Heritage

Restronguet Creek can boast a heritage history spanning some three and a half millennia, from the famous Bronze Age Nebra Sky Disc discovered under a hill in central Germany, the gold in which has been identified as coming from the Carnon River at Devoran, to the superb boat building skills of the late Ralph Bird, who produced a series of Cornish pilot gigs in his workshop at Carnon Mine on the banks of the Creek.

The Nebra Sky Disc - 3,600 years old and believed to be the oldest known realistic representation of the cosmos yet found made with tin from Cornwall and gold from the Carnon River.

Fear Not, built by the late Ralph Bird at Carnon Mine in 1991, one of four pilot gig boats belonging to Devoran Pilot Gig Club and seen here in her sailing rig out on the Fal.

Recent Projects

Penpol Creek Tide Mill Archaeological Dig.

2019

A community project to uncover the remains of an early 19th century mill and garner information about its mode of operation. To access Cornwall Archaeological Unit’s draft evaluation READ HERE

Devoran Village Hall archaeological project

2015

The village hall was originally constructed as a workshop for the Redruth and Chasewater Railway company circa 1854. The railway transported mineral ore to the port of Devoran from the mining hinterland using horse drawn carriages until steam locomotives were introduced in the mid 1850s. An archaeology ‘watching brief and report’ was required as a planning condition when the hall was refurbished in 2015. It was undertaken by Cornwall Archaeological Unit and revealed a railway engine inspection pit.

Credit: Cornwall Archaeological Unit, Cornwall Council

Penpol Creek Tide Mill Piers

2012

Restoration and partial rebuilding of the tide mill piers in the embankment of Penpol Creek Bone Mill Pond. When the tide mill was in operation these would have enclosed gates admitting the flood tide into the pond to work the mill on the ebb tide.

Historic rudders at Carnon Mine

2010

Remounting of Ralph Bird’s collection of historic rudders at Carnon Mine

Devoran Railway Crossing Gate

2010

Restoration of one of the gates protecting the crossing of the Redruth and Chasewater Railway over the road formerly running from Truro to Falmouth. This railway, using horse traction from 1824 till 1854, when steam engines were introduced, brought copper ore down to the port at Devoran for shipment to South Wales and tin and lead ore to the smelters at Point and Penpol and returned with Welsh steam coal to power the mine pumps and engines. It closed in 1915.

Carnon Mine Water Pump

2010

Restoration of the hand pump at Carnon Mine, which was previously the only source of domestic water for the nearby properties.

The Barry Simpson Collection

A collection of old photographs of Restronguet Creek.

The late Barry Simpson lived adjacent to the creek, close to Devoran. As a local historian he wrote many fascinating articles about the area. By kind permission of Carol Simpson, his book, Devoran - a Different Cornish Village, is published here. It charts the history of the village, in particular the mining heritage of the Industrial Revolution which resulted in the development of Devoran and, ultimately, the designation of the World Heritage Site along the Tram to Point.

See historic photographs