Tehidy Country Park
Encyclopedia
Tehidy Country Park is located near Camborne
, Redruth
and Portreath
. It was once part of a created estate that was owned by the wealthy Basset Tin
mining
family.
Covering 250 acres (1 km²), the estate was purchased by Cornwall County Council
in 1983. It is one of four Country Parks in Cornwall
.
The Park hosts a variety of facilities including an events field, where a range of activities are held, barbecue
hire facilities in a specially designated woodland, a Summer and Winter Events Programme, outdoor education facilities, a permanent orienteering
course and a Schools and Youth campsite.
, Alder
, Oak
, Beech
, Sycamore
, Birch
, Japanese Maple, Conifers and Chestnut
are the tallest, most dominating trees, followed by lower growing shrubs including Holly
and Hazel
.
Typical woodland plants such as Bluebells
, Wild Garlic
(Allium triquetrum
), Daffodils and a range of native fern
s inhabit the park as well as many different varieties of Rhododendron
.
The park is home to, amongst others, swan
s, geese, rook
s, jackdaws
, coot
s , moor hens, grey squirrels
, otters, and badgers.
nestling in the woodland whilst in Oak wood, earth banks that were once field boundaries can still be seen. The Basset family obtained the "Manor of Tehidy" in the middle of the 12th century and much of what we see there today is the result of their activities. Many of the features created by the Bassets have now disappeared, however some relics of this great estate can still be seen.
times and obtained the manor of Tehidy in the middle of the 12th century when William Basset married Cecilia, the heiress of the great house of de Dunstanville. Tehidy was originally known as 'Tehidin' in the 12th -13th centuries, derived from the Cornish language
'ti', meaning house, followed by a personal name. By 1330 a substantial building existed under William Basset but during the Cornish Rebellion of 1497
it was dismantled by a group of rebels under Richard Pendyne of Pendeen
in revenge for John Basset's (then Sherriff of Cornwall) loyalty to the Crown. In 1734 a large mansion was commenced by John Pendarves Basset and in 1739 Francis Basset took possession of the estate and the almost completed house. The old mansion remained until 1861 when John Francis Basset commenced a rebuild from vast income from mining and land rents (during 1860-61 his income from Dolcoath mine
and the Basset mines amounted to £20,000) and the new house was complete by 1863. By 1882 Arthur Basset had inherited the estate but due to diminished income from the mining industry it was becoming increasingly difficult to finance the estate. In 1915 the mansion was vacated and after 700 years of Basset ownership, the estate was sold in 1916. In 1918 the house became a hospital for tuberculosis sufferers. On 23 February 1919 the house was destroyed by fire but by January 1922 had been completely rebuilt.
, but in later years also dealt with patients who had strokes, head injuries and various respiratory disorders. Like many old TB Hospitals there were several wards distributed throughout the extensive grounds and the operating theatre was refurbished in the early 1980s although was never reopened. Over the years most of the wards closed and finally the hospital shut completely in April 1988, and has now been converted into luxury apartments. Several new luxury houses have now been built around the former hospital buildings. There is no public right of way through this section of the park.
Camborne
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....
, 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...
and Portreath
Portreath
Portreath is a civil parish, village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately three miles northwest of Redruth....
. It was once part of a created estate that was owned by the wealthy Basset 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...
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...
family.
Covering 250 acres (1 km²), the estate was purchased by Cornwall County Council
Cornwall County Council
Cornwall Council is the unitary authority for Cornwall, in England, United Kingdom. The council, and its predecessor Cornwall County Council, has a tradition of large groups of independents, having been controlled by independents in the 1970s and 1980s...
in 1983. It is one of four Country Parks in 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...
.
The Park hosts a variety of facilities including an events field, where a range of activities are held, barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
hire facilities in a specially designated woodland, a Summer and Winter Events Programme, outdoor education facilities, a permanent orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
course and a Schools and Youth campsite.
