Danescombe Quay

Last updated

Danescombe Quay
Danescombe Quay (1822-1890).jpg
Danescombe Quay from (1870-1890), berthed alongside is three masted top sail schooner
Native name
Sowenna
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Location Calstock, Cornwall
Details
Opened1822[ citation needed ]
Closed1912[ citation needed ]
Operated by
Wharfs2
Rail gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)

Danescombe Quay was the largest and last quayside on the River Tamar to be used commercially, capable of berthing large steam steel cargo ships of up to 200 tonnes.[ citation needed ] It is located on the Cornish bank of the river, half a mile out of the town of Calstock and next to Cotehele House the ancient seat of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, now a National Trust property. The Quayside lies within the Tamar Valley AONB and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Contents

History

With the increase of mining in Cornwall, alongside the industrial revolution, increasing number of goods produced from the Calstock region had to be transported by boat. The demand for this grew rapidly over the 19th century, leading to the quayside being enlarged and a railway laid connecting Danescombe with the rest of the region. It was fortunate to have a railway connecting it with institutions more inland and from above the national tidal limit of the River Tamar creating a high demand for the quayside. [1]

The quayside was purchased by the Tamar Coal, Manure and General Mercantile Co Ltd at auction on the 28th of October 1862 at the Ashburton Hotel, Calstock. The construction on the railway began on the 26th of November 1863 at the Quayside. [2] [3]

The demand and profits made at Danescombe were so great that in 1890 the building of the jetty began. This allowed larger vessels to berth and granted access to steel boats, as they required deeper water and it was hazardous for them to ground in the same way as the wooden sailing vessels. [4]

After the closure of the quayside in 1912 the quay was left to decay.[ citation needed ]

A Tamar barge berthed alongside the quayside in the year 2000 Lynher at Danescombe Quay.jpg
A Tamar barge berthed alongside the quayside in the year 2000

On the quayside now stands a house called Sowenna. [5]

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

River Tamar River in southwest England

The Tamar is a river in south west England, that forms most of the border between Devon and Cornwall. A part of the Tamar valley is a World Heritage Site due to its historic mining activities.

Callington Town in Cornwall, England

Callington is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about 7 miles (11 km) north of Saltash and 9 miles (14 km) south of Launceston.

Kit Hill

Kit Hill, at 334 metres high, dominates the area between Callington and the River Tamar in southeast Cornwall, England, UK. The word 'Kit' comes from Old English for kite, a reference to birds of prey. Buzzards and sparrowhawks can still be seen on the hill. It is one of five Marilyn hills in Cornwall, the four others are Watch Croft, Brown Willy, Carnmenellis and Hensbarrow Beacon.

Tamar Valley Line Railway line in Devon and Cornwall, England

The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Plymouth, Devon, to Gunnislake, Cornwall, in England, also known as the Gunnislake branch line. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route. Like all railway lines in Devon and Cornwall, it is unelectrified and all trains are diesel powered. The entire line is single track past St. Budeaux Junction.

Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway Former English railway company

The Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway (PD&SWJR) was an English railway company. It constructed a main line railway between Lydford and Devonport, in Devon, England, enabling the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) to reach Plymouth more conveniently than before.

Calstock Village & Parish in England

Calstock is a civil parish and a large village in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, on the border with Devon. The village is situated on the River Tamar 6 miles (9.7 km) south west of Tavistock and 10 miles (16 km) north of Plymouth.

Mining in Cornwall and Devon Mining in the English counties of Cornwall and Devon

Mining in Cornwall and Devon, in the southwest of England, began in the early Bronze Age, around 2150 BC. Tin, and later copper, were the most commonly extracted metals. Some tin mining continued long after the mining of other metals had become unprofitable, but ended in the late 20th century. In 2021, it was announced that a new mine was extracting battery-grade lithium carbonate, more than 20 years after the closure of the last South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall in 1998.

Calstock railway station Railway station in Cornwall, England

Calstock railway station is an unstaffed railway station on the Tamar Valley Line serving the village of Calstock in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at the north end of Calstock Viaduct which carries the railway at high level over the River Tamar.

Gunnislake railway station Railway station in Cornwall, England

Gunnislake railway station serves the village of Gunnislake in Cornwall, England. There are also connecting buses from here to the town of Tavistock. However the station is located in or nearer to the villages of Drakewalls and Albaston. It is the northern terminus of the Tamar Valley Line from Plymouth.

Gunnislake Human settlement in England

Gunnislake is a large village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately ten miles (16 km) north of Plymouth

The East Cornwall Mineral Railway was a 1,067 mm gauge railway line, opened in 1872 to connect mines and quarries in the Callington and Gunnislake areas in east Cornwall with shipping at Calstock on the River Tamar. The line included a rope-worked incline to descend to the quay at Calstock.

Morwellham Quay Historic river port in Devon, England

Morwellham Quay is an historic river port in Devon, England that developed to support the local mines. The port had its peak in the Victorian era and is now run as a tourist attraction and museum. It is the terminus of the Tavistock Canal, and has its own copper mine.

Tavistock Canal Canal in Devon, England

The Tavistock Canal is a canal in the county of Devon in England. It was constructed early in the 19th century to link the town of Tavistock to Morwellham Quay on the River Tamar, where cargo could be loaded into ships. The canal is still in use to supply water to a hydro-electric power plant at Morwellham Quay, and forms part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. It is unusual for a canal, as it has a gentle slope over its length, resulting in a considerable flow of water.

Albaston Human settlement in England

Albaston is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in the civil parish of Calstock. It is located at Ordnance Survey grid reference SX 423 704.

St Dominic, Cornwall Village in Cornwall, England

St Dominic is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated 2+12 miles (4.0 km) east of Callington and five miles (8 km) north of Saltash.

Harewood House, Calstock Human settlement in England

Harewood House was an ancient manor house, built originally by the Saxons, in Cornwall, England. It is located by an ancient river crossing, originally used by the Romans to get to a nearby Roman fort. Harewood Estate is surrounded by old mine workings, so the house faces towards Morwellham Quay.

Tamar barge Type of boat

A Tamar barge is a masted sailing vessel, designed for carrying cargo along the River Tamar and the south coast of Cornwall.

West Country Ketch Two-masted sailing ship

A West Country Ketch or a Tamar Ketch is a two-masted sailing Ketch, designed for carrying cargo from the South West England, predominantly from the ports of the River Tamar, to ports on the Celtic Sea, such as Cork.

Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge Battle of the First English Civil War

The Battle of Gunnislake New Bridge was a battle that took place on 20 July 1644 on and around Gunnislake New Bridge, a bridge over the River Tamar between Cornwall and Devon, during the First English Civil War.

Garlandstone

The Garlandstone is a gaff-rigged sailing Tamar Ketch, built in Calstock, and launched on 27 January 1909. It was built by James Goss on speculation at the foot of Calstock Viaduct. She was designed for transporting goods between Great Britain and Ireland.

References

  1. Morwellham Quay history and guide. Morwellham Quay. 2017. p. 50.
  2. Tamar, Kit Hill and Callington Railway Company Limited
  3. Callington Branch
  4. Booker, Frank (1967). The Industrial Archaeology of The Tamar Valley. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN   978-1-903356-57-9. Industrial Archaeology of The Tamar Valley
  5. Sowenna House, Lower Kelly
Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Incline Station
Line and station closed
  East Cornwall Mineral Railway  Calstock Quay
Line and station closed