Ertach Kernow - The relatively unknown Cornish parish of Lezant
Cornwall’s mass tourist season is drawing to a close and perhaps this is the best part of the year for local folk. The weather hasn’t been particularly good and even days when the sun’s been out there’s often been a brisk wind, so I’m hoping for an Indian summer to enjoy getting out and about. The terrain of Cornwall is so varied allowing plenty of choice, far to the west the rugged cliffs of Land’s End and on the banks of the Tamar a softer wooded rural landscape.
Parts of this eastern region of Cornwall is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) straddling both Cornwall and Devon. It also falls into Cornwall’s mining World Heritage Site listed by UNESCO in 2006. In total, including the portion within Devon this AONB covers 75 square miles of the lower Tamar south of Launceston. There has been a surge of interest in the Tamar area of Cornwall with many new walks and amenities allowing better appreciation of the heritage this part of Cornwall has to offer.
Continuing our journey through parishes along the River Tamar and the Tamar Valley National Landscape, this time we look at Lezant a largely rural parish and an area very likely unknown to most Cornish residents. Lezant covers 4,835 acres and was historically within the hundred of East Wivelshire. Following the Local Government Acts of 1888 and 1894 the parish became part of the Launceston Rural District then in 1972 the district of North Cornwall until Cornish regional districts were merged in 2009 creating Cornwall Council. Locally it is administered by a parish council forming part of the Tamar to Moor Community Area Partnership.
As always click the images for larger view
Greystone Bridge which forms the northern limit of the AONB is one of the oldest bridges in Cornwall, built in 1439. Funding for the bridge was through a contribution from the Priory of Tavistock and an indulgence from the Bishop of Exeter Edmund Lacy. The bishop must have been pretty busy splashing out indulgences for a wide range of Cornish infrastructure building, it was certainly cheaper than parting with money. Those that contributed their time, materials or money would receive 40 days less in purgatory. In Latin the original record reads ‘Domitus concessit quadraginta dies indulgencie ad conferendum construccionem, reparacionem, emendacionem et sustentacionem pontis vulgariter nuncupaii Greystonbrygg inxta Tamer in Cornub Exonien diocesis.’ This roughly translates to ‘Domitus granted an indulgence of forty days to contribute to the construction, repair, improvement, and maintenance of the bridge of the common parish of Greystonbrygg, in the region of Tamer, in the diocese of Exeter, Cornwall. By naming Greystonbrygg this suggests an earlier bridge was located there, this substantial replacement indicating the importance of this crossing. It is still a regularly used crossing and sadly is from time to time damaged by oversized vehicles.
Late 19th century maps show to the north of the parish along the Tamar widespread wooded areas called the Longstone Plantation, adjoining Lavis’s Wood. Further south is Greystone Woods leading into extensive woodland named Carthamartha with a small hamlet of the same name. This larger area of woodland which straddles both banks of the River Tamar was once much larger and one of the places visited and sketched by the famous artist J.M.W. Turner during his visit to Cornwall in 1814. Purchased by the Duke of Bedford in 1870 it now forms part of the Tavistock Woodlands Estate.
Sadly the much-promoted ‘Tamara Coast to Coast Way’ misses this area of Cornwall completely by crossing the River Tamar into Devon lower down at Horsebridge. This larger wooded area is now split name wise into different wooded areas including Gunoak Wood, Wareham Wood, Tressel Wood and an area still named as Carthamartha Woods. To the north the area marked in earlier maps still exists as Greystone Woods and for those folk who enjoy rambling through woodland there are trails and walks for some of these areas.
Within Greystone Woods is an ancient oval earthworks measuring 300 by 400 feet marked on early maps as remains of a camp. Although some records refer to it as a hillfort others merely refer to it an enclosure. G F Walford in a short article in Cornish Archaeological Society journal 37/38 mentions this earthwork and suggests it is one of the least recorded sites which is worth further investigation along with a second earthwork located in Carthamartha Woods to the south. This latter site he describes as ‘a large, elevated, contoured feature, currently in woodland which in a treeless landscape would have enjoyed extensive views particularly to east and west. It consists of an enclosure bank and on the east side has a steep drop to the River Tamar.’ There was some limited archaeological work done on this second site by the well-known archaeologist Croft Andrew in 1938. It seems Cornwall still has much about its ancient history to be discovered.
