Gweek
Gweek
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 The east bank of the river, viewed from the quay | |
  Gweek Location within Cornwall | |
| Population | 581 (United Kingdom Census 2001) 667 (2011 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SW705268 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HELSTON |
| Postcode district | TR12 |
| Dialling code | 01326 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Gweek (
Gweek lies within the
History
Gweek is at the head of navigation of the Helford River. It has been a port since Roman times and thrived in the Tudor period, with its own Customs House.[5] In the 13th century, the townspeople of Helston bought the rights to the port of Gweek.[6]
During the mining boom, a tin-smelting blowing house operated at the quayside.[7]
In Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England published in 1848, the village was described as:[8]
GWEEK, a small port, in the
hundred of Kerrier, W. division of Cornwall, 3½ miles (E. by S.) from Helston. The pilchard-fishery is carried on extensively, 200 boats being employed in taking the fish, which are cured in the various creeks and coves within the limits of the port. In addition to the fishery, the chief trade consists in the exportation of copper-ore, corn, moorstone, and oysters, and the importation of timber, coal, and limestone.
In an August 1880 edition of
Musical activities
Gweek has a
The Cornwall Fiddle Orchestra[12] was formed in 2007 by fiddle player Hudson Swan. He was a member of Scottish band, The Tannahill Weavers but now lives in Cornwall and works as a violin teacher for the Cornwall Music Service.[13] The orchestra rehearses weekly at Helston School.
Antiquities
The three-cornered Tolvan Holed Stone is an unusual megalith. It is about 800 metres north of Gweek behind Tolvan Cross Farm.
In literature
Gweek is featured in The Meaning of Liff, a book by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd. A passage in Charles Kingsley's novel Hereward the Wake features Gweek and its neighbouring woods. Kingsley received some of his education at nearby Helston Grammar School.[14]
References
- ^ "parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-319-23148-7
- ^ Weatherhill, Craig (2007) Cornish Place Names and Language. Ammanford: Sigma Press
- ^ "The Black Swan".
- ISBN 0-9552816-0-1
- ^ Le. Messurier, B. and Luck, L. (1998) Loe Pool and Mount's Bay. No. 12 in The National Trust Coast of Cornwall series of leaflets
- ISBN 1-871060-03-6; p. 20 fn
- ^ "'Gunthorpe - Gyhirn', A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 360-62". Retrieved 4 July 2007.
- ^ Nix (26 August 1880). "All About". The Cornishman. No. 111. p. 8.
- ^ "A Rival Company At Gweek". The Cornishman. No. 271. 20 September 1883. p. 4.
- ^ "Gweek Silver Band".
- ^ "Cornwall Fiddle Orchestra website". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007.
- ^ "Cornwall Music Service". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
- ^ "The Helston Grammar School". The Cornishman. No. 122. 11 November 1880. p. 5.
External links
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