Camborne
Encyclopedia
Camborne is a town and civil parish in west Cornwall
, England
, United Kingdom
. It is at the western edge of a conurbation
comprising Camborne, Pool
and Redruth
.
The population of Camborne was 20,010 at the 2001 census
. By 2007 the population had grown to 22,500. The population of the Camborne-Redruth area, which includes Pool and satellite villages, is 59,100, making it the largest urban conurbation in Cornwall.
Camborne is located in what was formerly one of the richest tin mining
areas in the world. It is no longer an industrial town it was once the home to the Camborne School of Mines
(see below). The School of Mines moved from the centre of Camborne to Trevenson, Pool and is now part of the University College Falmouth and the University of Exeter in Cornwall situated at the Tremough Campus, Falmouth.
villa
were found at Magor Farm, Illogan, near Camborne, and excavated that year under the guidance of the Royal Institution of Cornwall
. It is the only Roman villa found in the whole of Cornwall.
An inscribed altar
stone found at Camborne (now in the Church of St Martin
and St Meriadoc), and dated to the tenth or eleventh centuries, attests to the existence of a settlement then. Langdon (1896) records seven stone crosses in the parish of which two are at Pendarves.
Camborne is best known as a centre for the former Cornish tin
and copper
mining
industry, having its working heyday during the later 18th and early 19th centuries. Camborne was just a village until transformed by the mining boom which began in the late eighteenth century and saw the Camborne and Redruth district become the richest mining area in the world. Although a considerable number of ruinous stacks and engine houses remain, they cannot begin to convey the scenes of 150 years ago when scores of mines transfigured the landscape.
Dolcoath Mine
, (English
: Old Ground Mine), the 'Queen of Cornish Mines' was, at a depth of 3,500 feet (1,067 m), for many years the deepest mine in the world, not to mention one of the oldest before its closure in 1921. The last working tin mine in Europe
, South Crofty
, which closed in 1998, is also to be found in Camborne.
Apart from the mines themselves, Camborne was also home to many important related industries, including the once world-renowned foundry
of Holman Bros Ltd
(CompAir
). Holmans, a family business founded in 1801, was for generations, Camborne's, and indeed Cornwall's largest manufacturer of industrial equipment, even making the famous Sten
submachine gun
for a stint during the Second World War
. The Holman Projector
was used by the Royal Navy. At its height Holmans was spread over three sites within Camborne, employing some three and half thousand men. Despite Britain's industrial decline, Compair Holmans Camborne factory finally closed in 2001.
On the Afternoon of Tuesday 5 December 2006, a wall of the Holmans factory was leaning towards the railway line, as a result the line west of Truro
was closed for the afternoon and night and disrupting railway services, as it was feared the wall could collapse onto the mainline, part of the derelict factory was later demolished that night.
A modest quantity of South Crofty tin was purchased by a local enterprise and this gradually dwindling stock is used to make specialist tin jewellery, branded as the South Crofty Collection.
(CSM) developed as the only specialist hard rock education establishment in the United Kingdom, until the Royal School of Mines
was established in 1851. Its beginnings can be traced to 1829 when plans for the school were first laid out and leading to the current school in 1888. It now forms part of the University of Exeter
, and relocated to the University's Tremough
campus in 2004. CSM graduates are to be found working in the mining industry all over the world. It has a very fine collection of minerals in its museum of geology.
- made its way up Camborne Hill
in Cornwall. It was the world's first self-propelled passenger carrying vehicle. The events have been turned into a local song:
Trevithick was born in Penponds, in 1771, a miner's son, and was educated at Camborne School. His achievements (not to mention steam power, mining, and Cornish culture as a whole) are celebrated every last Saturday of April as the town's 'Trevithick Day', and by his statue standing outside Camborne public library.
by the Boundary Commission for England, which increased the number of seats in the county from five to six.
It is primarily a successor to the former Falmouth and Camborne seat.
In the United Kingdom general election, 2010 the sitting Liberal Democrat
MP, Julia Goldsworthy
was defeated by the Conservative party
candidate George Eustice
with a narrow majority requiring a recount. The results for the three main political parties were:
Locally, the pro-Cornish party Mebyon Kernow
(which favours a Cornish Assembly
) has a large following in the area and recently became the largest political group on Camborne town council after a by-election .
and St Meriadoc: it is entirely of granite, of 15th century date and is listed Grade I. There is a western tower and the aisles are identical in design: an outer south aisle was added in 1878. St Martin was added to the original dedication to St Meriadoc in the 15th century.
