Penpol
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Penpol and Penpol Creek near Chycoose
Penpol is a Grade II listed building in north Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is situated two miles (3 km) east of Boscastle
just outside the village of Lesnewth
.
Penpol was believed to be one of the original farmhouses on the north facing side of the Valency valley
as far as Peters Wood and Helsett Farm. The name comes from the Cornish
"Pen" (end) and "Pol" (pool) which refers to the surrounding geographical relief, including marshland and river.
Penpol was once home to Mike Raven
, a well-known radio DJ
who presented on various pirate radio
stations and on BBC Radio 1
. Before that it was left derelict as a pig-house for hundreds of years. It was originally in possession of one of the leading families of Lesnewth and Boscastle, the graves of some of its members can be found in Lesnewth and St Juliot
(as designed by Thomas Hardy
) churchyards today.
During World War II
, Penpol was used as a posting house for both US and UK air-force troops and later for children evacuated from cities and towns.
The building was designed with no windows and no upstairs floor and has since been renovated heavily in the 1970s and again in the 2000s. Non-original windows date back to the early 17th century and the north-east rear of the building was once believed to have a lean-to pergola style frame which has since either perished or been destroyed.
Chycoose
Chycoose, Point and Penpol form a coastal settlement around Penpol Creek in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The creek is a ria, a tidal inlet on the north side of Restronguet Creek...
Penpol is a Grade II listed building in north Cornwall
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...
, 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 two miles (3 km) east of Boscastle
Boscastle
Boscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Forrabury and Minster. It is situated 14 miles south of Bude and 5 miles north-east of Tintagel....
just outside the village of Lesnewth
Lesnewth
Lesnewth is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately six miles east of Tintagel Head and two miles east of Boscastle....
.
Penpol was believed to be one of the original farmhouses on the north facing side of the Valency valley
River Valency
The River Valency is located in north Cornwall with many tributaries, and after running past Lesnewth cuts a valley before entering the sea at the harbour of the village of Boscastle. One of its tributaries is the River Jordan, which it joins in Boscastle just before the B3263 road bridge.The...
as far as Peters Wood and Helsett Farm. The name comes from the Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
"Pen" (end) and "Pol" (pool) which refers to the surrounding geographical relief, including marshland and river.
Penpol was once home to Mike Raven
Mike Raven
Austin Churton Fairman , who used the name Churton Fairman but was more widely known under the pseudonym Mike Raven in the 1960s and early 1970s, was a British radio disc jockey, actor, sculptor, sheep farmer, writer, TV presenter and producer, ballet dancer, flamenco guitarist and...
, a well-known radio DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
who presented on various pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
stations and on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Before that it was left derelict as a pig-house for hundreds of years. It was originally in possession of one of the leading families of Lesnewth and Boscastle, the graves of some of its members can be found in Lesnewth and St Juliot
St Juliot
St Juliot is a civil parish in north-east Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish is entirely rural and the only settlements are the hamlets of Beeny and Tresparrett.-Parish Church:...
(as designed by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
) churchyards today.
During World War II
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...
, Penpol was used as a posting house for both US and UK air-force troops and later for children evacuated from cities and towns.
The building was designed with no windows and no upstairs floor and has since been renovated heavily in the 1970s and again in the 2000s. Non-original windows date back to the early 17th century and the north-east rear of the building was once believed to have a lean-to pergola style frame which has since either perished or been destroyed.