Pensilva Talk-More information.

For those that came along to the Pensilva History Group's talk on 'The Last Great Cornish  Engineer', here is a link to the blog with the extra information-the show notes! Included is a map of Phornix United.

http://navsbooks.wordpress.com/


Enjoy exploring.JM

Programme Change - A new date for the Christmas Quiz

The date of the Christmas Quiz has changed to enable us to book the room with a kitchen (thus ensuring we get the mince pies, and copious quantities of tea and coffee!). It is now Tuesday 16th December. Should be a good fun, and festive night. Here is the updated programme:

Enjoy

JM

The Trevithick Society East Cornwall Branch Programme 2014


Tuesday 14th October: 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall
Berrah Tor Granite Quarry- A talk by Ian Piper about an historic Bodmin Moor Quarry.



Tuesday 11th November: 7:30pm Liskeard Public hall (Long Room)
Pensilva-A history- A chance to learn about the development of this mining community on the edge of Bodmin Moor. A talk by Angus Holland of the Pensilva History group.

  
16th December: 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall (Long Room)
Christmas quiz- Come along for an evening of pre-Christmas fun- with a Cornish history slant. Composed and hosted by Richard Humphrey.
2015

 
17th February: 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall (Long Room)
The Road to Messines-Underground warfare on the Western front 1915-1917
A talk by the author Rick Stewart on World War 1 tunnels and trenches.

 
17th  March: 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall(Long Room)
Arsenic its production and use.  A talk by Kingsley Rickard on this fascinating mineral. April Walk/visit-details to be confirmed


14th April:7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall(Long Room) New event
The Cornish Connection-The shipping trade between Cornwall and South Wales
A talk by Dr. Tregidga of the Cornish Studies institute, Exeter University.



9th -11 May: AGM
A weekend of walks and talks-details to be confirmed June


16th May New event
Walk- Exploring the Luxulyan Valley-By the friends of the Luxulyan Valley
Meet at Ponts Mill Car Park.  




 Saturday 18th  July 11:00am
An Exploration of The Northern Quarries of Kit Hill
A walk by Steve Docksey. Meet at the northern incline carpark SX375 724-bring a pack lunch.


September New event
Date to be confirmed- Visit to Hemerdon Mine

East Cornwall Branch Programme-Autumn 2014

 Here is an update of the East Cornwall Branch programme. There are still some gaps to fill for next year, but watch this blog for more information as the speakers and walk guides confirm dates. Note the amended date for the Christmas Quiz

Tuesday 14th October:7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall
Berrah Tor Granite Quarry- A talk by Ian Piper about an historic Bodmin Moor Quarry.


Tuesday 11th November:7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall
Pensilva-A history- A chance to learn about the development of this mining community on the edge of Bodmin Moor. A talk by Angus Holland of the Pensilva History group. 


16th December: 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall (revised date)
Christmas quiz- Come along for an evening of pre-Christmas fun- with a Cornish history slant. Composed and hosted by Richard Humphrey.


2015
17th February: 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall (Long Room)

The Road to Messines-Underground warfare on the Western front 1915-1917

A talk by the author Rick Stewart on World War 1 tunnels and trenches.

17th  March: 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall
Arsenic its production and use.
A talk by Kingsley Rickard on this fascinating mineral.


April
Walk/visit- Follow this blog for more information.


May: AGM
A weekend of walks and talks-Follow this blog for more information..


June 7:30pm Liskeard Public Hall
Talk-details to be confirmed


Saturday 18th  July 1100
An Exploration of Northern Quarries of Kit Hill
A walk by Steve Docksey.

September
Talk-Follow this blog for more information..




JM

A memorable day at the Liskeard Bookshop

It was great to see so many members at the Trevithick Society book launch event on Saturday. Many Thanks to Anna at the Liskeard Museum and Michele at the Bookshop for the venues (and Breton Cakes).

The bookshop at Liskeard stocks a wide range of local history books, including many society titles. Click here to visit their website. The Society is keen to support such independent book shops, book shops that play a crucial role in keeping the subject of local history alive. So if you know of other good shops that stock Society books, please leave a coment and I will add it to the blog.