An inscribed altar
stone found at Chapel Ia, Troon (now set in the altar of the parish church), and dated to the tenth or eleventh centuries, attests to the existence of a settlement then. The chapel of St Ia was recorded in 1429 and a holy well was nearby. The site was called Fenton-ear (i.e. the well of Ia). The stone is very similar to one now in the garden at Pendarves, used as the base for a sundial.
Camborne churchyard contains a number of crosses collected from nearby sites: the finest is one found in a well at Crane in 1896 but already known from William Borlase
's account of it when it was at Fenton-ear. Two other chapels are known to have existed in the medieval period: one not far from the parish church was dedicated to Our Lady and St Anne and one at Menadarva (derived from Merther-Derwa) was one of Celtic origin dedicated to St Derwa, Virgin, but mentioned in 1429.
trunk road
now by-passes the Town around its northern edge. The old A30 through the Town has become the A3047. There is a small bus station half way along and to the south of Trelowarren Street (the main high street), which has featured in tales by Cornish comedian Jethro
.
The railway station is a half-mile south from the town centre, with a level crossing
and footbridge
at its eastern end. Camborne station
used to be famous for its short platforms, which meant that passengers on main line services between London
and Penzance
could only board and alight from certain carriages. Partly because of this not all services stopped at Camborne, preferring nearby Redruth
station (which is also classed by First Great Western
(FGW) trains as a short station stop). The platforms have been upgraded but the memory lives on, again partly in stories by the comedian Jethro. Camborne station is served by CrossCountry
and FGW trains.
Camborne was, for a quarter of a century, one of the termini of Cornwall's only tram
service. This system was opened in 1902 and ran a regular service to Redruth until it closed in 1927.
were established in 1878 and are one of the most famous clubs in Cornwall, having produced numerous Cornwall players over the years. In 1987 Camborne were the highest placed Cornish club in the newly formed National leagues when they entered at Courage National Division 4 South level, (equivalent to National Division 3 South today). Camborne is one of the grounds used by the Cornish rugby
team and has hosted many notable international sides including the New Zealand
'All Blacks
' in 1905, 1924 and 1953, Australia
in 1908, 1947 and 1967, South Africa
1960, United States
1977 and numerous other touring sides such as the South African Barbarians
and Canterbury (NZ). Since 2006 it was agreed to ground share the Recreation Ground with local Division One team the Cornish Pirates
and the ground has undergone major refurbishment including a new stand for the 2007-8 and 2008-9 seasons.
Notable local rugby players include Josh Matavesi
18 year old debut for Fiji against Scotland in 2010, Roger Arthur, Llanelli and Wales and Andy Reed, Camborne, Bath, and Scotland.
region, the Camborne, Pool and Redruth district is currently at the centre of a £150 million redevelopment, which hopes to reverse social and economic decline in this former industrial heartland.
(CPRR), one of the government's 19 Urban Regeneration Companies
(URCs) is overseeing a large urban renewal programme in the country on behalf of a range of partners including Cornwall Council, the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) and the Homes and Communities Agency
. CPRR is tasked with driving the regeneration of former industrial land, attracting businesses and helping them create sustainable jobs; supporting local business growth ambitions and fostering employment growth through increasing the skills of those in and out of work. To date, as well as working on supporting businesses in the area—especially those in the town centres, CPRR has been engaged in the process of assembling sites, securing agreements with developers
and doing enabling works for major projects such as the east-west link road between Redruth and Camborne.
A challenge faced by CPRR has been to work collaboratively with the owners of the South Crofty mine (which occupies a central position in the Pool regeneration area) to both allow mine development operations to continue and secure the re-development of the wider area around the mine. Stories did appear in the press regarding alleged illegal in-fill of ventilation shafts by CPRR. The truth—that English Partnerships
had found old unmarked shafts on development sites which were in danger of collapse and made them good with concrete caps (removable if needed later by the mine company)--was lost. CPRR has continued to advance major projects in the area, such as a range of housing and infrastructure schemes, and will help SWERDA and the Homes and Communities Agency
bring these forward shortly. Some of the work of the URC is becoming apparent, with works on the Pool Innovation Centre and the Trevenson Road area both advancing well.
