Mullion and Predannack Villages

2006-2009

AN ORIGINAL INTERPRETATION OF MULLION VILLAGE AND COVE, BY SUE HASEMAN 2014. (PHOTO 2015, ENTRANCE TO MULLION CAR PARK)

MULLION POST OFFICE 2001(BELOW)

SNOWY SCENES JANUARY 2010

THE OLD INN MULLION W.I.HALL

ONE DAY PETER ODGERS OF MULLION WAS OUT WITH HIS HORSE AND CART. HE TOOK WITH HIM SOME CIDER WHICH HE DRANK AND BECAME OVERCOME WITH THE EFFECTS, AND FELL ASLEEP. SOME BOYS TOOK THE HORSE FROM THE CART AND DROVE IT AWAY. PETER AWOKE AN HOUR LATER.

"WELL I IVER"!, HE SAID, "BE I PETER ODGERS OR BE I NOT ?. TIS CONTRARY ANYWAY. IF I BE PETER ODGERS I`VE LOSTR AN `ORSE. IF I B`AINT, WHY I`VE GAINED A CART"

CORNISHMAN 7.9.1899.

THE MOUNTS BAY INN

BELWO (2) THE ORIGINAL VICTORIAN READING ROOM

W.H.MATTHEWS OF MULLION WON 2ND AND 3RD PLACE PRIZES AT CRUFTS INTERNATIONAL DOG SHOW WITH HIS GREYHOUND PRINCE. THE SHOW WAS HELD IN LONDON IN FEBRUARY 1900.HE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE WITH A SISTER TO PRINCE. CORNISHMAN 21 FEBRUARY 1900.

MULLION POST OFFICE GARDEN (BELOW-2016 (1))

HUNT MEET IN THE VILLAGE- 2010 ANGROUSE FARM MARCH 2010

RURAL MULLION

ANNUAL SHOW- MULLION SHOW BEGAN IN 1931 and 2016 IS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY.

The Cornwall Horticultural Society began in 1832, quickly developing the Royal Patronage of King William IV, and drew over 200 members headed by J Vivian Esq, of Calenick. The main aim was to promote and practice the study of Botany and Horticulture, and for improving the condition of the poor by the distribution of prizes to "Cottagers".

The first show took place in Truro on the 29th June. Categories of exhibits included such exotic specimens as Pineapples, Melons, Grapes, Cherries, Strawberries, Currants and Raspberries.

Prizes were also given to people for the identification of new plant species in Cornwall. Prize winners included in 1835 the man responsible for one of the most read history books ever written about the Lizard Peninsula, " A week at the Lizard",(1848) Mr (Rev) C A JOHNS for the identification of Bromus Velutinus at Gunwalloe and the Lizard. Johns was an avid botanist and plant collector contributing many collections of dried cornish plants to such Shows.His book about the Lizard Peninsula is now very popular, and is often read by visitors before, during and after their visit.

Horticultural Shows came to the fore in the 1830s, sometimes with as many as three shows per year. They were established partly as a means to encourage Cottage dwellers to make improvements in their habitation. Miners in particular were encouraged to make such efforts on land which might have been ignored since their cottage was built.

They have taken place on the Lizard Peninsula for over 120 years and were originally were held under the name of the "Serpentine District Horticultural Societies Annual Exhibition".

In July 1900 the Show was hosted in Mullion in a large Tent in the grounds of the Polurrian House Hotel during a heatwave. Camborne Independant Band played throughout the day. As well as fruit, flowers and Vegetables there were classes for honey, dairy produce and poultry. There was a demonstration of bee keeping in a special tent, however attendance there appeared sparse.

A wide variety vegetables were shown including cabbages, lettuces,marrows,carrots, turnips,parsnips,onions,shallots,broad beans,french beans,runner beans ,peas,six varieties of potatoes,rhubarb. Fruit included gooseberries,black red and white currants. Flowers included geraniums, roses, fuschias,petunias,stocks, asters, begonias, ferns,carnations and sweet peas-and a category for Wild Flowers. Also included were table bouquets and several collections. Many of these categories are still used today.

In 1931 the Mullion and District Horticultural Society was created and Annual Shows took place, except during the War Years, whenever possible.

Often forgotten was the Mullion Annual Sports and Horse Show which followed the first world war. The event, usually held in August, was often well attended with over 1000 paying spectators. It included categories for horse racing, driving, and athletic sporting events for all age groups.These included running, relays, high and long jumping, egg and spoon races, potato races, obstacle races, donkey racing and musical chairs on horses. A fancy dress event also took place on the field with funds from the show being donated to local organisations. (RF 2010 & 2016)

"... SOW IT, GROW IT, WEED IT, FEED IT AND SHOW IT"

... AND DONT FORGET TO PREPARE IT, FROM TV SHOWS OR ... ssshh... GRANDMOTHERS SECRET RECIPES.

