Flushing, Cornwall
Encyclopedia
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is situated three miles south of Penryn
Penryn, Cornwall
Penryn is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Penryn River about one mile northwest of Falmouth...
and eleven miles south-east of Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
. It faces Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
across the Penryn river, an arm of the Carrick Roads
Carrick Roads
Carrick Roads is located on the southern Cornish coast in the UK, near Falmouth. It is a large waterway created after the Ice age from an ancient valley which flooded as the melt waters caused the sea level to rise dramatically , creating a large natural harbour which is navigable from Falmouth to...
. The village is primarily known for its annual Regatta week in July.
History
Originally named Nankersey, meaning valley of the reed swamp, the village was given its name by DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
engineers from Flushing
Flushing, Netherlands
Vlissingen is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
who built the three main quays in the village. The grand houses on St Peter's Hill, the road that leads into the village, were owned by captains of the packet ships (mail-boats)
Post Office Packet Service
The Post Office Packet Service dates to Tudor times and ran until 1823, when the Admiralty assumed control of the service. Originally, the Post Office used packet ships to carry mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. The vessels generally also carried bullion, private...
that docked in nearby Falmouth. The Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
intended to land there in its attack on England but it was not able to capture it.
Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
intended to build a castle on Trefusis Point, to accompany those built at Pendennis
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
and St. Mawes
St Mawes Castle
St Mawes Castle and its larger sister castle, Pendennis, were built as part of a defensive chain of fortresses by Henry VIII to protect the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom...
, but due to the expensive wars was unable to finance it.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the village's economy mainly relied upon fishing, the two farms (Trefusis and Tregew) and Falmouth Docks
Falmouth Docks
Falmouth Docks are the docks of the town of Falmouth in Cornwall, England, UK.The docks are served by the Falmouth Docks railway station. Policing is by the Falmouth Docks Police.-Further reading:...
. There was also briefly a copper mine on Jericho beach, but extracting the copper proved commercially unviable. Now it is principally a commuter village for the nearby towns of Penryn, Falmouth and Truro, although some commercial fishing vessels are still based in the village. There are also several B&Bs
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
to cater for tourists; in addition, many houses in the village now lie unoccupied for most of the year as they are used as holiday homes.
Infrastructure
Most of the Flushing's 670 residents live in the middle of the village, on Coventry Road, Kersey Road and St Peter's Hill, although there is limited housing along Trefusis Road out as far as Kiln Beach, and there are also some houses near Trefusis Farm near the border with Mylor BridgeMylor Bridge
Mylor Bridge is a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated in Mylor civil parish at the head of Mylor Creek approximately five miles north of Falmouth....
.
The village C of E
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
school is located in Coventry Road and caters for a maximum of eighty pupils. It serves as a feeder school for the local secondary school, Penryn College
Penryn College
Penryn College is an LEA-maintained mixed secondary school and Sports College in the Cornish town of Penryn, United Kingdom. It has 934 pupils in the age range 11–16 years. The head teacher is Marie Hunter.-History:...
, although some pupils have gone on to Penair School
Penair School
Penair School is a secondary school in Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, for children aged 11–16. It is named after Penair House, a mansion built in the late 18th century by Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds. It is currently reviewed as an outstanding school by government inspectors Ofsted. The...
in Truro or the fee-paying Truro School
Truro School
Truro School is a mixed independent school located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. The current Headmaster is Paul Smith. Deputy Headteachers are Nick Fisher and Anita Firth . Phil Brewer is Assistant Head and Head of Sixth Form...
and Truro High School
Truro High School for Girls
Truro High School for Girls is a private school in Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, for girls aged 3–18.The school was founded in 1880 by the future archbishop Edward White Benson, then Bishop of Truro.Its first headmistress was Amy Key...
. Due to its cramped location in the middle of the village it has no playing field or school hall; organised games are held on the Bowling Green at the top of the village, and school meals and plays take place in the Village Hall on Coventry Road.
The doctor's surgery is located in the Village Hall.
There are two pubs, the Royal Standard on St Peter's Hill and the Seven Stars on Trefusis Road opposite Fish Cross. There is also a fish restaurant, formerly the Sticky Prawn, now the Quay Cafe located on Ferry Quay.
