DID YOU KNOW Cornwall is a DUCHY? Only one of two, the other being Lancaster. I kept seeing signs for the Duchy of Cornwall and had to find out what this means - Duchy Ice Cream, Duchy Hospital, Duchy Holiday Homes....
The way this works is, the eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits possession of the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at birth or when his parent succeeds to the throne. If there is no male child, the Duchy belongs to the crown and there is no Duke. The current duke is Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.
The principal activity of the duchy is the management of its land totaling 135,000 acres, half in Devon, some in Cornwall and almost all of the Isles of Scilly.
The duchy was established in 1337 by a Royal Charter by Edward III for his son, Edward, the "Black Prince", who became the first Duke of Cornwall.
 |
| The Black Prince's Tomb Effigy at Canterbury |
Who knew?
It was a little of a scavenger hunt to find the spot to take the short walk to St Enodoc church. With help from the GPS and iPhone - such a modern world - we made it to Daymer Bay. Linda is driving and I'm the SecNav - Secretary of Navigation, not Navy.  |
St Enodoc, overlooking the Camel Estuary, was built in 1430. It lies about 1/2 mile from the road crossing the fairways of the St Enodoc Golf Club so it's a walk avoiding golf balls. Wind-driven sand has formed banks that are almost level with the roof on two sides. From the 16C to the middle of the 19C, the church was becoming sand-entombed by the dunes and was known locally as "Sinking Neddy" or "Sinkininny Church".
To maintain the tithes required by the church, it had to host services at least once a year, so the vicar and parishioners descended into the sanctuary through a hole in the roof. In 1864 it was finally unearthed and the dunes were stabilized. What remains is nothing less than charming and fanciful.
I'm no expert but it seems some parts of the church pre-date 1430. The wonky round-topped
tower arch and the tower’s deeply-splayed window are Norman in design.
There is also a Norman font.
|
 |
| Lynch Gate With Coffin Rest |
 |
| Celtic cross? |
This is a very old and Celtic-looking cross (and let’s not forget Cornwall is a Celtic land). Where did this come from?
 |
| Someone Made Garlands |
I would take these small country churches over a cathedral any day. They have spirit, are reachable and human, bringing energy and thought down to you on earth, not making you look up to the soaring unreachable heights.
St Enodoc was a favorite of a poet I'm unfamiliar with, John Betjeman. He was England's Poet Laureate from 1972 -1984. The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. The role does not entail any specific duties, but there is an expectation that the holder will write verse for significant national occasions. He has an elaborate stone in the churchyard. I had to look him up.
Come on! Come on! This hillock hides the spire,
Now that one and now none. As winds about
The burnished path through lady’s-finger, thyme,
And bright varieties of saxifrage,
So grows the tinny tenor faint or loud
All all things draw toward St. Enodoc.
Come on! Come on! and it is five to three.
 |
| I Passed This Post at a Fork, It Looked Old |
 |
| It Had This Post With It Tied With White Ribbons - What Does It Mean? |
Any Doc Martin fans?
PORT ISAAC has been an working fishing village since the early 14C. These dates are insane. Its narrow, winding streets and alleys called 'opes' twisting down steep hillsides are lined with old white-washed cottages and traditional granite, slate-fronted Cornish houses. Linda DROVE through the village, the width of the streets little more than 6 feet wide. All Hail Linda! We had to fold the side view mirrors. But walking the hilly crooked pathways was the most fun you can have.
The village is possibly best known as the fictional Portwenn in the television series "Doc Martin" starring Martin Clunes. People were going to the film sites and having their picture taken on the Doc's porch.
As touristy as you'd think it is, it's managed to keep its standards up. The shops have gifty stuff but also crafts, locally made fudge, pasties, art and more tea rooms with fresh food than you could shake a sheep at. It's genuine. We had a great lunch at the Chapel Cafe that also sells local crafts. Then we walked the back streets and climbed Roscarrock Hill for views.
St Isaac is not one to miss.
 |
| Every Turn Had Something Else to Surprize |
 |
| Poldark Souvenirs |
 |
| View From the Chapel Cafe 2nd Floor |
 |
| Also in Cornish |
 |
| And in Cornish! |
And now..... TINTAGEL! Be sure to say Tin-TAH-gel, to
climb hundreds of steep stairs in order to stand in the same spot as King Arthur!
