone. There is an inscription 'VITALI FILI TORRICI' which translates as 'Vitalus son of Torricus'. It is thought that the stone goes back to the sixth or seventh century. There is another later inscription, IGNIOC - most probably a personal name - which gives the stone its name.

There are many old memorial stones, including the one below for William Callaway from 1784, as an example. It reads:

Today, of Health and strength we boast 

To-morrow brings us down to Dust

May we, while Time & strength are giv'n

Believe in CHRIST & live for Heav'n

The church itself was closed, because of the coronavirus. After looking round the churchyard we wandered back to the river, where we munched on some sandwiches. Together with cups of tea, of course.

It was then time to start our return walk.

Lots of daisies on many of the stone walls.

The river looked nice despite the mud.

There's a small lake on the opposite side of the path. We managed to see a few small fish.

Lots of reeds by the river - and then we were back to our car, parked in a small lay-by.

Also see The Peaceful St.Clement Church by the Tresillian River, Cornwall. This has photos of the inside of the St. Clement church