, said, "The RDA’s antics are at odds with the claims made to me by the Minister in Parliament and in a letter that the RDA ‘will be informed by the outcome of public consultation. I am astounded that a public body can be acting in such a predatory manner. The RDA seems to want to jump in where it is not wanted and yet it doesn’t intervene where it is. There are places like the Union Hotel in Penzance where the owner and local applicants would be grateful if the RDA were able to step in and purchase but the RDA says that it must be market tested first. Yet when they are faced with a Mine where the owners want to do something constructive, the RDA seem keen to intervene. The public sector has a role in supporting the private sector when projects are not able to be self sustaining. Public money and resources should not be used to undermine the efforts of the private sector".
has been contesting music records from the late 19th century until the present day. It has performed on BBC Radio
and BBC Television
.
Holman Climax Male Voice Choir
, based in Camborne, was formed in 1940 by Edgar S. Kessell MBE (1910-1981).
, Camborne Science and Community College
, and a campus of Cornwall College
.
's 2005 novel Proper job, Charlie Curnow ! is set in and around the Trelawney Estate.
in Brittany
, France, and Pachuca, Hidalgo in Mexico. Camborne was twinned with Pachuca at a ceremony in Mexico on 3 July 2008.
The town name inspired the name of Camborne, New Zealand
, a seaside suburb of Porirua
City developed by an investment company headed by an Arthur Cornish. Most of its street names are of Cornish origin.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is at the western edge of a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
comprising Camborne, Pool
Pool, Cornwall
The village of Pool is bypassed by the A30 in West Cornwall, situated on the A3047 between Camborne and Redruth, between Tuckingmill and Illogan Highway.Not to be confused with:* Poole, the town in Dorset....
and Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
.
The population of Camborne was 20,010 at the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
. By 2007 the population had grown to 22,500. The population of the Camborne-Redruth area, which includes Pool and satellite villages, is 59,100, making it the largest urban conurbation in Cornwall.
Camborne is located in what was formerly one of the richest tin mining
Mining in Cornwall
Mining in Cornwall and Devon began in the early Bronze Age approximately 2,150 BC and ended with the South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall closing in 1998...
areas in the world. It is no longer an industrial town it was once the home to the Camborne School of Mines
Camborne School of Mines
The Camborne School of Mines , commonly abbreviated to CSM, was founded in 1888. It is now a specialist department of the University of Exeter. Its research and teaching is related to the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment...
(see below). The School of Mines moved from the centre of Camborne to Trevenson, Pool and is now part of the University College Falmouth and the University of Exeter in Cornwall situated at the Tremough Campus, Falmouth.
History
In 1931 the ruins of a RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
were found at Magor Farm, Illogan, near Camborne, and excavated that year under the guidance of the Royal Institution of Cornwall
Royal Institution of Cornwall
The Royal Institution of Cornwall was founded in Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, in 1818 as the Cornwall Literary and Philosophical Institution. The Institution was one of the earliest of seven similar societies established in England and Wales. The RIC moved to its present site in River Street...
. It is the only Roman villa found in the whole of Cornwall.
An inscribed altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
stone found at Camborne (now in the Church of St Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
and St Meriadoc), and dated to the tenth or eleventh centuries, attests to the existence of a settlement then. Langdon (1896) records seven stone crosses in the parish of which two are at Pendarves.
Mining
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
industry, having its working heyday during the later 18th and early 19th centuries. Camborne was just a village until transformed by the mining boom which began in the late eighteenth century and saw the Camborne and Redruth district become the richest mining area in the world. Although a considerable number of ruinous stacks and engine houses remain, they cannot begin to convey the scenes of 150 years ago when scores of mines transfigured the landscape.
Dolcoath mine
Dolcoath mine was a copper and tin mine in Camborne, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. Its name derives from the Cornish for 'Old Ground', and it was also affectionately known as The Queen of Cornish Mines. The site is north-west of Carn Brea. Dolcoath Road runs between the A3047 road and Chapel Hill...