Churches
Flushing parish church (Anglican) is located on St Peter's Road and is dedicated to Saint PeterSaint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
. It is built in the Norman style and was opened for divine worship in February 1842 (consecrated: August 1842). St Peter's was renovated in 1871 by subscriptions collected by Capt Nevill Norway RN, when a vestry was added. It is now a Grade II listed building.
Part of the Diocese of Truro
Diocese of Truro
The Diocese of Truro is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury.-Geography and history:The diocese's area is that of the county of Cornwall including the Isles of Scilly. It was formed on 15 December 1876 from the Archdeaconry of Cornwall in the Diocese of Exeter, it is thus one...
, the parish is part of a united benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
with the Parish of Mylor.
The Methodist chapel is located in Kersey Road and, built in 1815, is the oldest building in the Falmouth and Gwennap circuit.
There was also a Bible Christian
Bible Christian Church
The Bible Christian Church was a Methodist denomination founded by William O’Bryan, a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher, on 18 October 1815 in North Cornwall, with the first society, just 22 members, meeting at Lake Farm in Shebbear, Devon.-Early history:...
chapel in Kersey Road (built in 1833) and a Primitive Methodist
Primitive Methodism
Primitive Methodism was a major movement in English Methodism from about 1810 until the Methodist Union in 1932. The Primitive Methodist Church still exists in the United States.-Origins:...
chapel in Coventry Road (built in 1866).
Culture
Flushing Regatta Week is held annually during late July or early August, and features water-based activities such as bathtub racing, rowing, swimming and sailing races, sand-castle building contests, a mini-marathonMarathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
through Mylor and Flushing, an open-air church service, a pub quiz
Pub quiz
A pub quiz is a quiz held in a public house. These events are also called Quiz Nights or Trivia Nights and may be held in other settings. Pub quizzes are still extremely popular and may attract people to a pub who are not found there on other days. The pub quiz is a modern example of a pub game...
, crab catching, and a carnival on Saturday night, and has achieved marked popularity locally. Every year, two residents of Flushing who have contributed to the life of the village over a period of time are selected to be the Presidents; their responsibilities include judging competitions and opening events.
The popular Nankersey Male Choir perform regular concerts throughout the year raising money for various local good causes, and classical concerts and recitals are often held in the Methodist chapel. The village has two gig clubs, Nankersey Rowing Club and Flushing & Mylor Pilot Gig Club. (See External links below)
Due to its position, Flushing is said to be one of the warmest villages in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The beaches at Kiln are extremely popular in the summer months, particularly with tourists, offering superb views of Falmouth Docks, the Carrick Roads
Carrick Roads
Carrick Roads is located on the southern Cornish coast in the UK, near Falmouth. It is a large waterway created after the Ice age from an ancient valley which flooded as the melt waters caused the sea level to rise dramatically , creating a large natural harbour which is navigable from Falmouth to...
and St. Anthony's Head. There is also another beach further around the coast known as Jericho, which is only accessible from the houses directly above the beach or by rowing boat, and is therefore popular with locals.
Notable people
- Morwenna BanksMorwenna BanksMorwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
, actress, was born here - James Silk BuckinghamJames Silk BuckinghamJames Silk Buckingham was an English author, journalist and traveller.He was born at Flushing near Falmouth, the son of a farmer, and had a limited education. His youth was spent at sea, and in 1797 he was captured by the French and held as a prisoner of war at Corunna...
, author, politician and social reformer was also born here. - Admiral Lord Nelson owned a house in St Peter's Road.
- The naval family of Bartholomew James Sulivan (1810–1890) maintained a house here, as did many Royal and merchant Navy officers in the nineteenth century. Sulivan as a young naval officer in the 1830s was a friend and shipmate of Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
on the historic HMS BeagleHMS BeagleHMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
voyage of Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
(which docked in FalmouthFalmouth, CornwallFalmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
on 2 October 1836, an event briefly recorded in Darwin's journal of the voyage). - John Marquis, author, editor, sports writer and publisher
- Harrison HayterHarrison HayterHarrison Hayter was a British engineer, participating in many significant railway construction projects in Britain and many harbour and dock constructions worldwide....
engineer, was born here.