Flora and fauna
The woodland at Tehidy is composed of distinct vegetation layers. Trees such as AshAsh tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
, Alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
, Oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, Beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, Sycamore
Sycamore Maple
Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, is a species of maple native to central Europe and southwestern Asia, from France east to Ukraine, and south in mountains to northern Spain, northern Turkey, and the Caucasus. It is not related to other trees called sycamore or plane tree in the Platanus...
, Birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
, Japanese Maple, Conifers and Chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
are the tallest, most dominating trees, followed by lower growing shrubs including Holly
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
and Hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
.
Typical woodland plants such as Bluebells
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, commonly known as the common bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant. -Taxonomy:...
, Wild Garlic
Allium triquetrum
Allium triquetrum is a Mediterranean plant, but can also be found along the coasts of Oregon and California. Many parts of the plant are edible and taste somewhat like garlic or onion...
(Allium triquetrum
Allium triquetrum
Allium triquetrum is a Mediterranean plant, but can also be found along the coasts of Oregon and California. Many parts of the plant are edible and taste somewhat like garlic or onion...
), Daffodils and a range of native fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s inhabit the park as well as many different varieties of Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
.
The park is home to, amongst others, swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s, geese, rook
Rook (bird)
The Rook is a member of the Corvidae family in the passerine order of birds. Named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering"....
s, jackdaws
Jackdaws
Jackdaws is a World War II spy thriller written by British novelist Ken Follett. It was published in hardcover format in 2001 by the Macmillan. It was reissued as a paperback book by Signet Books in 2002.- Plot teaser :...
, coot
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...
s , moor hens, grey squirrels
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...
, otters, and badgers.
Historical Remains
Within the boundaries of Tehidy Country Park, evidence of man's activities can be found dating back many centuries. In the North Cliffs area there is an ancient earthworkEarthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
nestling in the woodland whilst in Oak wood, earth banks that were once field boundaries can still be seen. The Basset family obtained the "Manor of Tehidy" in the middle of the 12th century and much of what we see there today is the result of their activities. Many of the features created by the Bassets have now disappeared, however some relics of this great estate can still be seen.
House
The Basset family owned the estate since NormanNorman dynasty
Norman dynasty is the usual designation for the family that were the Dukes of Normandy and the English monarchs which immediately followed the Norman conquest and lasted until the Plantagenet dynasty came to power in 1154. It included Rollo and his descendants, and from William the Conqueror and...
times and obtained the manor of Tehidy in the middle of the 12th century when William Basset married Cecilia, the heiress of the great house of de Dunstanville. Tehidy was originally known as 'Tehidin' in the 12th -13th centuries, derived from the Cornish language
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...
'ti', meaning house, followed by a personal name. By 1330 a substantial building existed under William Basset but during the Cornish Rebellion of 1497
Cornish Rebellion of 1497
The Cornish Rebellion of 1497 was a popular uprising by the people of Cornwall in the far southwest of Britain. Its primary cause was a response of people to the raising of war taxes by King Henry VII on the impoverished Cornish, to raise money for a campaign against Scotland motivated by brief...
it was dismantled by a group of rebels under Richard Pendyne of Pendeen
Pendeen
Pendeen is a village on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is north-northeast of St Just and west of Penzance.The village has a community centre, a shop, a post office, a primary school, and a few small businesses. Community activities include an art club, silver marching band...
in revenge for John Basset's (then Sherriff of Cornwall) loyalty to the Crown. In 1734 a large mansion was commenced by John Pendarves Basset and in 1739 Francis Basset took possession of the estate and the almost completed house. The old mansion remained until 1861 when John Francis Basset commenced a rebuild from vast income from mining and land rents (during 1860-61 his income from Dolcoath mine
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...
and the Basset mines amounted to £20,000) and the new house was complete by 1863. By 1882 Arthur Basset had inherited the estate but due to diminished income from the mining industry it was becoming increasingly difficult to finance the estate. In 1915 the mansion was vacated and after 700 years of Basset ownership, the estate was sold in 1916. In 1918 the house became a hospital for tuberculosis sufferers. On 23 February 1919 the house was destroyed by fire but by January 1922 had been completely rebuilt.