, (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Old Ground Mine), the 'Queen of Cornish Mines' was, at a depth of 3,500 feet (1,067 m), for many years the deepest mine in the world, not to mention one of the oldest before its closure in 1921. The last working tin mine in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South Crofty
South Crofty
South Crofty is a metalliferous Tin and Copper mine located in the village of Pool, Cornwall, England UK. An ancient mine, it has seen production for over 400 years, and extends almost two and a half miles across and down and has mined over 40 lodes. Evidence of mining activity in South Crofty has...
, which closed in 1998, is also to be found in Camborne.
Mining related
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
of Holman Bros Ltd
Holman Bros Ltd
Holman Brothers Ltd. was a mining equipment manufacturer founded in 1801 based in Camborne, Cornwall, UK.Holman was Camborne's, and indeed Cornwall's largest manufacturer of industrial equipment. Holman played a part in World War II making the Polish designed 20mm Polsten gun, similar to the...
(CompAir
CompAir
CompAir is an engineering and manufacturing company specialising in compressed air and gas systems.CompAir was acquired by Alchemy Partners from Invensys, which retained a small minority shareholding...
). Holmans, a family business founded in 1801, was for generations, Camborne's, and indeed Cornwall's largest manufacturer of industrial equipment, even making the famous Sten
Sten
The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War...
submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
for a stint during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Holman Projector
Holman Projector
The Holman Projector was an anti-aircraft weapon used by the Royal Navy during World War II, primarily between early 1940 and late 1941. The weapon was proposed and designed by Holmans, a machine tool manufacturer based at Camborne, Cornwall...
was used by the Royal Navy. At its height Holmans was spread over three sites within Camborne, employing some three and half thousand men. Despite Britain's industrial decline, Compair Holmans Camborne factory finally closed in 2001.
On the Afternoon of Tuesday 5 December 2006, a wall of the Holmans factory was leaning towards the railway line, as a result the line west of Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
was closed for the afternoon and night and disrupting railway services, as it was feared the wall could collapse onto the mainline, part of the derelict factory was later demolished that night.
A modest quantity of South Crofty tin was purchased by a local enterprise and this gradually dwindling stock is used to make specialist tin jewellery, branded as the South Crofty Collection.
Camborne School of Mines
Because of the importance of metal mining to the Cornish economy, the Camborne School of MinesCamborne School of Mines
The Camborne School of Mines , commonly abbreviated to CSM, was founded in 1888. It is now a specialist department of the University of Exeter. Its research and teaching is related to the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment...
(CSM) developed as the only specialist hard rock education establishment in the United Kingdom, until the Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
was established in 1851. Its beginnings can be traced to 1829 when plans for the school were first laid out and leading to the current school in 1888. It now forms part of the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
, and relocated to the University's Tremough
Tremough
Tremough Campus is a university campus situated in Penryn, Cornwall. It is the only such university project in Cornwall currently. The name Tremough derives from the Cornish word for "pig farm"....
campus in 2004. CSM graduates are to be found working in the mining industry all over the world. It has a very fine collection of minerals in its museum of geology.
Steam locomotion
On Christmas Eve 1801, the Puffing Devil - a steam-powered road locomotive built by Camborne engineer Richard TrevithickRichard Trevithick
Richard Trevithick was a British inventor and mining engineer from Cornwall. His most significant success was the high pressure steam engine and he also built the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive...
- made its way up Camborne Hill
Camborne Hill
Camborne Hill is a Cornish song that celebrates Richard Trevithick's historic steam engine ride up Camborne Hill, to Beacon on Christmas Eve in 1801. A commemorative plaque is inlaid in a wall...
in Cornwall. It was the world's first self-propelled passenger carrying vehicle. The events have been turned into a local song:
- Going up Camborne Hill, coming down,
- Going up Camborne Hill, coming down,
- The horses stood still,
- The wheels turn around,
- Going up Camborne Hill, coming down.
Trevithick was born in Penponds, in 1771, a miner's son, and was educated at Camborne School. His achievements (not to mention steam power, mining, and Cornish culture as a whole) are celebrated every last Saturday of April as the town's 'Trevithick Day', and by his statue standing outside Camborne public library.
