What lies beneath? A buried medieval chapel under Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall — new post by me :) http://www.caitlingreen.org/2018/02/porthminster-medieval-chapel.html …pic.twitter.com/NDm3OSTu0R
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The Tregenna stream has now been diverted down the beach to the south-east end, but still re-emerges in its original position on occasion, as it is doing here (February 2018); the beach cafe, shop and chalets can be seen in the background.pic.twitter.com/nE6VfsN9kl
Porthminster beach in 2018 and 1877, with the outline of the modern features transposed onto the 1877 map allowing the 19thC course of the Tregenna stream to be traced against the modern landscape: http://www.caitlingreen.org/2018/02/porthminster-medieval-chapel.html …pic.twitter.com/gGSmR4fml0
Of course, the Porthminster chapel isn't the only buried chapel in this area—most famous example is St Piran's Oratory nr Perranporth, a probably 10th- to 12th-century building w/ a likely unexcavated 8th-/9th-century stage given recent radiocarbon dates: http://stpiran.org/sites/st-pirans-oratory/ …pic.twitter.com/0UUApY3Mie
Stone head from the doorway of St Piran's Oratory and a model of the site, both in @Cornwall_Museum.pic.twitter.com/9zmt6ZBiB5
Another chapel/church swamped and buried by the sand is St Gothian's Oratory, Gwithian (St Ives Bay), a small tenth-century church that was abandoned to the blowing sand after c. 1200; it was uncovered in 1827 & largely swallowed again in the early 20thC: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3631473/2002R065.pdf …pic.twitter.com/8pgnjEukgj
A final buried medieval chapel in St Ives Bay, Cornwall, was encountered under the dunes of Lelant Towans in 1875 during the building of the railway link to St Ives: https://www.stives-cornwall.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/Great_scenic_railways_Mark_Lynam_02_1500.jpg …pic.twitter.com/9eD6NO41z9
The Porthminster chapel isn't the only structure buried by the sands at St Ives; up until the late 18thC & the building of the Porthmeor sea-wall, the houses of the town were repeatedly buried by blown sand from the northern beach: http://www.caitlingreen.org/2018/02/porthminster-medieval-chapel.html …pic.twitter.com/RYD051SsXR
John Hicks in 1722 reported that the ruins of more than 40 houses were seen in his day, in the north-west part of St Ives, and that whole streets had been discovered under the sands… (Pics=Porthmeor sea-wall, https://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/19715942466 … & Smeaton's 1766 proposed wall running A–B–C).
The extent of the potential sand problems stemming from Porthmeor, St Ives, can be seen from this photo taken in 1952 of sand hills built up against the 18thC sea-wall being demolished by bulldozers (via https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/113504853091572054/ …)pic.twitter.com/b3XjxOZ6ux
Worth noting that the chapel at Portminster beach, St Ives, probably didn't stand alone—also a medieval settlement of Porthminster, said to have been burnt by the French along with Marazion either in mid-15thC or possibly 1514 (pic=Mount's Bay, c. 1540: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/unvbrit/m/001cotaugi00001u00034000.html …)pic.twitter.com/I5XYEDHogd
Porthminster is first mentioned in 1301; it occurs as Porthmenstre in a dispute over property in 1362–3 & 1375, and a Vivian Aunger, 'fyssher', is recorded as living in Porthmynster in 1433: http://www.caitlingreen.org/2018/02/porthminster-medieval-chapel.html#fn10 … (pic=postcard, 1905, http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/st-ives-branch.html …)pic.twitter.com/0Ji0NVkvZb
One of the earliest photographs of St Ives harbour, taken in 1860, with the Tregenna Stream and the seine fishing boats visible on Porthminster Beach: http://www.stivesfishingheritage.com/resources/image-library/1860s/ …pic.twitter.com/fscrd17JLY
