Grampound
Encyclopedia
Grampound is a village in Cornwall
, England
, United Kingdom
. It is situated on the A390 road
six miles (10 km) west of St Austell
.
Grampound with Creed
is the civil parish of which the village of Grampound and the village of Creed
are the main settlements. Formerly, part of Grampound was in the parish of Creed and part was in the parish of Probus
.
The name Grampound comes from Norman French: grand (great), pont (bridge), referring to the bridge over the River Fal
. The population was recorded as 638 residents in the 2001 census.
in 1332 and the town remained important until the 15th century. Thereafter it declined and John Norden refers to the inhabitants as "few and poore" in his account published in 1584.
Grampound's linear layout is of Norman origin, with long thin burgage plots extending away from the main street, Fore Street (A390). Most of the village core is a Conservation Area
, and there are many listed buildings on Fore Street, for example the local school and the Post Office
. There is a range of buildings of different ages, including houses built in the 1980s, but these were in executive style, and many local people, particularly young families, are unable to afford them.
It was formerly considered a town, having been granted a charter some time before the year 1334. The Grampound constituency
elected two members
to the Unreformed House of Commons
from the reign of Edward VI
until it was disenfranchised in 1821, after a corruption scandal that led to the conviction and imprisonment of several men for bribery. MPs who represented the town include William Noye, John Hampden
, Grey Cooper and Charles Wolfran Cornwall
.
About 1.5 miles north west of the village is Grampound Road, this does not form part of Grampound with Creed parish, but is instead part of Ladock
parish. The railway station of that name was situated here; it was opened on 4 May 1859 and closed in 1964. A small village known as Grampound Road grew up around the railway station and continues to expand despite the station closing (along with other stations on the line) on 5 October 1964.
The plan is to have a mix of housing, which would be sympathetically designed to blend in with the existing village character. However, some local people have expressed concern about the impact on the landscape. The area is designated as being of 'very high landscape value', which is one category away from Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. Another concern is the biodiversity
. Various ecological surveys have been taken to ensure the conservation of open space and endangered species such as bats and dormice. Movement patterns and access points is also a concern. The A390 is busy and hazardous, and funding for a bypass
is unlikely. At present vehicular access to the site is at three points, all of which are narrow lanes.
The main A390 road that runs through the village is an issue for residents. It is one of Cornwall's few major roads, and in summer when the A30
is congested, the A390 is an alternative route. Pavements in some parts of the village are narrow or non-existent. The village is on a steep hill and vehicles travelling at speed have been known to come off the road and hit houses on Fore Street. A bypass was considered in 1996, when a route north of the village was favoured, but the plans were rejected, partly due to local protests and partly because Grampound is not large enough to warrant a bypass.
A half hourly bus service runs to Truro, the county town
, 13 km to the west, and St Austell, 10 km to the east. Many people commute to work in these two towns.
funding. A small museum, the Grampound with Creed Heritage Centre, is located in the village.
Village of the Year
Villagers in Grampound celebrated after being named Calor Cornwall Village of the Year for 2007. A total of seven villages entered the competition which is organised by Cornwall Rural Community Council and sponsored by gas supplier Calor. Grampound took the title beating off competition from Kingsand/Cawsand, Gorran Haven, Mawnan Smith, Crafthole, Mullion and St Day. The competition is judged on all aspects of a thriving community village. The contest was close but judges were extremely impressed with Grampound and commended the community atmosphere of the area.
As Cornwall was village of the year Grampound went forward to represent the county in the Village of the Year for England competition, unfortunately the village did not win but everyone was very proud to have reached the finals and to be a runner-up.
Produce markets
Transition Grampound have started to hold local produce markets in the Village Hall. They are on the last Saturday in each month, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market features produce from local farms. It is also open to any business, community group or individual within the parish who wishes to sell produce, crafts or other items or just wants to advertise their business.
Carnival
In 2008 Grampound resident Colin Terry, a Chief Superintendent in the local police service on secondment to the Home Office
, appeared in a fancy dress parade at the Grampound Carnival dressed in a comical cartoon costume of Osama bin Laden
.
