Boscastle and the Brown Willy (behave!)

Brown Willy is a hill on Bodmin Moors, it is also the highest point in Cornwall.

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It also lends it name to the cause of very heavy localised rain; the Brown Willy effect. (lots of science around this, way beyond my pay grade, lets just say it rains fucking heavily)

At midday on 16 August 2004, heavy thundery showers had developed across the South West of England, this led to torrential rain and a 7 ft rise in river levels in one hour.

A 10 ft wave, surged down the main street, at a speed powerful enough to cause structural damage.

Several boats and seventy five cars were washed into the sea; with approximately 100 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed, some of which had to be demolished.

St Merthiana’s church

Sitting above the town of Boscastle, The Minster Church, true name St Merthiana's. St Merthiana was a 6th century Welsh princess who it is said died here and is buried in the chancel area of the church.

Her Church was not spared the waters, it was left drowned in up to 6ft of mud and water. The resulting repair work to the walls, floors and pews cost just under £200k. It re opened late in 2005.

One can see looking down from the country lane that it is very susceptible to whatever water comes down the valley.

Prior to the Hundred years war that raged between the inbred royal families of England and France in the 14th century it was a wealthy church . Records show "Six lay servants; livestock to the value of just over £5; and a store of grain worth nearly £4"

As it was a church at the time in the hands of a bunch of French monks, all its wealth was confiscated by the crown.

Even in the cold, wet winter months, the church gets the occasional visitor

Really? Too simplistic. Depends on far more than a subliminal demand from the church to take your money.

But the hand crafted needlework cushions are very nice

A memorial to William and Elizabeth Cotton, it depicts them kneeling preying, above their 3 sons and 5 daughters. The inscription inolde english reads

“Forty-nine years they lived man and wife / And what’s more rare thus many without strife. / Shee first departing, hee a few weekes tryed, / To live without her – could not – and so dyed.”

Hendar Robarts, died aged 1 yr in 1602. The bras plaque is all that remains after 400 years.

Strange how a an order of service is still on the lectern after 4 months

The stone baptismal font dates back to 12th century Norman times.

The church over the centuries fell into disrepair, it was in the late 19th century that serious renovation took place. The church still remains fully functional for the community.

The grave yard is on a steep hillside, and as I was not dressed for galavanting in slippy slidy conditions, alas I was unable to fully enjoy walking with the dead.

The Church is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, it has a population in the tower of greater horseshoe bats, a rare and threatened species and is one of the largest roosts in the UK.

The town of Boscastle

Nestled in the secluded, peaceful Valency Valley, sits Boscastle, nowadays often called bewitching, rugged and beautiful, at one time in the 16th century it was remarked as being a very filthy town and ill kept.

Much of it and the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust, a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There really isn't much to see in the town, which really only comprises of several shops selling trinkets and locally made products, some food shops, a pub and a few eateries.

So taking a quaint old cobbled street a walk to the Estuary, past former harbour workers and fishermen's cottages, all freshly painted and ready for rental to the tourists who visit.

The River Valency winds its way down to the sea.A different story in 2004

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The original bridge was much lower than this 2007 construction, it was raised and the river bed deepened to allow any further fast flowing flooding to move more freely.

On the right, now a YHA building, was once the palace stables which housed the horses that pulled the loads to and from the ships on berth.

Travel back to the 19th century and it was the only harbour and busy commercial port along 40 miles of the North Cornish coastline, it is a natural inlet protected by two stone harbour walls built in the late 16th century

All heavy goods were transported by sea, on cargo ships that traded through the small port. Many vessels brought supplies in from South Wales and Bristol as well as cargoes of timber direct from Canada.

Its function as a cargo port diminished with the advent of the railways being able to transport good cheaper and faster across the South West.

Hunting for sea glass is always a popular past time in these here parts.

If you are still here do you spot the little green sign on the slate wall by the white door?

Here it is again!!

They do christmas trees here, differently, fairy lights and lobster pots.