The view over the entrance to the Hayle Estuary from the approximate location of another lost coastal chapel at Lelant, Chapel Anja; it is recorded in 1495 and thought to have been responsible for maintaining a harbour light: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/288461 pic.twitter.com/G0is7XPCFf
Another lost medieval coastal chapel in St Ives Bay is recorded from Phillack Towans, although the area is now dune covered and there are no visible remains; view from the approximate location of this chapel: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/56808 pic.twitter.com/2s1VZxWsxA
Other lost medieval chapels on the Cornish coast include the chapel that once stood on Chapel Rock between St Michael's Mount & Marazion; this chapel was first mentioned in 1419 and is said to have been demolished in 1645.pic.twitter.com/UswNTFUpvw
The chapel on Chapel Rock and St Michael's Mount on a map from Henry VIII's reign; interestingly, Chapel Rock is shown still attached to the mainland on here: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/unvbrit/m/001cotaugi00001u00034000.html …pic.twitter.com/V1hW4vDruz
The chapel on Chapel Rock was said to be newly built in 1419, when John Meger left 4d to the fabric of it in his will of that year; it has been suggested that the chapel served as the last shrine for pilgrims visiting St Michael's Mount.pic.twitter.com/5EQxIpTjde
A much older structure is found on the cliffs above Porth Chapel, just a little to the west of Porthcurno — the chapel found here, known as St Levan's Chapel, is believed to have its origins in the 7th or 8th century: http://awalkamongstthestones.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/of-walks-and-crosses-cornwall-pt-1.html … & https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1007285 …pic.twitter.com/vgxphcGpuV
Around 25m above St Levan's Chapel is St Levan's Well, which in its current form may date from the 18thC; note, St Levan is a modification of an original Selevan, from Salamun/Solomon: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/933661 & http://maps.nls.uk/view/101439638# & https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JxIjiMStTKIC&lpg=PA227&pg=PA227#v=onepage&q&f=false …pic.twitter.com/MXtirz7wYk
Robert Kearsley Dawson's 1832 map of St Ives, which shows and labels the Tregenna Stream, via http://www.tooleys.co.uk/counties_sw.html …pic.twitter.com/kPJD1d2xZU
A lovely photograph of Porthminster beach c.1900, at the height of the seine fishing industry, with boats pulled up beyond the railway viaduct: https://www.placeify.co.uk/stivesarchive/#content-22 …pic.twitter.com/WTNzMla4gX
Another interesting coastal chapel site is St Helen's Chapel, Cape Cornwall; a very early Chi-Rho stone was found here (5thC?), but has subsequently been lost (pic: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2106157 )pic.twitter.com/ISO5YsY4zB
The reported site of a medieval chapel on the Towans looking towards Godrevy; the location recorded is immediately in the foreground of this photograph, although there are no visible remains.pic.twitter.com/RzoJsSmzxW
Two large pillars from a presumed lost medieval chapel at Carn Brea, Cornwall, found in the walls of a cottage demolished in c.1910 and erected in the grounds of Trengweath, Redruth; the cross is a possible defaced medieval cross of unknown provenance.pic.twitter.com/Apbyl4U54i
St Rumon's Cross, Redruth, thought to be connected with St Rumon's Chapel here, which was licensed in 1400 & "long in ruins" in 1745.pic.twitter.com/AQPH4Yxzrr
Some more pieces of medieval stonework from the former 15th-century St Rumon's Chapel, Redruth, Cornwall.pic.twitter.com/MBP2mgpAld
Chapel Euny Well, Sancreed, Cornwall, is the site of another lost medieval chapel; the chapel, which had an unusual plan and orientation, was ruinous in the 19th century and has now gone, but dressed stone from it seems to be used around the top of the holy well.pic.twitter.com/XuzOXvUrxB
A view of Chapel Euny well from 1904: http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/issue.xhtml?recordId=1155300&recordType=GreyLitSeries …pic.twitter.com/PjAc5dHeKH
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