The police service promptly issued a statement deploring his actions as "misguided" and "inappropriate", and reported him to the Independent Police Complaints Commission
. This prompted a storm of protest including e.g. The Times, Daily Mail, Metro, and the local paper. Many people responded the stories by suggesting that this was an example of inappropriate political correctness
, an infringement of free speech
, and possibly a breach of Terry's human rights
.
Borough seal
The seal of the borough shows a bridge of two arches over a river combined with a tree and an escutcheon bearing the arms of the family of Cornwall (Arg. a lion rampant Gu. within a bordure Sa.)
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 situated on the A390 road
A390 road
The A390 is a road in Cornwall and Devon, England. It runs from Tavistock to north west of the city of Truro. Starting in Tavistock, it heads south-westwards towards Liskeard, crossing over the River Tamar and into Cornwall, then through Gunnislake and Callington. Immediately before Liskeard, it...
six miles (10 km) west of St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
.
Grampound with Creed
Grampound with Creed
Grampound with Creed is a civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The two major settlements in the parish are the ancient town of Grampound and the smaller village of Creed...
is the civil parish of which the village of Grampound and the village of Creed
Creed, Cornwall
Creed is a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated roughly midway between Truro and St Austell approximately two miles east of Probus....
are the main settlements. Formerly, part of Grampound was in the parish of Creed and part was in the parish of Probus
Probus, Cornwall
Probus is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is famous for having the tallest church tower in Cornwall. The tower is high, and richly decorated with carvings...
.
The name Grampound comes from Norman French: grand (great), pont (bridge), referring to the bridge over the River Fal
River Fal
The River Fal flows through Cornwall, United Kingdom, rising on the Goss Moor and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and St Mawes as well as Trelissick Garden. The River Fal separates the Roseland peninsula from the rest of...
. The population was recorded as 638 residents in the 2001 census.
History and geography
Grampound with Creed lies in the beautiful valley of the River Fal. It was settled in prehistoric times, and in the early medieval period the parish of Creed and the manor of Tybesta were established here. Grampound grew after the Norman conquest as the main crossing place on the Fal, a focus for travellers and traders moving between west Cornwall and England. Thus Grampound became one of the most important towns in medieval Cornwall with a rich and vibrant history. The bridge from which the town took its name is first recorded in 1296. The first charter was granted by the Earl of CornwallEarl of Cornwall
The title of Earl of Cornwall was created several times in the Peerage of England before 1337, when it was superseded by the title Duke of Cornwall, which became attached to heirs-apparent to the throne.-Earl of Cornwall:...
in 1332 and the town remained important until the 15th century. Thereafter it declined and John Norden refers to the inhabitants as "few and poore" in his account published in 1584.
Grampound's linear layout is of Norman origin, with long thin burgage plots extending away from the main street, Fore Street (A390). Most of the village core is a Conservation Area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
, and there are many listed buildings on Fore Street, for example the local school and the Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. There is a range of buildings of different ages, including houses built in the 1980s, but these were in executive style, and many local people, particularly young families, are unable to afford them.
It was formerly considered a town, having been granted a charter some time before the year 1334. The Grampound constituency
Grampound (UK Parliament constituency)
Grampound in Cornwall, was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1821. It was represented by two Members of Parliament.-History:Grampound's...
elected two members
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to the Unreformed House of Commons
Unreformed House of Commons
The unreformed House of Commons is the name generally given to the British House of Commons as it existed before the Reform Act 1832.Until the Act of Union of 1707 joining the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , Scotland had its own Parliament, and the term refers to the House of Commons of England...
from the reign of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
until it was disenfranchised in 1821, after a corruption scandal that led to the conviction and imprisonment of several men for bribery. MPs who represented the town include William Noye, John Hampden
John Hampden
John Hampden was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643) was an English politician, the eldest son of William Hampden, of Hampden House, Great Hampden in Buckinghamshire, John Hampden (ca. 15951643)...
, Grey Cooper and Charles Wolfran Cornwall
Charles Wolfran Cornwall
Charles Wolfran Cornwall was a British politician.In 1768, he was returned as MP for Grampound. He was created a Privy Councillor in 1780....
.