Governance
The Camborne and Redruth constituency was created for the 2010 general election, following a review of parliamentary representation in CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
by the Boundary Commission for England, which increased the number of seats in the county from five to six.
It is primarily a successor to the former Falmouth and Camborne seat.
In the United Kingdom general election, 2010 the sitting Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
MP, Julia Goldsworthy
Julia Goldsworthy
Julia Anne Goldsworthy is a Special Adviser in HM Treasury to Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander. She was the Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne from 2005 until she lost her seat by 66 votes to George Eustice, the Conservative candidate in the 2010 general election in...
was defeated by the Conservative party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
candidate George Eustice
George Eustice
Charles George Eustice is a British Conservative Party politician, who was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Camborne and Redruth....
with a narrow majority requiring a recount. The results for the three main political parties were:
- George Eustice (Conservative) 15,969)
- Julia Goldsworthy (Liberal Democrat) 15,903
- Jude Robinson (Labour) 6,945
Locally, the pro-Cornish party Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow is a left-of-centre political party in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It primarily campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly, as well as social democracy and environmental protection.MK was formed as a pressure group in 1951, and contained as members activists...
(which favours a Cornish Assembly
Cornish Assembly
The Cornish Assembly is a proposed devolved regional assembly for Cornwall in the United Kingdom along the lines of the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly.-Overview:...
) has a large following in the area and recently became the largest political group on Camborne town council after a by-election .
Composition
Camborne Town Council is currently controlled by no overall majority. Composition of Camborne Town Council since May 2011:| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 2 | ||
| No party | 2 | |
| Vacant | 1 | |
| Total | 18 | |
| Source: | ||
Church history
Camborne's parish church is dedicated to St MartinMartin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
and St Meriadoc: it is entirely of granite, of 15th century date and is listed Grade I. There is a western tower and the aisles are identical in design: an outer south aisle was added in 1878. St Martin was added to the original dedication to St Meriadoc in the 15th century.
An inscribed altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
stone found at Chapel Ia, Troon (now set in the altar of the parish church), and dated to the tenth or eleventh centuries, attests to the existence of a settlement then. The chapel of St Ia was recorded in 1429 and a holy well was nearby. The site was called Fenton-ear (i.e. the well of Ia). The stone is very similar to one now in the garden at Pendarves, used as the base for a sundial.
Camborne churchyard contains a number of crosses collected from nearby sites: the finest is one found in a well at Crane in 1896 but already known from William Borlase
William Borlase
William Borlase , Cornish antiquary, geologist and naturalist, was born at Pendeen in Cornwall, of an ancient family . From 1722 he was Rector of Ludgvan and died there in 1772.-Life and works:...
's account of it when it was at Fenton-ear. Two other chapels are known to have existed in the medieval period: one not far from the parish church was dedicated to Our Lady and St Anne and one at Menadarva (derived from Merther-Derwa) was one of Celtic origin dedicated to St Derwa, Virgin, but mentioned in 1429.
Transport
The A30A30 road
The 284 miles A30 road from London to Land's End, historically known as the Great South West Road used to provide the most direct route from London to the south west; more recently the M3 motorway and A303 road performs this function for much of the route and only parts of A30 now retain trunk...
trunk road
Trunk road
A trunk road, trunk highway, or strategic road is a major road—usually connecting two or more cities, ports, airports, and other things.—which is the recommended route for long-distance and freight traffic...
now by-passes the Town around its northern edge. The old A30 through the Town has become the A3047. There is a small bus station half way along and to the south of Trelowarren Street (the main high street), which has featured in tales by Cornish comedian Jethro
Jethro (comedian)
Jethro is the stage name of British stand-up comedian Geoffrey Rowe, based in Lewdown in Devon. Rowe was born in 1948 in St Buryan, a village in west Cornwall....
.
