St Breward History Group

COMING UP …

Our next meeting will be on

Wednesday 30th September 2026
(No meeting in August)

FEATURING A TALK:

The Camera Never Lies (Part 2) – Argall Photographers by Frank Argall

6.30 for 7.00pm
St Breward Village Hall
(next to The Old Inn)

Refreshments & Raffle

Members £3.
Non-members £4 – All welcome

Why not join us?

We meet monthly in St Breward Village Hall for friendly, informal talks on a wide range of historical topics — with tea and cakes! Membership costs just £5 per year and gives you a £1 discount on entry to each meeting you attend. New members and visitors are always welcome.

Click for 2026 full programme

St Breward is a village and parish on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. It has a rich industrial history of mining, granite quarrying and china clay extraction, and a strong farming tradition. St Breward History Group was founded in 2010 to research, preserve and share the history of the parish and it’s families for current and future generations. Our members record stories of local life — people, places, work, and community. We’re building an archive of photos, documents, and recorded memories that reflect life in St Breward and beyond.

Where was that cottage?

St Breward History Group was approached via its website by the husband of a lady in poor health – they had been reminiscing about a holiday they had had in a cottage named Venn back in 1985. They thought it was in St Breward and sent a photo of the cottage taken at that time....

Svend Bayer at Wenford Bridge Pottery, 1969

Svend Bayer was born to Danish parents in Uganda in 1946. He attended six different schools in four countries, but it was while studying economics at Exeter University that he was given a book written by the 'father of studio pottery', Bernard Leach. At this defining moment...

Dunmere Crossing

Not strictly in the parish, but the connection is via the railway track between Wenford and Bodmin. A Beattie 'well-tank' engine, manufactured in 1874, crosses the road at Dunmere almost a century later! No 30587 was one of a class of 85 which was designed by Joseph Hamilton...

Churchill Monument, circa 1972

Scan of an original photograph, courtesy of Brian (Barney) Nottle. L-R: Brian (Barney)Nottle, Ernie Hillson and Robert Armstrong loading a lorry at De Lank Quarry. The granite base, ( part 1 of 4), for the statue of Winston Churchill. The statue, which stands in Parliament...

Bolatherick, St Breward, 1946

This month’s contribution is courtesy of Florence Walkey, who kindly donated this picture of her farm at Bolatherick. Florence’s father William John Keast is leading (being led by?) his prize bull across the rain-soaked yard watched by the family goat and pony. I’d love to...

Beachy Head Lighthouse

A mystery gentleman poses in front of a section of Beachy Head Lighthouse. The stone was quarried and dressed at De Lank, so he may be one of the masons, or a quarry manager. This picture was kindly donated to the History Group by Sally Holden, curator of Camelford Museum

Who are those clay workers?

A group of clay workers at Wenford - unless our readers know differently!' We have a couple of names, but we need a full set, the date and occasion. Please contact us: enquiries@stbrewardhistory.co.uk

The May Family, circa 1910

Joseph May married Anne Lanndry Warne at St Kew parish church on 23 December 1879. Joseph and Anne had six children - Harry, Evelyn, Winifred, Robert Francis [Frank], Joseph Charles [Charles] and Mabel. The family lived at St Kew Highway and Penryn before settling at Higher...

Nellie’s memories

The life story of Mrs Nellie Marshall of Wenford Cottage, St BrewardAt the age of 82, Mrs Nellie Marshall of Wenford Cottage, St Breward, decided to write her life story. Some 19 pages of foolscap paper - spanning four generations. All has been faithfully transcribed by her...

Miss Ivy Nottle, 1927

Ivy was born to George and Mary in 1910 at Chapel Farm, St Breward. At the age of 26, she married Cyril J Rowe and in 1937 gave birth to a daughter, Eileen. Eileen, who was the St Breward school cook for many years, married John Collings in 1957 and they lived in the Old Smithy...

Hantergantick Masons, 1936

Pictured, presumably, outside the quarry office are some of the Hantergantick Quarry workers. In the back row, set squares over shoulders, are Fred Winn, Harry Kendall, Bill Teague and Fernley Parsons. At the front, hammers in hand, are Cliff Piper, Robert (Bobby) Armstrong,...

Morley Tremaine

Born in 1916, Morley was a life-long resident of St Breward. He is pictured here, aged 12 years, outside the Bible Christian chapel at Row (now called Providence House). During WWII Morley was a member of the St Breward Auxiliary Unit, a (then) secret unit of well-armed...

The Parish Magazine for BLISLAND with TEMPLE and ST. BREWARD

The first edition of our parish magazine was published in April 1980. We now have available scanned versions of all the 1980 editions which you can read online here.

A Summer Outing, 1940s

Dora Pearce (nee Marshall) recently came across this photo of herself (centre) enjoying a day out by the sea with her friends Hazel and May. Dora recalls that they travelled there by bus, but can’t remember the location. A clue might be that in the background we can see a...

Cyril Pearce & The Woodley Sisters

Sitting on a wall at No.1 Rylands in the early 1930s are Cyril, who was always known by his middle name of John, with Alice and Dorothy Woodley. Cyril was born at St Breward in 1925 to Richard and Emily (nee Boundy). He later worked at De Lank quarry before moving to...