Hospital
In the centre of the park, but now private property, is a large building which was once Tehidy Hospital (sometimes referred to as Tehidy Sanatorium). It was originally converted from the Bassets' home into an isolation hospital for patients with tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, but in later years also dealt with patients who had strokes, head injuries and various respiratory disorders. Like many old TB Hospitals there were several wards distributed throughout the extensive grounds and the operating theatre was refurbished in the early 1980s although was never reopened. Over the years most of the wards closed and finally the hospital shut completely in April 1988, and has now been converted into luxury apartments. Several new luxury houses have now been built around the former hospital buildings. There is no public right of way through this section of the park.
Basset family lineage
- William Basset obtained Tehidy Manor c1150
- Sir William Basset d 1384
- John Basset - Sheriff of Cornwall d 1463
- Sir John Basset d 1485
- Sir John Basset d 1529
- Sir John BassettSir John BassettSir John Basset of Umberleigh in Devon and Tehidy in Cornwall, was a courtier in the reign of Henry VIII. He was married twice; firstly to Ann Denys, daughter of John Denys and secondly to Honor Grenville...
of UmberleighUmberleighUmberleigh is a small village in North Devon in England. It shares an ecclesiastical parish with nearby Atherington, but is part of the civil parish of Chittlehampton.-Rail transport:... - Sir Arthur Basset
- George Basset MP for BossineyBossiney (UK Parliament constituency)Bossiney was a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall, one of a number of Cornish rotten boroughs, and returned two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons from 1552 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
d 1580 - James Basset d 1603 (married Jane, daughter of Sir Francis Godolphin)
- Sir Francis BassetFrancis BassettSir Francis Bassett , was a sheriff and vice-admiral of Cornwall and the recorder and M.P. of St. Ives.He married in 1620 Ann, daughter of Sir Jonathan Trelawny of Trelawne, and, during the Civil War in 1643 was busily engaged as a Royalist in the western part of Cornwall, raising money and...
d 1645 (married Anne, daughter of Sir Jonathan TrelawnySir John Trelawny, 1st BaronetSir John Trelawny, 1st Baronet was a Cornish baronet and soldier from Trelawne, Cornwall. He was High Sheriff of Cornwall.-Parliament:...
) - John Basset d 1656
- Francis Basset
- Francis Basset d 1721
- John Pendarves Basset d 1739
- Francis Basset (1715–1769)Francis Basset (1715–1769)Francis Basset was a Cornish landowner and politician from Tehidy. He served as Member of Parliament for Penryn .He was born the son of Francis and Mary Basset...
MP for PenrynPenryn (UK Parliament constituency)Penryn was a parliamentary borough in Cornwall, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1553 until 1707, to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to until 1832... - Sir Francis BassetFrancis Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and BassetFrancis Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and Basset FRS was an English nobleman and politician. He was the first son of Francis Basset and Margaret St...
d 1835 - (son was John Basset - MP for HelstonHelston (UK Parliament constituency)Helston, sometimes known as Helleston, was a parliamentary borough centred on the small town of Helston in Cornwall.Using the bloc vote system of election, it returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then to House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and...
) - Frances Basset, 2nd Baroness BassetFrances Basset, 2nd Baroness BassetFrances Basset, 2nd Baroness Basset was a British peeress suo jure.Baptised in St Marylebone Church in London on 23 May 1781, she was the only child of Francis Basset, 1st Baron de Dunstanville and Basset and his first wife Frances Susanna, daughter of John Hippesley Coxe...
d 1855 - John Francis Basset
- Arthur Basset
- Gustavus Lambert Basset - in 1872 Gustavus Basset of Tehidy Park was quoted as the fifth largest landowner in Cornwall with 16969 acres (68.7 km²).
- Arthur Francis Basset b 1873 - moved to CrewkerneCrewkerneCrewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
in 1915, then to the Lodge House of Hatfield HouseHatfield HouseHatfield House is a country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean house was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, First Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I and has been the home of the Cecil...
and later to London.