The railway station is a half-mile south from the town centre, with a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
and footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
at its eastern end. Camborne station
Camborne railway station
Camborne railway station serves the town of Camborne, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has been in use since 1843 and is currently operated by First Great Western. Services are provided by First Great Western and CrossCountry.-History:...
used to be famous for its short platforms, which meant that passengers on main line services between London
Paddington station
Paddington railway station, also known as London Paddington, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex.The site is a historic one, having served as the London terminus of the Great Western Railway and its successors since 1838. Much of the current mainline station dates...
and Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
could only board and alight from certain carriages. Partly because of this not all services stopped at Camborne, preferring nearby Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
station (which is also classed by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
(FGW) trains as a short station stop). The platforms have been upgraded but the memory lives on, again partly in stories by the comedian Jethro. Camborne station is served by CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
and FGW trains.
Camborne was, for a quarter of a century, one of the termini of Cornwall's only tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service. This system was opened in 1902 and ran a regular service to Redruth until it closed in 1927.
Sport
Camborne RFCCamborne RFC
Camborne RFC were established in 1878, and are one of the most famous rugby union clubs in Cornwall. They currently play in the Western Counties West division and their club colours are Cherry and White...
were established in 1878 and are one of the most famous clubs in Cornwall, having produced numerous Cornwall players over the years. In 1987 Camborne were the highest placed Cornish club in the newly formed National leagues when they entered at Courage National Division 4 South level, (equivalent to National Division 3 South today). Camborne is one of the grounds used by the Cornish rugby
Cornish rugby
Rugby union in Cornwall is one of the Duchy's most popular sports.-CRFU:The Cornwall Rugby Football Union was formed in 1883. It is a union of 39 rugby union clubs which includes every rugby union club in Cornwall, the open age Cornwall representative side and representative teams at various age...
team and has hosted many notable international sides including the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
'All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
' in 1905, 1924 and 1953, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1908, 1947 and 1967, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
1960, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
1977 and numerous other touring sides such as the South African Barbarians
South African Barbarians
South African Barbarians is an invitational rugby union club formed in 1960 by Frank Mellish, the former 1951-2 Springbok selector and manager together with former Natal chairman, Harry Stacey, styled along the lines of Barbarian F.C...
and Canterbury (NZ). Since 2006 it was agreed to ground share the Recreation Ground with local Division One team the Cornish Pirates
Cornish Pirates
The Cornish Pirates are an English professional rugby union team who play in the Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. Formerly known as Penzance & Newlyn Pirates, the Cornish Pirates play their home games and train at their...
and the ground has undergone major refurbishment including a new stand for the 2007-8 and 2008-9 seasons.
Notable local rugby players include Josh Matavesi
Josh Matavesi
Joshua Lewis Matavesi is a British rugby union footballer of Fijian descent. He is a utility back, and currently represents Racing Metro 92 in the Top 14, and Fiji in international rugby. He has personally said that he feels Cornish, not English, and identifies himself as "Cornish Fijian". He is...
18 year old debut for Fiji against Scotland in 2010, Roger Arthur, Llanelli and Wales and Andy Reed, Camborne, Bath, and Scotland.
Economy
Despite a poor reputation throughout much of Cornwall as a depressedDepression (economics)
In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe downturn than a recession, which is seen by some economists as part of the modern business cycle....
region, the Camborne, Pool and Redruth district is currently at the centre of a £150 million redevelopment, which hopes to reverse social and economic decline in this former industrial heartland.
CPR Regeneration
CPR RegenerationCPR Regeneration
CPR Regeneration is an Urban Regeneration Company set up to help redevelop Camborne, Pool and Redruth in Cornwall, UK. It works with private and public sector organisations and undertakes a range of physical and business related work that seek to increase the quality of the built environment and...
(CPRR), one of the government's 19 Urban Regeneration Companies
Urban Regeneration Company
Urban Regeneration Companies are private companies in the United Kingdom that seek to achieve a radical physical transformation of their areas through masterplanning and co-ordinating financial assistance to developers from both the public and private sector....
(URCs) is overseeing a large urban renewal programme in the country on behalf of a range of partners including Cornwall Council, the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) and the Homes and Communities Agency
Homes and Communities Agency
The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008.-Background:On 17...
. CPRR is tasked with driving the regeneration of former industrial land, attracting businesses and helping them create sustainable jobs; supporting local business growth ambitions and fostering employment growth through increasing the skills of those in and out of work. To date, as well as working on supporting businesses in the area—especially those in the town centres, CPRR has been engaged in the process of assembling sites, securing agreements with developers
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
and doing enabling works for major projects such as the east-west link road between Redruth and Camborne.
