Blisland
Blisland
| |
---|---|
Blisland Parish Church | |
Location within Cornwall | |
Population | 608 (United Kingdom Census 2011 including Bradford and Lank) |
OS grid reference | SX101732 |
Civil parish |
|
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | BODMIN |
Postcode district | PL30 |
Dialling code | 01208 |
Police | Devon and Cornwall |
Fire | Cornwall |
Ambulance | South Western |
UK Parliament | |
Blisland (
The parish is entirely rural in character, the northeast being moorland and the southwest lower lying farmland. The parish is bordered to the north by St Breward parish; to the west by St Mabyn and Helland parishes; to the south by Cardinham, Warleggan, and St Neot parishes; and to the northeast by Altarnun parish.[3]
The hamlets of Bradford, Keybridge, Merry Meeting, Pendrift, Tresarrett and Waterloo are in the parish.[4] Blisland is sometimes said to be the only village in Cornwall with a village green,[5] however Herodsfoot and Talskiddy are others.
Toponymy
The derivation of the placename is unclear – the earliest known form is Bleselonde in 1284. This appears to include the
History and antiquities
On Blisland Manor Common is the prehistoric stone circle known as the Trippet stones; and on Hawkstor Down a henge monument the Stripple stones. Blisland Manor House is 16th century with later alterations; Lavethan House mid-17th century; and the house at Trewardale 1773, enlarged 1839. Lavethan house (1653) incorporates parts of the 15th century. The archway was brought from another site.[8] Early clapper bridges at Bradford and Poleys Bridge (on the River Camel) built of granite in 1839 are also noteworthy. Blisland Manor was in the hands of the family of Billing for many years: they were also landowners at St Breward and elsewhere.
Trehudreth was the seat of the family of Lean among whose members was Sir John Maclean (originally John Lean). Trewardale is the seat of the family of Edward-Collins amongst whose members were General Charles Edward-Collins, High Sheriff of Cornwall; Brigadier Thurston Edward-Collins and Major Charles F. T. Edward-Collins (also High Sheriff of Cornwall).[9]
Arthur Langdon (1896) records twelve stone crosses in the parish, of which one is at St Pratt's Well and four are at Lavethan. Others are Peverell's cross and crosses at Cross Park, in the village, at Tregaddick and two crosses at Trewardale.[10] Andrew Langdon (1996) records crosses at Cross Park, in the churchyard, in the village, as well as St Pratt's Cross, Peverall's Cross, one at Tregaddick, three at Lavethan and three at Trewardale.[11] A cross formerly at Lavethan, Blisland, was sold in 1991 and set up in a cottage garden in Newquay; another was taken to St Just in Penwith.[12]
At Durfold there was a great 50-ft waterwheel which was used to operate, through a flat rod 1.25 miles long, a 14-in pump at Parkyn's china clay works at Temple. This wheel was made at Hawarden in 1865 and shipped to Laxey, Isle of Man; after use in the silver mines there it was dismantled and brought to Wadebridge by sea and rail, then hauled to Durfold by traction engine and re-erected.[14]
Churches and schools
- Blisland Parish Church
The
The extensive restoration includes work by Ninian Comper and F. C. Eden. According to Betjeman: "As a restoration and even improvement on a medieval church, this holy and peaceful place ... can hardly be bettered in the kingdom."[15] In the church is the early 15th century brass of John Balsam, formerly rector here.[16]
- St Catherine's Church, Temple
At Temple is the church of St Catherine, originally also a parish church, but the parish of Temple was merged with Blisland in 1934.
- Blisland Primary School
Blisland School is located just outside Blisland in a hamlet named Waterloo on the edge of Bodmin Moor.
Cornish wrestling
Cornish wrestling tournaments, for prizes, were held in Blisland in the 1800s.[17][18]
Notable residents
- Churton Fairman (1924–1997), also known as Mike Raven, radio DJ, sculptor and actor
- John MacLean, historian and genealogist
Gallery
-
Blisland Parish Church interior
-
Parish Church: doorway
-
Rood screen (detail), part of Comper and Eden's restoration work
-
Trehudreth Mill
References
- ISBN 978-0-319-22938-5
- ^ "2011 census". Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ "Cornwall Council interactive mapping". Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-01. Cornwall Council online mapping. Retrieved May 2010
- ^ Cornwall; Explore Britain
- ^ Hilton, Victor (1963) The Bide-a-while Book. Shaldon: Victor Hilton; p. 44, entry for Tregaddick
- ISBN 0-7525-1851-8.
- ^ Ekwall, E., The concise dictionary of English place-names, 2nd ed., 1940, p. 47a
- ^ Pevsner, N. (1970) Cornwall; 2nd ed. Harmondsworth: Penguin; p. 99
- ^ CORNWALL SHRIEVALTY LIST OF HIGH SHERIFFS 1900 - 2014 Archived from the original 8 September 2015
- ^ Langdon, A. G. (1896) Old Cornish Crosses. Truro: Joseph Pollard
- ^ Langdon, A. G. (2005) Stone Crosses in East Cornwall; 2nd ed. Federation of Old Cornwall Societies; pp. 18-23
- ^ Langdon, A. G. (2002) Stone Crosses in Mid Cornwall; 2nd ed. Federation of Old Cornwall Societies; p. 29
- ISBN 0-948158-79-4.>
- ^ Todd, A. C. & Laws, Peter (1972) The Industrial Archaeology of Cornwall. Newton Abbot: David & Charles; p. 209
- ^ Betjeman, J. (ed.) (1968) Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches: the South. London: Collins; pp. 146–47
- ^ Dunkin, E. (1882) Monumental Brasses. London, Spottiswoode
- ^ Cornish Times, 6 October 1866.
- ^ Royal Cornwall Gazette, 27 September 1878.
- Betjeman, John (1973) "The Church of St Protus and St Hyacinth, at Blisland, Cornwall", in his: West Country Churches. London: Society of SS. Peter and Paul