Society visit to Poltesco

A walkabout with The Balwest Society at Poltesco on the evening of 25th July.

Poltesco is a small shingle beach on the Lizard Peninsula strongly linked to the serpentine stone industry and fishing. 

In the 19th century, a factory processed serpentine, a local mineral, into decorative items. Before that, Poltesco was a fishing village with pilchard cellars and a capstan for hauling boats from the sea.

 Today, remnants of both industries, including the serpentine factory buildings and the capstan tower, can be seen. 

'The Lizard Serpentine Company' was formed 1853 run by Henry Cox and ceased operations in c1893. It manufactured items such as church fonts, fireplaces, and shop fronts