About 1.5 miles north west of the village is Grampound Road, this does not form part of Grampound with Creed parish, but is instead part of Ladock
Ladock
Ladock is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately six miles northeast of Truro.Historically, Ladock was two small settlements; Bissick by the river and Ladock on the hill...
parish. The railway station of that name was situated here; it was opened on 4 May 1859 and closed in 1964. A small village known as Grampound Road grew up around the railway station and continues to expand despite the station closing (along with other stations on the line) on 5 October 1964.
New housing proposal
In 2005, plans were submitted for a two-phase redevelopment of the Manor Tannery, which included a mixture of housing and possibilities for commercial and retail units in the preserved tannery buildings. A local building company, Rosemullion Homes, has an option to develop the site and adjacent land. Another company, LHC Urban Design, was commissioned to develop a master plan for the site. Its intention is to include; some social housing to rent or buy, and some low market-value housing suitable for first-time buyers.The plan is to have a mix of housing, which would be sympathetically designed to blend in with the existing village character. However, some local people have expressed concern about the impact on the landscape. The area is designated as being of 'very high landscape value', which is one category away from Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. Another concern is the biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
. Various ecological surveys have been taken to ensure the conservation of open space and endangered species such as bats and dormice. Movement patterns and access points is also a concern. The A390 is busy and hazardous, and funding for a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
is unlikely. At present vehicular access to the site is at three points, all of which are narrow lanes.
Transport
The main A390 road now runs through the town, bringing with it the problems of traffic, but Grampound remains a beautiful location with a rich community life and spirit.The main A390 road that runs through the village is an issue for residents. It is one of Cornwall's few major roads, and in summer when the A30
A30 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...
is congested, the A390 is an alternative route. Pavements in some parts of the village are narrow or non-existent. The village is on a steep hill and vehicles travelling at speed have been known to come off the road and hit houses on Fore Street. A bypass was considered in 1996, when a route north of the village was favoured, but the plans were rejected, partly due to local protests and partly because Grampound is not large enough to warrant a bypass.
A half hourly bus service runs to Truro, the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
, 13 km to the west, and St Austell, 10 km to the east. Many people commute to work in these two towns.
Additional information
The primary school has recently been extended, and the new village hall was opened in 2004 with National LotteryNational Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
funding. A small museum, the Grampound with Creed Heritage Centre, is located in the village.
Village of the Year
Villagers in Grampound celebrated after being named Calor Cornwall Village of the Year for 2007. A total of seven villages entered the competition which is organised by Cornwall Rural Community Council and sponsored by gas supplier Calor. Grampound took the title beating off competition from Kingsand/Cawsand, Gorran Haven, Mawnan Smith, Crafthole, Mullion and St Day. The competition is judged on all aspects of a thriving community village. The contest was close but judges were extremely impressed with Grampound and commended the community atmosphere of the area.
As Cornwall was village of the year Grampound went forward to represent the county in the Village of the Year for England competition, unfortunately the village did not win but everyone was very proud to have reached the finals and to be a runner-up.
Produce markets
Transition Grampound have started to hold local produce markets in the Village Hall. They are on the last Saturday in each month, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market features produce from local farms. It is also open to any business, community group or individual within the parish who wishes to sell produce, crafts or other items or just wants to advertise their business.
Carnival
In 2008 Grampound resident Colin Terry, a Chief Superintendent in the local police service on secondment to the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, appeared in a fancy dress parade at the Grampound Carnival dressed in a comical cartoon costume of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
.
The police service promptly issued a statement deploring his actions as "misguided" and "inappropriate", and reported him to the Independent Police Complaints Commission
Independent Police Complaints Commission
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a non-departmental public body in England and Wales responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales.-Role:...
. This prompted a storm of protest including e.g. The Times, Daily Mail, Metro, and the local paper. Many people responded the stories by suggesting that this was an example of inappropriate political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
, an infringement of free speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, and possibly a breach of Terry's human rights
Human Rights Act 1998
The Human Rights Act 1998 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000. Its aim is to "give further effect" in UK law to the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights...
.
Borough seal
The seal of the borough shows a bridge of two arches over a river combined with a tree and an escutcheon bearing the arms of the family of Cornwall (Arg. a lion rampant Gu. within a bordure Sa.)