Another Archive Mystery

This month we have another previously unrecorded photo found among archive material that was collected by Pamela Bousfield in the mid 1980s when she was preparing to publish the now well-known book, A History of St Breward – The Life of a Moorland Village. I’m sure our readers...

The Armstrong Family

The Armstrong family is descended from the Border Reivers who lived mostly lawless lives on the border between England and Scotland between the 13th and 17th centuries. Our Armstrongs originated in Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and then some time between 1869...

Leslie Albert Norman Watkins – fallen but not forgotten

Leslie Watkins – 1st Airborne Divisional Signals – Royal Corps of Signals – Rhine Crossing – Op Varsity.

30 Years Ago!

Members of the St Breward snooker club took part in a 24 Hour Snooker Marathon on 21-22 June 1991. Funds were donated to The Air Ambulance and The Cavitron Fund at Derriford Hospital. L-R: Arthur Cobbett, Mike Sutton, Martin (Chiefy) Yeo, Noel Smith, Robert Hill, John...

St Breward Area Community Bus

One From The Archives - St. Breward Community Bus Following a recent ‘call to arms’ for help for our Community Bus, we feel that it is important to share its history. Did you know that St. Breward was the first village in the UK to own a community bus in 1983 due to the valiant...

Bronze Age Burial Urn at Stannon

In July 1977, Arthur Welch, the captain of Stannon Clayworks, was examining aerial photographs of the area when he spotted the outline of a cairn. A team led by Group Capt. Peter Trudgian of Cornwall Archaeological Society and Henrietta Miles from Exeter University agreed to...

Wedding

This month we have a scan of an original photo, courtesy of the estate of Dennis Champion. A family wedding at St Breward parish church. Unfortunately the history group are unable to recognise the faces. Judging by the clothing, the date is probably mid 1950s. It will be most...

A Boys’ Day Out

Pictured outside a pub or cafe, probably in the '40s or '50s, we know from the back of the photo that two of those pictured here are Harry May and R. May, but can anyone put names to faces for the rest of the gang? Contact us at enquires@stbrewardhistory.co.uk if you can add...

The Glorious Game and others in St Breward

There are few sports now played within the village, but in the past it was the source of many players and the home of some winners. Archery – dates from the Middle Ages when all able-bodied men were required to practise to provide a military force for the monarch. The practise...

Ready For Mischief?

Sitting on a grassy bank outside De Lank Farm are Ron Allen, Fred Parr and Ivor May. Ivor was the son of Winnie and Frank May who owned Hantergantick Quarry. Local milkman Alec Masters managed to keep the boys still long enough to take this photograph in about 1928. Contact us...

Blisland Church & Church-Gate Cottage

A view of the church of St Protus and St Hyacinth circa 1901, not long after it was restored. In 1894, donations from several local benefactors funded works overseen by architect F. C. Eden. The chancel was restored by the rector and the window in the end of the south chancel...

St. Breward School Team – 1987

For those of you who might know the young men that appear in this picture . . . a reminder that the photograph was taken 37 years ago! Back L-R: Michael Barnett, Kevin Cracknell, Philip Hoskin, Ian Turner and Jamie Cox. Front L-R: Neil Simpson, Dean Hill, Daniel Dunkin,...

Joseph Hawken, c.1919

Carpenter Joe Hawken is pictured here repairing carts at his workshop at Limehead, St Breward, a building that still exists today. As the local undertaker , he would deliver coffins strapped to the crossbar of his bicycle rather than use a hand-cart as it made it easier to get...

Fred & George Nottle, 1927

Courtesy of Mrs Grace Masters, this photograph is part of a collection taken in 1927-28 by her husband Alec, while delivering milk in the village Brothers Fred & George (Dreamy) Nottle outside (we think) their home at Penpont. We have been told that Fred died after the D...

St Breward Guides, circa 1970

Courtesy of Sheila Nottle, this picture was scanned for the archive some time ago, but has yet to have all the subjects identified. Noted in pencil on the reverse are the names Jacqueline and Sheila. In the background we can see a pin-up of Prince Charles wearing his...

Photos scanned

Years of parish magazines

Minutes of video

Average attendance at meetings

Minutes of Audio

Names to faces?

Can you help us name some of the people in the hundreds of photographs we hold? Click the button and scroll through the many blog entries where we ask for names and further information. Maybe your ancestors are there?

View photographs needing identification

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

What happened in St Breward 1983?

CLICK HERE to read the year’s Parish Magazines

AA sign displayed on the cottage opposite the church (named as ‘The Old Dairy’) Nearly 30,000 of these signs were erected between 1906 and approximately 1932. Only around 65 are left in situ today.

Exploring and preserving
the history of St Breward

St Breward History Group

St Breward History Group

St Breward History Group

St Breward History Group

St Breward History Group

St Breward History Group

St Breward History Group

COMING UP …

Wednesday 30th September 2026(No meeting in August)

The Camera Never Lies (Part 2) – Argall Photographers by Frank Argall

Why not join us?