MULLION HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY GARDEN SAFARI HELD ANNUALLY IN JUNE. A TRADITION IN THE PARISH WHICH SEES EVERYONE INVITED TO VISIT GARDENS OPENED FOR THE AFTERNOON AND FINALLY A VISIT TO SPRING PARC FOR FRESHLY PREPARED STRAWBERRY CREAM TEAS IN THE GARDEN. GARDENS FROM POLDHU TO PREDANNACK ARE INVITED TO TAKE PART.

POLDHU (GARDEN)

A MORE TRADITIONAL STONE BUILT COTTAGE, REPUTED TO BE AN OLD MINE CAPTAINS COTTAGE AND ONCE OCCUPIED FOR A TIME BY PART OF THE "BLOOMSBURY SET".

STRAWBERRY CREAM TEA AT SPRING PARC

PREDANNACK VILLAGE

CHAPEL, AND MANOR FARM

The Anniversary of the Predannack Chapel, below (left), was still celebrated during the early 1900s with a Service and Sermon by a visiting Preacher followed by a Public Tea which included music by the local Mullion Brass Band and a Public Meeting in the evening. (West Briton 1907 et al)

PREDANNACK CROSS- TO BE FOUND IN THE SOUTH CORNER OF A FIELD IN THE VICINITY OF THE VILLAGE OF PREDANNACK WARTHA. THE ADJACENT PATH,LIKE MANY FOOTPATHS IN THE AREA, IS A CHURCH PATH LEADING TO THE CHURCH IN MULLION VILLAGE. THE MAINTENANCE OF THE FOOTPATHS WERE ONCE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCHWARDENS.

IN 1852 THE GRANITE CROSS WAS FOUND FACE DOWN IN A NEARBY DITCH AND WAS RESURRECTED TO ITS RIGHTFUL POSITION BY LOCAL VOLUNTEERS.(HARVEY,1875)

HISTORY-MINERAL MINING AT MULLION-COPPER MINE

THE LIZARD PENINSULA HAS OFTEN BEEN CITED AS NOT HAVING A MINING HISTORY, BUT THIS IS FAR FROM THE TRUTH. MULLION, IN PARTICULAR HAS BEEN IGNORED.

IN THE MID 18TH CENTURY SOAPROCK OR SOAPSTONE WAS QUARRIED IN MULLION COVE, AND ALSO AT QUARRIES IN PREDANNACK WARTHA AND PREDANNACK WOLLAS. A SHORT DISTANCE FROM MULLION VILLAGE NEAR TO MEAVER THERE WERE SEVERAL MINOR SOAPROCK QUARRIES. THE EARLIEST ENGLISH SOFT PASTE PORCELAIN, CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING BOILING WATER WAS MANUFACTURED USING THIS MINERAL BEFORE 1750 AND BY THE TIME WILLIAM COOKWORTHY HAD PRODUCED HIS FIRST HARD PASTE PORCELAIN IN 1768, SOAPROCK HAD BEEN A CONTRIBUTORY INGREDIENT TOWARDS MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF SOFT PASTE PORCELAIN PRODUCED BY THE FACTORIES AT WORCESTER, VAUXHALL, CAUGHLEY,AND LIVERPOOL.

IT WAS IN THE 1720s THAT A CHANCE DISCOVERY OF VIRGIN COPPER (OVER 90% PURE COPPER) AT PREDANNACK LED TO THE FIRST PERIOD OF MINING AT A SITE NOW LOCATED ON VRO FARM, 800 YARDS SE OF MULLION MILL, 620YARDS SW OF GHOST HILL, AND A SIMILAR DISTANCE NORTH OF TENERIFFE FARM. RECORDS OF THIS MINE, CALLED GHOSTCROFT OR GHOST MINE HAVE NOT BEEN LOCATED.

A SECOND PERIOD OF COPPER MINING WAS UNDERTAKEN HERE IN THE 1740s LASTING UNTIL THE EARLY 1750S WHEN IT WAS KNOWN AS WHEAL PROVIDENCE. THE PRESENCE OF WATER WAS A PROBLEM REQUIRING EXPENSIVE TUNNELLING TO PRODUCE AN UNDERGROUND ADIT NECESSARY TO TAKE THE WATER AWAY. THE COURSE OF THE ADIT WAS NORTH DOWN A TRIBUTARY VALLEY WHERE IT JOINED THE MAIN RIVER COURSE BELOW MULLION MILL AND LEAT. FROM THERE THE WATER ENTERED THE SEA VIA THE SLIPWAY IN THE COVE. THIS WAS AN EXPENSIVE OUTLAY AND WITH NO MORE MONEY AVAILABLE THIS VENTURE INTO COPPER MINING HERE CEASED.

