I may have lived here for 15 years but there is still so much I haven't learnt about Cornwall. I know bits and pieces about its history yet I'm still to dive into it at more depth. My partner tells me the history of some places we have been to or want to go too, I find it fascinating to say the least. Tregargus Valley is one of them places I was taken back by due to the hidden ruins. Surrounded by the ever growing nature within St Stephens is a hidden history waiting to be explored. There you can find the remains of the China Stone industry that has been left in ruins. What was once a bustling place now filled with overgrown plants and wild animals making their homes.
Tregargus Valley homed seven different mills with only five of them surviving and in a state of disrepair. Once active for more than 100 years it gave plenty of locals jobs and a way of life, by the 1960s the site was abandoned. Luckily the Tregargus Trust has kept the history of this valley alive so that members of the public and explore and learn all about China Stone. The purpose of the mills was to grind down the china stone that was brought to them from a quarry nearby, there are several quarries that you can still see and visit to this day. You can also find some left over tracks from when they loaded the stone into carts in order to transport it from one mill to another.
Back in 2017 the Tregargus Trust was awarded £13,430 to rebuild and form new footpaths that go through Tregargus Valley, from what I gather at some point some of the water wheels were restored before this by Cornwall Engine Preservation Society. The beautifully woodland is an educational way to spend your day, if you do end up visiting make sure you keep an eye on children and dogs at all times, it can be dangerous without supervision. Flowing through the valley you may come across Barn River that later meets up with, further along it later meets with the River Fal, which I would like to talk about in another post at some point.
For walkers this is a perfect spot, it's free to visit, in the autumn the trees look stunning with their brown and orange leaves, the sun shining through them makes a beautiful autumnal walk and you can find yourself being distracted for hours.
I hope you enjoyed my post, with love from
ʚThe Cosy Mermaidɞ
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