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.

Peter Coats Hutton

Peter Hutton and his wife and two sons, John and Patrick, lived in St Breward and Patrick’s prep school friends were delighted by the address on Patrick’s weekly letter to his mother: Mrs Peter Hutton Fellover St Breward nr Bodmin! There is a memorial brass to Peter Coats...

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...

Trevor Ternouth’s School Days in St Breward

First published in the Community news February 2025 edition One From the Archives – My School Days (1946-1956) It must have been a daunting experience for this youngster aged four years 11 months to walk from 10 Penvorda Cottages to the village school at Hill, St. Breward. Of...

Wenford Bridge Goods Depot, 1958

A very rare view of the now defunct goods depot at Wenford, dated Tuesday 9 September 1958. It’s obvious (from its badge) that the lorry in the foreground is a British Rail owned Scammell goods vehicle, but we have been unable to identify the car. A clue might be the ‘split’...

The De Lank Youth Club

First published in the March 2025 issue of the Community News Magazine One From the Archives – The De Lank Youth Club This month Trevor Ternouth shares his memories of the De Lank Youth Club. There used to be several youth clubs at different times that ran in St. Breward, ones...

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...

School Panto, December 1988

This month we have a scan of an original photo by Clemens of Bodmin, obtained by Pamela Bousfield in the 1980s whilst researching the history of St Breward School. Looking at the glittering costumes, it didn’t take much detective work to discover that the title of the pantomime...

Granny Finnemore

This month’s offering from the archives of the history group is a photo donated some time ago by Mavis Found (nee Reed). We think it may be a family group, but the only clue is the title ‘Granny Finnemore’ written in pencil on the reverse. Can you see a family resemblance or...

The St. Breward ‘Bheys’

Original History by Trevor Ternouth 1986 Ralph and Roy Kerslake with Trevor Ternouth, their second cousin, started meeting for lunchtime meals around 1986. Ralph, who lived in Torquay, had to come to Liskeard for his monthly Masonic Lodge meetings. Roy lived at Cardinham and...

What a Luxury!

Filling up with a few gallons of 4-Star at Row shop rather than having to drive to Camelford or Bodmin. Courtesy of Alison Masters, this photo dates from the mid to late 1960s. In 1969 a gallon of fuel for the pictured Austin car was 35p (7p per litre), while a year’s road tax...

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...

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...

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.

Opening Meet 1923

One of a series of six, this photo was spotted on ebay and very kindly purchased for the archive by one of our eagle-eyed members. Dated 3rd November 1923, it shows villagers and members of the North Cornwall Hunt preparing for the day's events at Churchtown, St Breward. The...

You Know Who You Are!

Three intrepid young men, sporting fearsome looking weapons, defending the honour of the parish about 15 years ago at Tor Down Quarry. Let us know if you recognise the faces, or will the subjects themselves own up? Please contact us: enquiries@stbrewardhistory.co.uk

The Wedding of Arthur Hunt to Joan Pearce

A lovely family photograph taken on Blisland Green, May 1955, at the Wedding of Arthur (Micky) Hunt to Joan Pearce. L-R: Maurice Cole, Peter Cole, William Winn, Harriet Cole, Mary Hunt (Mother), Roger Winn, Albert Winn (Best Man), Micky the Groom, Joan the Bride, Joy...

Penpont

Above: Reading Room opening c1911, by Lady Onslow with a silver key, and St. Breward Silver Band St. Breward is often described as ‘Five hamlets in search of a village’. This month we are going to look at our furthermost hamlet to the south of the main village. The origin of...

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...

Smith Group?

A photo from many years ago which was loaned and displayed at an exhibition to celebrate the Millennium in 2000 Retirement? - Work's Dinner? - Family Party? The only clue we have to the identity of any of the group is the word 'Smith' written on the back If you can help, please...

Mrs & Miss Pengelly

This photograph recently came to light courtesy of Alison Masters, from her mother's estate. We know that the photograph was taken by Alison's father, Alec, in about 1927 but have no other information. If we can identify the house where the photo was taken, we might be able to...

St Breward School Staff, 1980s

Many of you will remember the smiling faces of the ladies of St Breward school, sadly, many of whom are no longer with us. L-R (Back) Nina Sleep, Rose Hoskin, Eileen Collings (Cook), Liz Hillson (Cleaner) and Pauline Nottle. L-R (Front) Jean Batten, Jean Rowlings (Headmistress)...

Memories of Evacuee, Ron Vickers

Frank May was co-owner of the quarry (it seemed funny that everybody pronounced it 'Anter, unless that was a slang name for Hantergantick!) I was never aware that Charlie May was a co-owner. From what I remember Harry was the main man, Mabel did all of the paperwork, and Frank...

Interview with Bill Hawken (of Hawkhill)

Recorded in 1985 by Frank Henshaw When I was a boy, as well as here at Rowe, we had a shop in Blisland. It's a building right on the edge of the Green, across from the pub; the only building really that's on the edge of the Green. We had it for a number of years and then we...

St Breward Boys Football Team, 1982

These smiling faces will be easily recognisable by many who live in the area - it just seems hard to believe that this picture from 1982 is now over 30 years old! The St Breward U-12s football team at Brake Parc Back: Martin Kay, Steven Kay, Graham Jory, Gary Baker, Shaun...

The Statue of Baden-Powell

De Lank mason Hedley (Ted) Methven and sculptor Donald Potter working on the statue of Robert Baden-Powell in the late 1950s. Lieutenant General Robert Baden-Powell was a British Army officer, writer, and founder of the world-wide Boy Scout Movement. The statue was unveiled by...

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...

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...

Beattie Well Tank at Helland Crossing

This 1950s photo from Robert Darlaston shows a Beattie Well Tank Locomotive, no 30587, at Helland crossing in the late 1950s. The Beattie Well Tank is a class of British steam locomotive built between 1863 and 1875 for use on passenger services in the suburbs of London, but...

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...

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...

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?