A major feature of this parish is the quarry. The Ordnance Survey of 1883 locates a relatively small quarry amongst Lavis’s Wood part of the larger wooded area of Longstone Plantation. To the south of this was the small farming settlement of Longstone and a line of three ancient longstones. This quarry has grown, now extending far beyond its origins and engulfing the settlement and ancient site containing the longstones. Sadly these were lost in 1981 when bulldozed, however they were rediscovered and have been re-sited to the south of the enlarged quarry. Also lost were the engine house and remains of the 19th century disused lead mine at Greystone. The quarry has permission to continue producing vast quantities of dolerite for many years to come. Dolerite is better known as Blue Elvan and used as ornamental chippings and in road surfacing.
![Greystone Quarry, Lezant by David Smith [Circa 2015]](https://www.cornwallheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Greystone-Quarry-Lezant-by-David-Smith-Circa-2015.jpg "Greystone Quarry, Lezant by David Smith [Circa 2015]")
Although this parish is not well known for mining it has had its moments. The Greystone Woods lead and silver mine was established in 1831, which also produced manganese, lasted until 1908 when it closed. The remains of this mine with its engine house marked on early maps from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are no more, the site now overtaken by the expanding Greystone Quarry. Other mines were located at Larrick, Trebullett and Trenute. The Larrick mine operated during the early part of World War II mining for ochre and owned by the Cornish Ochre Mines Ltd. Abandoned in 1941 there is little evidence of their operation bar employing three men. Trebullett seems to have been a producer of a mineral called Antimony, described by Forbes the global media company as ‘the most important mineral you never heard of.’ Used in the tech sector and weapon production as well as the energy sector prices have now soared, with worldwide sources somewhat limited. Perhaps the owners of the site of this defunct mine should expect a knock on the door. The Trenute mine seems to have also been prospecting for Antimony but never seems to have really established itself with little or no production.
Besides the churchtown of Lezant there are the five hamlets of Higher Larrick, Rezare, Trebullett, Trekenner and Treburley. These six settlements made up most of the 754 registered residents of the parish in 2021. Whilst the population of most everywhere in Cornwall has risen Lezant has seen a fall over the past 200 years, based on the ecclesiastical parish in 1821, when it was 853. Lezant or in Kernewek Lannsans, meaning holy enclosure, was first mentioned in 1120 and is the location of the parish church dedicated to St Briochus. This 13th century church was dedicated on 25th September 1259 with additions and alterations during the 14th and 15th centuries. The tower was completed in 1480 and carries six bells. This church is deemed to be of special interest and has a Grade II* listing and had restoration work carried out in 1869.
Other existing historical building include the early 16th century Trecarrell Hall built by Sir Henry Trecarrell but left largely unfinished about 1511. On the death of his father around 1486 Henry succeeded to the estate which had been held by the Trecarrell family since the mid-12th century. Sir Henry later began to spend his wealth on redeveloping the house which had been completed circa 1450 along with a two-storey chapel some eighty feet distant from the existing residence. He began to build the hall adjacent to the house in what is believed would become a courtyard type property similar to Cotehele owned by the Edgcumbe family. On the death of his only son and heir as a child Sir Henry abandoned the rebuilding and concentrated his efforts on the building of St Mary Magdalene Church in Launceston as a memorial to his son. The hall is of granite and the granite he would have used on his house seems to have been used in the church construction, which has wonderful external decoration. Writing in 1644 the soldier Richard Symons travelling with King Charles I noted the fine glass in the hall showing the Trecarrell coat of arms. Both hall and church are Grade I listed and fine memorials to Sir Henry Trecarrell.
Lezant a quiet rural parish has a range of historical memories and places including ancient woodland hiding Iron Age earthworks. Its listed buildings and mining history shows even small low population Cornish parishes have something to include within Cornwall’s wider heritage. Perhaps this short overview may one day encourage some to engage in a day of Cornish exploration around the historic parish of Lezant.