Maybe.
 |
| To The Gatehouse - Note the Sun |
Let's set aside the fact that the castle ruins are 13C, years and years after the alleged time of King Arthur but.... Shhhh... that ruins it. Still, the town of Tintagel continues to market itself as the site of Arthur’s birth and royal court. Unlike St Isaacs, it's a hurly burly tourist trap of beach toys, fudge, ice cream, and half dressed beet red people.
Tintagel Castle of legend is the site of King Arthur's conception and birth. It's Camelot. It's the pilgrimage place of Merlin and Arthur believers looking for their magical spirit to guide them. I thought it would be hard to summon any magic here.
Tales aside, Tintagel was an important trading post from late Roman times and the Dark Ages until it was abandoned at the end of the 7th century. Around 1230, the castle we see here was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall and son of King Henry III.
Spread over two promontories like a Macchu Picchu, it was once one structure but a storm collapsed the land between the two sides creating a deep chasm, now joined by a bridge and stairs. You have to climb up steep steps on either side, one side to the castle and the ancient ruins of early men, and the gatehouse on the other.
What can't be denied is as we walked to the castle site the sun was out, the air was warm and it was a beautiful summer day. Once we reached the 800 year old ruins the mist rolled in covering the entire site in a gray veil. All you heard was the sea crashing on the cliffs, you couldn't see into the distance. Hey, I've got the pictures to prove it! It couldn't have been more timely and mysterious if you'd called ahead and arranged it.
When we returned to the path to the village, as if by magic, summer had returned. The sun shone and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
The Old Post Office
In my humble opinion, Tintagel's best kept secret is an unobtrusive National Trust property right in the middle of the grumbling tourist buses and shops selling Excalibur and crystals... the Old Post Office. I think my jaw hit the ground on this one.
It's billed as the Old Post Office, but it's a perfectly preserved medieval Hall House, all the rooms in a line, that later became a Victorian post office. The NT has preserved it so it's like walking back in time. And this is my favorite period. Ok so it's romanticized because in reality everyone was sick, dying, struggling and stank. Still, the attractiveness of the simple lines, the cozy rooms, the fireplaces and the heavy oak furniture does it for me. I was in medieval heaven!
 |
| Every Room Has a Fireplace |
The house was built in 1380. Imagine! The building would originally have been a single story dwelling, open to the roof, and would have housed livestock in one side.
A central hearth in the hall would have offered the only warmth and provided smoke that would seep through the thatch above, killing off woodworm and preserving the wooden frames.
Modification took place in the late 16 and 17C - local brown slate was used in place of thatch for the roof, timber paneling was replaced with stone and a fireplace and chimney stack were added.
A now smoke-free building, it was possible to add the upstairs bedrooms making the building a two-story hall-house.
As the name says, it was a village store and post office. By the 19C, the house had descended into a bad state of repair and was even in danger of being demolished. It's so fortunate it lived to tell its tale, it's a beautiful reminder of our past.
A red diamond on a rag rug was said to ward-off the Devil and stop him from climbing down the chimney.
A GHOST STORY!
A custodian at the museum spent a lot of time in the old house, and tells this story:
The first thing she would do in the morning is come in and switch the lights on. Then she would take off the covers from the furnishings downstairs and a light would flicker. She did the same upstairs and the light again flashed.
She wondered if her daily routine might be disturbing a spirit in the house, so she decided to use the Spagnoletti Undulator to help her discover if the light flashing was a spooky happening.
The Spagnoletti is an early example of what became Morse code. She monitored the flashes and worked out that the flickering spelled out the name Nora or Noah.
The flickering of the light would stop just before the Museum opened each day to visitors. She later discovered there was a technical fault with the light switch which was fixed to stop the flickering.
But... a while after, she came across a book that said there used to be a woman here called ........... Mrs Noah.
What do you think?
It might look big but the scale is very small. See the roof line of the modern building to the left of it? The tops of the doors were barely higher than my head. I believe the theory that people weren't smaller then, history has examples of large men and knights had to be 6 feet tall. I believe they needed to retain warmth so they made smaller doors.
 |
| Bring on the Mead! |
If we wonder how people lived, these ancient houses are testimonials to the proof that they were just like us; intuitive, creative, wanting warmth and comfort, a home and security. Despite being superstitions and uneducated, they liked beautiful things and could appreciate kindness and good fortune. There is something that draws me to the time period , a Peeping Tom looking back and finding its charms, with the eye of a 21C inhabitant,of course.
Experiencing this house was the highlight of my day. For me this was the magic.
 |
| Interesting Step-Ladder to the Sleeping Loft |
 |
| Stairs to the Second Floor |
 |
| Mum! |
No comments:
Post a Comment