Author: viewsofcornwall

The club is the third oldest in the County and for many years was regarded as the counties best. The club now lags behind Penzance & Newlyn rugby club and Launceston although they have themselves enjoyed a good season (2003/2004). The club origins can be traced back to 1875 when like many clubs in Cornwall Henry Grylls and W.H.Willimot returned from college ‘up country’ and brought the game of rugby back to Redruth. The philosophy behind rugby seemed to reach deep into the soul of the local miners and by 1888 the club were seen as the premier side in Cornwall. The club has changed greatly from it’s humble beginnings and in comparison to the £5 it cost to run the club for its first season, it now costs £1000’s to keep the club going every season.

The club has always had a good relationship with local breweries and this can be traced back to the start. Redruth Brewery Co allowed the club to use its pitch below ‘Brewery Leats’ in Redruth for practice and matches. There was something strange about this pitch though; in the middle was a granite post which was avoided by players at all costs. The game at this time consisted of 20 players on each side with 16 of them present in the scrum and 4 in the back division. As there were no referees, any decisions that needed making were resolved by the two captains and sometimes even the nearby supporters were consulted.

A major change for the club happened in 1892 when a famous Swansea three quarter moved to Redruth to start a teaching job and introduced a running game to the club. As the club entered the new century it attracted some big names from local clubs. The half back pairing of A Thomas and J Davey joined the club and were soon picked to play for Cornwall. Like so many other Cornish rugby players they were forced to emigrate to South Africa when the local mines closed down. Davey captained the Transvaal side in the Currie Cup and narrowly missed out being selected by the Springbok when they toured England. When Davey returned to Cornwall in 1907 and rejoined Redruth he played alongside the legend Bert Solomon and together with John Jackett and T Lawry made up Redruth’s contribution to Cornwall’s County Championship winning side in 1907.

Like many clubs up and down the country both of the World Wars had a major affect on its player and many of the great names failed to return. In 1947 Keith Scott whilst playing for the club captained the England side. The club has had other players take part in England trials and even represent there country. These players include; Richard Sharp, Paddy McGovan, Ken Abrahams and Bonzo Johns.

Redruth’s ground has played host to some massive games over the years, one of the biggest was in 1968 when the County final took place with Cornwall losing to Lancashire. Over 22,000 supporters packed into the ground, sat on nearby roofs and even climbed trees to watch the spectacle. The ground which can at present hold 11,000 supporters boasts one of the best atmospheres in Cornish rugby and is home to the famous ‘Hellfire Corner’.

The club entered the rearranged national leagues in the mid 1980’s which meant that teams that had stopped coming to Cornwall once again ventured west.

With the introduction of several Kiwi’s and good local talent, the team has once again captured some of its past success and hopefully can progress over the next few years.

As the name of the club suggests the rugby club is a combination of former clubs Penzance RFC and Newlyn RFC and has the nickname of the ‘Pirates’. The two teams played at the St Clare ground and St Golder’s Hill respectively but after the merger the games are now played at the Mennaye Field which the club leases from Penwith District Council. The ground was perfectly placed for the newly formed club as half of the pitch lies in Penzance and the other half in Newlyn. The club also leases three other pitches from the council to allow this growing club to expend. These pitches can be found at Lower Mennaye Nurseries, Newlyn Coombe and Trereife. The club owns the freehold of its clubhouse the ‘Westholme’, where many a beer is enjoyed before and after the game.

During the early years in the 1950’s and 60’s the Penzance & Newlyn club was one of the most respected clubs in the country and as such played host to some of the biggest teams in the country. The teams regularly played in front of crowds in excess of 5000 people which was over a quarter of the town’s population. At the end of the 1960’s and during the 70’s the club began to lose its standing, with many touring clubs no longer able to afford to travel so far west. Also many young people ventured up country to find work and university students never returned home so the local talent started to diminish.

In the late 1980’s when the structure of the English leagues were changed Penzance & Newlyn found themselves in the lower leagues and many of the talented players joined other teams in higher leagues. The clubs fortunes changed in the early 1990’s when a local ex-player Dicky Evans a successful businessman in East Africa put an offer in for the club. He had become amazed just how much the club he loved had changed and now was considered a minnow of English rugby.

At first his aims were to improve the facilities at the club but in1996 all this changed, the rugby world became professional. Dicky Evans then realised he could do so much more for the club and now the players are a mixture of professionals, semi-professionals and talented amateurs. As a result of the major changes the club progressed rapidly through the lower leagues and now entertains nationally recognised teams such as Bristol Shoguns in National Division One.