For those that have bough a copy of The Last Great Cornish Engineer then the blog mentioned at the event is now available as a source of extra information about William West.

Click here to view>

I am currently working on next year's East Cornwall Branch Programme..follow this blog to catch the new talks and visits.

Visit To Kelly Mine

The East Cornwall branch visit 'over the boarder' to Kelly Mine on the eastern outskirts of Dartmoor was one to remember. The Kelly Mine Preservation Society  gave our members an excellent tour of their fascinating site, many thanks guys. The mine provides a rare opportunity to see a small scale mine dressing floors in action, from shaft head to dispatch or ore, an opportunity really assists in interpreting mine sites all over Cornwall. 


Amongst the many things seen, packed in this small site were a head frame, tramway network, incline plane, friction drive winch, Blackstone Oil engine, Turgo water turbine, water wheels, stamps, washing frames, drying floors, and  packing plant.


Unfortunately BlogSpot is currently failing to upload photographs. Therefore if you wish to see a photograph of the visit, pop across to the Trevithick Society's face book page, or Navsbooks blog.

The Last Great Cornish Engineer- Book launch events at Liskeard 13th September

The Last Great Cornish Engineer -William West of Tredenham

By John Manley

Book launch

The Society's latest publication is being launched in Liskeard on the 13th of September. This new book tells the fascinating story of this amazing engineer, whose achievements included record breaking steam engines, life saving inventions, running railways, saving mines from closure and playing an important role in the fight against cholera.


Much of his work was in South East Cornwall area, where he played a major role in the mining industry of Liskeard. The town therefore has been chosen to launch the book. If you want to discover more about William West then please come along to the day's events.




1000- Welcome- Liskeard Museum doors open
Foresters Hall, Pike St. Liskeard,  PL14 3JE


1030- William West and Liskeard, an exploration in two and a half pictures
A short presentation by John Manley based pictures from the book
.
1050-William West in five objects
A wander through some of the William West related artefacts in the museum.


1100- A bimble through history
A short walk down to the Liskeard bookshop with pauses to take in some of the engineer's connections in the buildings on the parade.

1115- Book launch- The Book Shop
2 Barras Street, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 6AD

1120- Words from the past-The Book Shop
Some short readings from the Victorian prose and poetry in the book.


1145-1300- Book signings and discussion

Kelly Mine Visit 6th September- Last call for numbers

The East Cornwall Branch will be visiting Kelly Mine on Dartmoor on the 6th September. members ( and their guests) are all welcome It looks a fascinating site to visit. Please contact us if you wish to attend, using the email address on the newsletter, or leave a message on this post. Replies by Sunday 17th August -Many Thanks JM

From the Kelly Mine Website-




"Kelly Mine is a Devon iron mine situated on the eastern flank of Dartmoor near Lustleigh. The mine worked deposits of micaceous iron oxide, also known as MIO, micaceous haematite or 'shiny ore', which is a flaky form of iron oxide, Fe₂O₃. Kelly Mine is one of some ten mines and two or three trials, within the triangle formed by the towns of Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead and the village of Hennock, which worked similar deposits

Kelly Mine Preservation Society (KMPS) is restoring and preserving this time capsule for future generations; the mine has been refurbished and the machinery and processing plant restored to working order.

Visitors to the site can trace the whole process from mining the ore, via the adit and shaft, to the dispatch of the final product from the drying shed. The ore washing, jigging and stamping equipment is operational as is the other machinery in the mill. The settling tanks, waterwheels and the mine tramway, with its wagons and haulage winch, add atmosphere. There is a small museum, the miner's dry and a display of artifacts from other mines in the area.

Kelly Mine is on the A382 between Bovey Tracey and Moretonhampstead at SX 795818 (map below); when open, the entrance is marked by a red traffic cone. Coming from Bovey Tracey it is on the right 2.5 miles from Bovey Tracey fire station roundabout and about 800 yds beyond Slade Cross. There is limited parking on the grass verge just past the mine entrance. From Moretonhampstead the mine is on the left about 500 yds from Kelly Cross.

Admission free, donations welcome.

There is no underground access"