Trethevy
Encyclopedia
Trethevy is a hamlet in north Cornwall
, United Kingdom
.
It is situated midway between the villages of Tintagel
and Boscastle
in the civil parish
of Tintagel. Trethevy has a number of historic buildings and is an early Christian site. The hamlet is divided by the B3263 road: the principal settlement is south-east of the road and to the north-west is the Rocky Valley
.
occupation of Trethevy is suggested by an inscribed granite pillar, once used as a gatepost and now situated on the roadside by St. Piran's, a former monastery and now a private residence. (It was found in nearby Genver Lane in 1919.) The inscription on the stone reads C DOMI N GALLO ET VOLUS – ‘For the Emperor Caesars our lords Gallus and Volusian.’ Trebonianus Gallus
and Antoninianus Volusianus
reigned from 251-253 AD. The pillar lends weight to the importance of the nearby trading post of Tintagel Island where merchants from as far away as the Mediterranean came to trade with the Cornish
for their tin
. St Piran's is believed by some to be the site of an early monastic settlement dating from the sixth century AD: in its present form it dates from the mid-16th century with medieval origins
. The well is built over with a mid twentieth century slate beehive and is topped with an iron cross. According to the Domesday Book, Trethevy (Tregrebi) was held in the hands of the monks of St. Piran.
The presence of a monastery might also be due to the existence of what some believe to be the hermitage of Saint Nectan
beside a waterfall, Saint Nectan’s Kieve, in Saint Nectan’s Glen. Nectan is supposed to have lived above the falls having sailed from Wales
on a millstone and was buried nearby. The waterfall is a popular tourist destination and is viewed by some to be a sacred site - at its base are many ribbons, photos, inscriptions, prayers and other offerings.
.
Trethevy Manor was built in the twelfth century and was the home of the Wade family who were Trethevy’s principal residents until the twentieth century. The Wades were prosperous farmers and many of them served as mayors of the Borough of Bossiney
of whom the best known is William Wade (fl.
1756-1786); contemporary with Mayor Wade was the Rev. Arthur Wade (vicar of Tintagel 1770-1810). The manor is a private house.
At one time, Trethevy boasted four water mills. Trewethet mill, upstream of Saint Nectan’s Kieve, is ruined, Halgabron Mill in the valley below the waterfall is a private residence, Trevillet Mill is also a residence and was made famous by a painting by Thomas Creswick
in 1851. Further downstream and the last mill before the ocean is the ruined Trethevy Mill. All appear to have been corn mills but before it closed, Trethevy Mill made ‘yarn, blankets and worsted for hose’.
and William Thackeray visited Saint Nectan's Glen in 1842 along with Daniel Maclise
who made his preliminary sketches for Nymph at the Waterfall here. Clive Arden
, author, lived in Trethevy in the 1930s. John T. Williams, author of Pooh and the Psychologists, the painter Nicholas St John Rosse and the comics artist John Burns
live in Trethevy.
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 midway between the villages of Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
and 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....
in the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Tintagel. Trethevy has a number of historic buildings and is an early Christian site. The hamlet is divided by the B3263 road: the principal settlement is south-east of the road and to the north-west is the Rocky Valley
Rocky Valley
Rocky Valley is a small valley with spectacular scenery in north Cornwall, United Kingdom .The valley is carved by the Trevillet River in Trethevy around one mile east of Tintagel. At their highest point the slate canyon walls tower over seventy feet above the river below...
.
History
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....
occupation of Trethevy is suggested by an inscribed granite pillar, once used as a gatepost and now situated on the roadside by St. Piran's, a former monastery and now a private residence. (It was found in nearby Genver Lane in 1919.) The inscription on the stone reads C DOMI N GALLO ET VOLUS – ‘For the Emperor Caesars our lords Gallus and Volusian.’ Trebonianus Gallus
Trebonianus Gallus
Trebonianus Gallus , also known as Gallus, was Roman Emperor from 251 to 253, in a joint rule with his son Volusianus.-Early life:Gallus was born in Italy, in a family with respected ancestry of Etruscan senatorial background. He had two children in his marriage with Afinia Gemina Baebiana: Gaius...
and Antoninianus Volusianus
Volusianus
Volusianus , also known as Volusian, was a Roman Emperor from 251 to 253.He was son to Gaius Vibius Trebonianus Gallus by his wife Afinia Gemina Baebiana. He is known to have had a sister, Vibia Galla....
reigned from 251-253 AD. The pillar lends weight to the importance of the nearby trading post of Tintagel Island where merchants from as far away as the Mediterranean came to trade with the Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
for their 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...