The Pirates field a number of teams at the weekend which includes; minis, juniors, colts and every so often a fun loving Veterans XV. In 1999 due to a lack of consistent fixtures for the 2nd team the club decided to form a new team, Mounts Bay. The team entered the English rugby league at the lowest level, Cornwall Two. The club won the league at its first attempt and are currently second in the Cornwall/Devon league (05/04/04).

The origins of rugby can be traced back to 1823 when famously William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a football match and began to run with it. Rugby was brought to the attention of the Cornish people when in 1870 young men returning from public schools outside of the county returned home to their families. Two of the earliest teams in the county were Bodmin and Penryn which were formed in around 1872.

The Cornish Rugby Football Union (CRFU) was formed in 1883, at present it is a union of 39 rugby football clubs. Included in this total is every Cornish rugby club, the main Cornwall XV and the representative Cornwall teams at various age groups. The CRFU is also in membership with the Rugby Football Union RFU, the main rugby football union in England. The famous colours of the rugby jersey, gold and black hoops were introduced in 1885 and the strip in presently sponsored by Trago Mills. The patron of the Cornwall RFU is H.R.H. The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, K.G., K.T.

One of the most important times of the year in a Cornish rugby fans calendar is the County Championship. The county won the championship for the first time in 1907, when they played in front of 17,000 fans at Redruth. The game was against Durham, also known for its mining, this time coal not tin. Cornwall won the game 17-3, scoring 5 tries. The added incentive for the winner was the chance to represent England at the Olympic Games in 1908. Two other countries entered, France and Australia. France withdrew before the tournament which left England (Cornwall) playing Australia. The final score was 32-3 to Australia with Bert Solomon managing to score a try for England.

The next time that Cornwall won the championship is probably the one that most fans will remember for ever. In 1991 Cornwall played Yorkshire at Twickenham in front of 54,000 fans, the majority of which were supporting Cornwall. After 54 minutes Cornwall were trailing 16-3, when they manage to turn the game around and brought the scores level after 80 minutes, 16-16. The game then went into extra time when Cornwall managed to continue their scoring. the final score was 29-20 to Cornwall which sent the Cornish fans into a state of total elation.

Cornwall managed to reach the final in both 1992 and 1998, unfortunately losing both. It was not until 1999 when they met Gloucester in the final that Cornwall managed to win the championship again.

There is at present confusion about the future of the County Championship which Cornwall are keen to a format close to the present. The present RFU proposal is to:

• • Set up a competition of eight regions (known as Super-8s), split into two leagues (north and south). The southern league would feature teams known as ‘South Western,’ ‘South Central,’ ‘South East’ and ‘Midlands East.’ The competition would take place at the end of the league season in the same window as the present ‘county championship.

 

• Downgrade the county championship to run in tandem with the new ‘regional competition.’ These teams would only be allowed to select from players at ‘Level 5’ and below, meaning that players from Penzance & Newlyn, Launceston and Redruth would not be allowed to play for Cornwall.

There are lots of rugby fans in Cornwall that are waiting to hear what the RFU finally decides for the future of the County Championship.

Cornish clubs can be found in a variety of leagues which range from Penzance & Newlyn in National Division One down to Lankelly Fowey bottom of Cornwall Division Two. The teams that play in the National Leagues are required to travel the length of the country to play most of there away fixtures. The teams in the lower leagues i.e. Cornwall One and Two only have to travel within Cornwall but never the less enjoy the social side of playing. This is especially true for a few of the away fixtures that require a coach trip.

Caerhays Castle overlooks Porthluney Cove, near Mevagissy and it is four miles south east of Tregoney. The castle and its grounds enjoy a well sheltered spot protected from the worst winds.

Caerhays Castle appears to be another Norman stronghold but it was actually built in 1808 for the Trevanion family and is one of the few remaining examples of a Nash built castle. Years of prestigious living and extravagant lifestyle together with building and architects bills incurred massive debts for the Trevanion family and they fled to Paris leaving Caerhays Castle to the elements for 13 years. In 1853 Caerhays was purchased by Michael Williams a Cornish Member of Parliament who extensively repaired and renovated the property. It has been suggested that the round dining room at one time resembled a pond with ducks swimming on it.

At Caerhays Castle there is a fine example of a Porte Cochere outside the front door (an enclosed area used by people when alighting from their carriages). An impressive staircase, a grand Front Hall and a Gallery demonstrate the work of Nash who was also responsible for the county gaols at Hereford, Carmarthen and Cardigan.