IN 1807 ANOTHER VENTURE WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE HELP OF A SHARE SALE WHEREBY THE DEEPER ADIT COULD BE COMPLETED AND LARGE QUANTITIES OF VIRGIN COPPER WERE EXTRACTED. DURING THIS PERIOD THE MINE WAS KNOWN AS WHEAL UNITY, BUT HIGH COSTS OF MINING, IN PARTICULAR EXTRACTING WATER, AND A DIP IN THE COPPER MARKET SAW IT CLOSE BY 1811.

IN 1845 THERE WAS FURTHER INVESTMENT BY LONDON INVESTORS WHEN EVEN LARGER SECTIONS OF VIRGIN COPPER WERE MINED, ONE LARGE PIECE OF COPPER WAS CUT INTO THREE SMALLER PIECES AND WAS SHOWN AT THE GREAT EXHIBITION IN 1851.IT IS STILL ON DISPLAY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM. (SEE PHOTOGRAPH BELOW)

THIS TIME THE MINE WAS KNOWN AS WHEAL TRENANCE OR TRENANCE MINE. AGAIN THE MINERS FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO DEEPEN THE SEARCH FOR COPPER DUE TO LARGE QUANTITIES OF WATER. IT WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS UNTIL IT FINALLY CLOSED FOR THE LAST TIME IN 1852.

A SMALL COPPER MINE CALLED WHEAL FENWICK OPERATED FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NEAR TO THE CLIFF TOP ABOVE POLURRIAN IN THE EARLY 1850s AND EVEN HAD AN ENGINE HOUSE ERECTED. AFTER IT CLOSED THE STONE WAS PARTIALLY REUSED TO HELP CONSTRUCT THE FIRST POLURRIAN HOTEL WHICH OPENED IN 1889.

THE LAST TIME MINING TOOK PLACE NEAR TO MULLION WAS IN 1913 SHORTLY BEFORE THE FIRST WORLD WAR, WHEN A LODE OF COPPER AND SILVER WAS EXTRACTED FROM A SHAFT ON A FARM AT GWINNINGS, SOUTH OF THE VILLAGE. THE MINE WAS CALLED MULLION UNITED MINE. A SMALL INDUSTRY PROVIDING THE BASIC MATERIAL FOR DISTEMPER WAS SET UP BUT BUT AFTER THE WAR IT CLOSED AS FOREIGN MATERIAL BECAME AVAILABLE AGAIN.

OF THE REMAINING MINING SMALL AMOUNTS OF IRON ORE HAVE BEEN EXCAVATED FROM SMALL PITS AND SHAFTS ON A LINE SOUTHWARDS, INLAND FROM POLURRIAN. THE ORE IS STILL VISIBLE IN THE CLIFFS BETWEEN POLURRIAN AND POLDHU. THE IRON ORE WAS TRANSPORTED BY HORSE AND CART TO A FOUNDARY AT HELSTON.

BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF NATIVE COPPER EXHIBITED IN LONDON AT THE GREAT EXHIBITION, 1851. IT FORMED PART OF A LARGER PIECE WHICH CAME FROM WHEAL TRENANCE.

(FOR MORE INFORMATION See " A HISTORY OF MULLION COVE CORNWALL" ROBERT FELCE, PUBLISHED 2012)

(PHOTO COURTESY DR C. DeSILVEY)

A SMALL UNSUCCESSFUL MINE AT POLURRIAN CALLED WHEAL FENWICK OPERATED FOR ONLY 3 YEARS BETWEEN 1852 AND 1855.

AFTER TWO YEARS OF PROSPECTING THE AREA ,JAMES RULE OPENED A SMALL COPPER MINE AT GWININGS, JUST SOUTH OF MULLION VILLAGE. THE LAND WAS OWNED BY THE THEN POSTMASTER MR GEORGE. IT WAS REPORTED THAT IT WAS A WELL DEFINED LODE AND CONTAINED NOT ONLY COPPER BUT ALSO TIN AND SILVER. (CORNISHMAN 1913)

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE "A HISTORY OF MULLION COVE, CORNWALL" BY ROBERT FELCE. Publ.2012

CORNWALL AIR AMBULANCE- A NECESSARY PART OF MULLION, AND LIZARD LIFE

http://www.cornwallairambulancetrust.org/