A challenge faced by CPRR has been to work collaboratively with the owners of the South Crofty mine (which occupies a central position in the Pool regeneration area) to both allow mine development operations to continue and secure the re-development of the wider area around the mine. Stories did appear in the press regarding alleged illegal in-fill of ventilation shafts by CPRR. The truth—that English Partnerships
English Partnerships
English Partnerships was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies on a regional level...
had found old unmarked shafts on development sites which were in danger of collapse and made them good with concrete caps (removable if needed later by the mine company)--was lost. CPRR has continued to advance major projects in the area, such as a range of housing and infrastructure schemes, and will help SWERDA and the Homes and Communities Agency
Homes and Communities Agency
The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008.-Background:On 17...
bring these forward shortly. Some of the work of the URC is becoming apparent, with works on the Pool Innovation Centre and the Trevenson Road area both advancing well.
Criticism of the Regional Development Agency
Local MPs have criticized SWERDA for interfering in the private sector, and said there may be ulterior motives. Andrew George, MP for St IvesSt Ives (UK Parliament constituency)
St. Ives is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
, said, "The RDA’s antics are at odds with the claims made to me by the Minister in Parliament and in a letter that the RDA ‘will be informed by the outcome of public consultation. I am astounded that a public body can be acting in such a predatory manner. The RDA seems to want to jump in where it is not wanted and yet it doesn’t intervene where it is. There are places like the Union Hotel in Penzance where the owner and local applicants would be grateful if the RDA were able to step in and purchase but the RDA says that it must be market tested first. Yet when they are faced with a Mine where the owners want to do something constructive, the RDA seem keen to intervene. The public sector has a role in supporting the private sector when projects are not able to be self sustaining. Public money and resources should not be used to undermine the efforts of the private sector".
Music
Camborne Town BandCamborne Town Band
Camborne Town Band has a contest record from the late 19th century until the present day. It has been a local Championship band since its formation and on the National stage since the 1920s...
has been contesting music records from the late 19th century until the present day. It has performed on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
and BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
.
Holman Climax Male Voice Choir
Holman Climax Male Voice Choir
Holman Climax Male Voice Choir formed in 1940 and based in Camborne, Cornwall was originally known as Climax Male Voice Choir added the name Holman to its title during the late 1960s after the two companies of Holman's and Climax joined together....
, based in Camborne, was formed in 1940 by Edgar S. Kessell MBE (1910-1981).
Education
The town has a number of schools covering all age ranges, notably the main secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
, Camborne Science and Community College
Camborne Science and Community College
Camborne Science & International Academy, formally Camborne Science & Community College, is a comprehensive school and Sixth Form College in Camborne, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The school teaches 11-19 year olds...
, and a campus of Cornwall College
Cornwall College
Cornwall College is a further education college situated on various sites throughout Cornwall with its main centre in St Austell. The college is a member of the 157 Group of high performing schools...
.
Fiction
Alan M. KentAlan M. Kent
Alan M. Kent is a Cornish poet, novelist, dramatist, author and editor of a number of works on Cornish and Anglo-Cornish literature.-Creative writing:* Proper Job, Charlie Curnow!* Electric Pastyland...
's 2005 novel Proper job, Charlie Curnow ! is set in and around the Trelawney Estate.
Twinning
Camborne is twinned with two places: Santez-Anna-WenedSainte-Anne-d'Auray
Sainte-Anne-d'Auray is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.-Demographics:Inhabitants of Sainte-Anne-d'Auray are called in French Saintannois.-Breton language:...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, France, and Pachuca, Hidalgo in Mexico. Camborne was twinned with Pachuca at a ceremony in Mexico on 3 July 2008.
The town name inspired the name of Camborne, New Zealand
Camborne, New Zealand
Camborne, New Zealand, is a hilltop and seaside suburb of Porirua City developed over a 35-year period from the 1960s, initially by an investment company headed by a Mr Arthur Cornish...
, a seaside suburb of Porirua
Porirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
City developed by an investment company headed by an Arthur Cornish. Most of its street names are of Cornish origin.
External links
- Camborne Town Council - Information on the town
- Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Camborne