St Blazey
Encyclopedia
St Blazey is a small town in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
.
St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council.
St Blazey is situated 3 miles (4.8 km) east of St Austell
. Once an important engineering centre for the local mine and railway industries, the parish is now dominated by the Eden Project
.
and tin
were mined in and around the parish, whilst more recently china clay
has been the principal commodity mined. The port of Par Harbour, which lies within the parish, was developed to ease the transport of these minerals, and initially connected to the mines by the Par Canal. Whilst the port of Par is within the parish, the village of Par
is actually just across the River Par
, and hence lies in the civil parish of Tywardreath
.
The Par Canal was soon replaced by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
, which had a depot and station in the town, and still exists as part of the Atlantic Coast Line
. Whilst St Blazey depot
is still in use, St Blazey station
closed to passengers in 1925, and the town is now served by Par station
on the Cornish Main Line
in Par village.
The Eden Project
is located within the civil parish, and about 2 kilometres (1 mi) from the centre of the town. The large number of visitors this attracts has led to the development of tourism
in the town. Other attractions, such as the Treffry Viaduct
and the Luxulyan Valley
are also close by, although actually within the adjoining parish of Luxulyan
.
.
The town is also home to St Blazey Cricket Club, which is based at Middleway.
, the historian who was born at Roselyon, in 1734, and educated at Liskeard
. It is claimed by some as the birthplace of Ralph Allen
, notable architect
of Bath, although his christening took place at St Columb Major
. John Rogers
, who supported the introduction of the man engine
to Cornish mines, was curate here for a time.
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...
.
St Blaise is the civil parish in which St Blazey is situated; the name St Blaise is also used by the town council.
St Blazey is situated 3 miles (4.8 km) east 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...
. Once an important engineering centre for the local mine and railway industries, the parish is now dominated by the Eden Project
Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
.
History
The town was once dominated by the local mining industries and their associated transport infrastructure. Historically copperCopper
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...
and tin
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...
were mined in and around the parish, whilst more recently china clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
has been the principal commodity mined. The port of Par Harbour, which lies within the parish, was developed to ease the transport of these minerals, and initially connected to the mines by the Par Canal. Whilst the port of Par is within the parish, the village of Par
Par, Cornwall
Par is a town and fishing port with a harbour on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated in the civil parish of Tywardreath and Par and is approximately east of St Austell. Par has a population of around 1,400.....
is actually just across the River Par
River Par
The River Par is a river draining the area north of St Blazey in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.The Par is formed by several streams, rising near the villages of Lockengate, Lanivet and Tregullon near Bodmin, which flow southwards via the Bokiddick, Bodwen and Luxulyan areas to flow into the...
, and hence lies in the civil parish of Tywardreath
Tywardreath
Tywardreath is a small hilltop village in southern Cornwall, United Kingdom. about north west of Fowey. It is located in a sheltered spot overlooking a silted up estuary opposite Par and near the beach of Par Sands...
.
The Par Canal was soon replaced by the Cornwall Minerals Railway
Cornwall Minerals Railway
The Cornwall Minerals Railway operated a network of railway lines in Cornwall, United Kingdom. Based at St Blazey, its network stretched from Fowey to Newquay and lasted as an independent company from 1874 to 1896, after which it became a part of the Great Western Railway.-Authorisation:The...
, which had a depot and station in the town, and still exists as part of the Atlantic Coast Line
Atlantic Coast Line, Cornwall
The Atlantic Coast Line is a community railway line in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The line runs from the English Channel at Par, to the Atlantic Ocean at Newquay.-Route:The Atlantic Coast Line starts from Par station, in the village and port of Par...
. Whilst St Blazey depot
St Blazey engine shed
St Blazey Engine Shed is located in Par, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The depot operator is DB Schenker. It is named after the adjacent village of St Blazey and has the depot code is BZ.-History:...
is still in use, St Blazey station
St Blazey railway station
A passenger station was opened at Par on 20 June 1876 when the Cornwall Minerals Railway started a passenger service from Fowey to Newquay. It was adjacent to the railway's workshops...
closed to passengers in 1925, and the town is now served by Par station
Par railway station
Par Station is a railway station serving the village and port of Par, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom. It is the junction for the Atlantic Coast Line to Newquay. The station is operated by First Great Western, and served by trains operated by both First Great Western and...
on the Cornish Main Line
Cornish Main Line
The Cornish Main Line is a railway line in the United Kingdom, which forms the backbone for rail services in Cornwall, as well as providing a direct line to London.- History :...
in Par village.
Tourism
Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
is located within the civil parish, and about 2 kilometres (1 mi) from the centre of the town. The large number of visitors this attracts has led to the development of tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
in the town. Other attractions, such as the Treffry Viaduct
Treffry Viaduct
The Treffry Viaduct is a historic dual-purpose railway viaduct and aqueduct, located close to the village of Luxulyan, Cornwall, England in the United Kingdom...
and the Luxulyan Valley
Luxulyan Valley
The Luxulyan Valley is the steep sided and thickly wooded valley of the River Par, situated in the south east of Cornwall, England. It contains a major concentration of early 19th century industrial remains, and was designated as part of a World Heritage Site in 2006.The valley stretches south-east...
are also close by, although actually within the adjoining parish of Luxulyan
Luxulyan
Luxulyan , also spelled Luxullian or Luxulian, is a village and civil parish in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village lies four miles northeast of St Austell and six miles south of Bodmin...
.
Education
Primary education is provided by Biscovey Nursery and Infant Community School and Biscovey Junior School.Sport
The town's football team, St Blazey A.F.C. was the first club of England International goalkeeper Nigel MartynNigel Martyn
Antony Nigel Martyn , more commonly known as Nigel Martyn, is a retired English football goalkeeper. He played for Crystal Palace where he became the first £1million goalkeeper in British football and also won the Full Members Cup. Martyn then left to spend six seasons at Leeds United. He went on...
.
The town is also home to St Blazey Cricket Club, which is based at Middleway.
Notable people
Notable people from the town include Edward LongEdward Long
Edward Long was a British colonial administrator and historian, and author of an influential work, The History of Jamaica .-Life:...
, the historian who was born at Roselyon, in 1734, and educated at Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
. It is claimed by some as the birthplace of Ralph Allen
Ralph Allen
Ralph Allen was an entrepreneur and philanthropist, and was notable for his reforms to the British postal system. He was baptised at St Columb Major, Cornwall on 24 July 1693. As a teenager he worked at the Post Office. He moved in 1710 to Bath, where he became a post office clerk, and at the age...
, notable architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
of Bath, although his christening took place at St Columb Major
St Columb Major
St Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay...
. John Rogers
John Rogers (divine)
John Rogers , divine was born at Plymouth on 17 July 1778. He was the eldest son of John Rogers, the M.P. for Penryn and Helston and Margaret, daughter of Francis Basset....
, who supported the introduction of the man engine
Man engine
A man engine is a mechanism of reciprocating ladders and stationary platforms installed in mines to assist the miners’ journeys to and from the working levels...
to Cornish mines, was curate here for a time.
See also
- Saint BlaiseSaint BlaiseSaint Blaise was a physician, and bishop of Sebastea . According to his Acta Sanctorum, he was martyred by being beaten, attacked with iron carding combs, and beheaded...
, the patron saint of the town