60 acres of woodland and garden surround Caerhays Castle and many of the plants and shrubs originate from plant gathering trips to China made by John Charles Williams. The gardens at Caerhays are well known for their collections of magnolias, camellias, oaks and rhododendrons and there are several planned routes that take visitors around the area.

Admission Charges for 2004*

a. Standard entry rates for individuals:-
Gardens	£5.50 Adults
	£2.50 Children under 16 Children under 5 free
House – conducted tour only	£5.50
Gardens & House combined	£9.50 Adult
	£3.50 Children under 16 Children under 5 free
b. Group rates (minimum 15 persons)
Gardens with conducted tour	£6.50
Gardens without conducted tour	£4.00
House (conducted tour only)	£5.00
c. Charity admission (gardens only)
Adult	£2.50

* Confim prices before arrival.

A castle has stood at Pengersick since the Middle Ages and sometime around 1550 it was rebuilt and fortified as a Tudor manor. The tower of this building was four storeys high with the top floors being for domestic use and the ground floors mostly defensive. A grand ‘newel stair’ links the floors and uninvited guests should beware of burning oil or other noxious substances being poured on them from the drop-slot above the main doorway. A project is in place to reconstruct a ‘ Knot garden’ to link the history of Pengersick Castle to a Medieval Herb Garden.

Ghosts and strange phenomena are said to haunt the castle and its grounds. The main bedroom has an eerie reputation for being a ‘most haunted room’. Among the many ghosts associated with Pengersick Castle are two women reportedly seen in the bedroom near the four poster bed. One of the women is believed to be the ghost of a gentlewoman murdered century’s ago and the other woman is thought to be her maid. A Demonic Black Dog, ghostly mists and strange orbs appearing on photographs taken of the castle are yet more examples of supernatural appearances linked to Pengersick Castle. Conflicting stories abound about the black-robed Monk allegedly seen in the castle and its grounds, perhaps he is the ‘Hailes Abbey’ monk denied his tithes in 1330 from Henry Pengersick. Or is he a monk who fell in love with Engrina of Pengersick and was brutally murdered and now destined to remain earthbound. Ghosts from the wrecked ship St. Anthony are allegedly searching for treasure from the ship and there is some evidence that at one time treasure was indeed kept at Pengersick Castle, perhaps in a secret passage.

The custodians of Pengersick Castle welcome visitors but the nature of the buildings makes it possible only to admit small numbers, strictly by appointment, and insist that children of all ages must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Romantic stories linking Tintagel Castle to the Round Table, knights and chivalry are exciting and magical but little is based on historical fact. The first link to the legend was in 1130 when Geoffrey de Monmouth published the ‘History of Britain’ and claimed that Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur.

The wondrous setting of Tintagel Castle inspires the imagination and the headland upon which the castle stands is proudly majestic with the turbulent Atlantic Ocean beating against its three sides.

Ancient rock cut graves have revealed that the headland was once inhabited by a small Celtic community of monks.

Reginald, Earl of Cornwall started building the castle in 1145 on the neck of land between the mainland and ‘Tintagel’ island. Unfortunately the isthmus and buildings have eroded and crumbled over the years but most of the foundation of the great hall of the Norman castle and the chapel on the island plateau still remain. One hundred years later Richard Earl of Cornwall and owner of Restormel, Trematon and Launceston castles, extended Tintagel and then further additions were made by Edward the Black Prince. During the fourteenth century Tintagel Castle served as a very bleak and isolated state prison.

Today Tintagel Castle is little more than a shell although almost ninety feet of the great hall structure remain to show how magnificent the original buildings must have been. During the peak season transport ferries the less agile visitor to the headland from Tintagel. The setting is wild and dramatic although steep steps to the most remote parts of the site could be a deterrent for some visitors the views and the rugged splendour of the setting make Tintagel Castle a marvellous place to visit.

Before the Thirteenth Century Launceston was called Dunheved and even today many of the streets and buildings still bear this name.

An ancient fort had long stood on the ‘castle hill’ when the site was acquired by Robert Count de Mortain, Earl of Cornwall and younger brother of Henry III. The castle he built consisted of little more than a primitive wooden palisade and tower on the summit of the hill with protective earthworks encircling these. De Mortain died in 1090 and little is known about the castle until early in the Thirteenth Century when the wooden castle was replaced by one of stone with a shell keep, an elevated rampart walk on the inside protected by a parapet whish formed a fighting platform. Further improvements were made over the years and the castle became a formidable fortress. For centuries it was known as ‘Castle Terrible’ and used as a prison. Those imprisoned in the castle were subjected to the miseries of cramped quarters, dark, filth, disease, rats and biting chains. The castle remained in use as a prison until 1838.