. St Piran's is believed by some to be the site of an early monastic settlement dating from the sixth century AD: in its present form it dates from the mid-16th century with medieval origins
Christian heritage
In the heart of Trethevy, surrounded by farm buildings and converted barns is Saint Piran’s Chapel, dating from at least the mid fifteenth century and a holy well also dedicated to Saint PiranSaint Piran
Saint Piran or Perran is an early 6th century Cornish abbot and saint, supposedly of Irish origin....
. The well is built over with a mid twentieth century slate beehive and is topped with an iron cross. According to the Domesday Book, Trethevy (Tregrebi) was held in the hands of the monks of St. Piran.
The presence of a monastery might also be due to the existence of what some believe to be the hermitage of Saint Nectan
Saint Nectan
Saint Nectan, sometimes styled Saint Nectan of Hartland, was a 5th-century holy man who lived in Stoke, Hartland, in the English county of Devon, where the prominent Church of Saint Nectan, Hartland is dedicated to him.-Life:...
beside a waterfall, Saint Nectan’s Kieve, in Saint Nectan’s Glen. Nectan is supposed to have lived above the falls having sailed from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on a millstone and was buried nearby. The waterfall is a popular tourist destination and is viewed by some to be a sacred site - at its base are many ribbons, photos, inscriptions, prayers and other offerings.
Other buildings of historical interest
Further upstream from Saint Nectan's Glen are the remains of a longhouse, Tregenver, possibly as old as the fourteenth century. The house was inhabited by farm labourers until the late nineteenth century. It is probable that Tregenver (or Genver) can be identified with the manor of Tregrebri as recorded in the Domesday SurveyDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
.
Trethevy Manor was built in the twelfth century and was the home of the Wade family who were Trethevy’s principal residents until the twentieth century. The Wades were prosperous farmers and many of them served as mayors of the Borough of Bossiney
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
of whom the best known is William Wade (fl.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1756-1786); contemporary with Mayor Wade was the Rev. Arthur Wade (vicar of Tintagel 1770-1810). The manor is a private house.
At one time, Trethevy boasted four water mills. Trewethet mill, upstream of Saint Nectan’s Kieve, is ruined, Halgabron Mill in the valley below the waterfall is a private residence, Trevillet Mill is also a residence and was made famous by a painting by Thomas Creswick
Thomas Creswick
Thomas Creswick was an English landscape painter and illustrator.-Biography:Creswick was born in Sheffield . He was the son of Thomas Creswick and Mary Epworth and educated at Hazelwood, near Birmingham.At Birmingham he first began to paint...
in 1851. Further downstream and the last mill before the ocean is the ruined Trethevy Mill. All appear to have been corn mills but before it closed, Trethevy Mill made ‘yarn, blankets and worsted for hose’.
Literary and artistic associations
Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
and William Thackeray visited Saint Nectan's Glen in 1842 along with Daniel Maclise
Daniel Maclise
Daniel Maclise was an Irish history, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England.-Early life:...
who made his preliminary sketches for Nymph at the Waterfall here. Clive Arden
Clive Arden
Clive Arden was the pen name of the English author, Lily Clive Nutt 1888 - after 1950. Arden wrote romantic fiction and her works include Sinners In Heaven 1923, Enticement 1924, Four Complete Novels 1931, The Fetters Of Eve 1934, The Enchanted Spring 1935, The Veil Of Glamour 1935, The Spider And...
, author, lived in Trethevy in the 1930s. John T. Williams, author of Pooh and the Psychologists, the painter Nicholas St John Rosse and the comics artist John Burns
John Burns
John Elliot Burns was an English trade unionist and politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly associated with London politics. He was a socialist and then a Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister. He was anti-alcohol and a keen sportsman...
live in Trethevy.