During the Civil War the castle was occupied by Royalist and Parliamentarian forces in succession. The castle then faced a period of long decline and today the castle is a ruin but the shell keep and inner tower together with part of the rampart offer panoramic view on all sides. There is also a very impressive steep stairway up the motte, portions of the curtain wall and two gateways and the bailey.

Launceston Castle is well worth a visit.

St Mawes Castle benefits from a wonderful waterside setting and is one of the most intact examples of Henry VIII’s coastal fortresses. Henry built St Mawes between 1539 and 1545 and, in conjunction with Pendennis Castle it was intended to protect the Fal estuary from invasion by the Spanish.

The castle bears little resemblance to a grim fortress as the stonework is embellished with string courses, carved gargoyles and elaborate windows. St Mawes has an unusual design in which the round central tower is protected on all but one side by three semi-circular bastions. This architectural design has been likened to a ‘clover leaf’ and the drawbridge when it was in place would have formed the ‘stalk of the leaf. Taller than Pendennis Castle, it has four floors, a kitchen in the basement and a neat round watch turret. This turret was of vital importance when invasion form the continent was always a possibility. St Mawes like Pendennis did not see action against either the Spanish or the French and the invasion when it came was by land. During the English Civil War the castle was in the hands of the Royalists who quickly realised that as it was sited part way down a hillside a land attack was difficult to repel. The Royalists surrendered to the Roundheads after a very short confrontation whereas Pendennis, with its hilltop position, held out for nearly six months.

St Mawes Castle is well worth a visit, the views across the river are stunning and the castle has fine examples of inscriptions in the stonework to praise and commemorate Henry Viii and his son Edward. Over the main entrance is the dedication “SEMPER HONOS HENRICE TUUS LAUDESQUE MANEBUNT” which translates as “Henry, thy honour and praises will remain for ever.” An audio tour chronicling the castle’s long history adds interest as it details the people and events that have made an impact over the years.

Baldwin Fitz Turstin, Sheriff of Cornwall, built the original castle around 1100 AD although it was no more than a timber palisade. The present stone castle was probably built by Robert de Cardiman in about 1200. Today Restormel belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall as in 1337 the castle was given to Edward, The Black Prince, the first Duke of Cornwall who is reported to have held court there on at least two occasions.

Restormel is a perfect example of a shell-keep perched high on a motte given extra prominence by digging a circular ditch all around its base. The curtain walls which are 8 ft thick and 125 ft in diameter form a perfect circle and rise to more than 20 ft above the inner courtyard. The main castle buildings within the Keep included bedchambers with large fireplaces, a kitchen and a great hall all located around a circular courtyard. A chapel was added after the original work and a wide archway was cut through the stone curtain of the Keep leading to a rectangular eastern projection built for the purpose.

Before the Civil War, the castle fell into disrepair but then enjoyed a brief spell of rehabitation when the Parliamentarians garrisoned the Keep. In 1644 the castle was captured and from then on Restormel was left to crumble into a ruin.

The view from the ruins of the castle affords wonderful views across the peaceful Cornish countryside. The walk around the top of the curtain walls along with pleasant picnic areas make Restormel Castle an ideal spot for an interesting day out.

Pendennis Castle was constructed around 1540 when the threat from the Spanish was of great concern to Henry VIII. He reinforced the whole of the South coast and in addition to Pendennis, he built St. Mawes castle to flank the mouth of the River Fal.

During the reign of Elizabeth I the castle underwent improvements including the addition of an outer wall and bastions. This was designed to counter the growing threat from the Spanish but Pendennis never actually saw action against the Spanish. In fact it wasn’t until the English Civil war that the castle got its first taste of warfare when under the command of Sir John Arundel and Sir Henry Killigrew Pendennis held off Cromwell’s Roundheads for six months before becoming the second to last Castle to surrender.

The castle was later fitted with anti aircraft guns etc for the two world wars as its strategic position at the mouth of the FAL was ideal as part of the coastal defence.

These days the Castle is open to the public all year round, you can explore the grounds and enter the keep where there are displays and talks given.

Prices* are £4.20 for adults and £2.10 for children with family tickets available for around £10.50 English Heritage Member get in FREE. The Castles opening times are as follows.

1 Apr – 30 Sep 2003: 10am – 6pm
1 – 31 Oct 2003: 10am – 5pm
1 Nov 2003 – 31 Mar 2004: 10am – 4pm
24 – 26 Dec 2003 & 1 Jan 2004: Closed

*Prices and opening times correct at time of writing please confirm before arrival.