Forrabury and Minster
Encyclopedia
Forrabury and Minster is a civil parish on the north coast of Cornwall
. The parish was originally divided between the coastal parish of Forrabury and inland parish of Minster until they were united in 1779.
The parish is in the Registration District of Camelford. It is bounded to the north by the Atlantic; to the east by the parishes of St Juliot
, Lesnewth
and Davidstow
; to the south by Camelford
parish (ecclesiastical parish of Lanteglos by Camelford); and to the west by Trevalga
parish. The population of Forrabury and Minster parish in the 2001 census was 888.
Boscastle
is the principal settlement in the parish of Forrabury and Minster. It is 14 miles (23 kilometres) south of Bude
and 5 miles (8 kilometres) north-east of Tintagel
. Forrabury parish church, dedicated to St Symphorian
, is in Boscastle at .
However, the mother church of Boscastle is dedicated to St Materiana and nestles among the trees of Minster Wood in the valley of the River Valency
half-a-mile east of Boscastle at . The original Forrabury / Minster boundary crossed the river so the harbour end of the village was in Forrabury and the upriver area in Minster. The churches were established some time earlier than the settlement at Boscastle (in Norman times when a castle was built there). The Celtic name of Minster was Talkarn but it was renamed Minster in Anglo-Saxon times because of a monastery on the site. Until the Reformation St Materiana's tomb was preserved in the church. (Another spelling of her name sometimes used is 'Mertheriana' but the usual Latin form is Materiana.) For many years the Anglican parishes of Forrabury and Minster have been in the charge of a Rector who is responsible for a group of adjoining parishes as well as these. Minster Church was damaged by the flood of August 2004
and in the following year archaeological work was done at the church to obtain a clearer idea of the history of the building.
work carried out in the 19th century): it is listed Grade I. Forrabury church also has some Norman work but the tower was added in 1750. The Rev R. S. Hawker
wrote a poem on "The Bells of Forrabury": it was based on a local legend arising from the absence of a peal of bells in the tower. At Welltown in Forrabury parish is a manor house dating from about 1640 and at Worthyvale and Redevallen in Minster parish are two manor houses also of the 17th century. Not far from Worthyvale is an inscribed stone (Latini [h]ic iacit filius Macari = Latin son of Macarus lies here). This stone is popularly known as King Arthur's Grave due to the erroneous identification of Slaughter Bridge
with the site of Camlann. At Waterpit Down (on the road towards Launceston in Minster parish) are the remains of a cross probably from the 10th century. Camelford railway station (now occupied by the British Cycling Museum) was built in 1893 and was closed in 1966. (Though named after nearby Camelford
it was in Minster parish.)
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...
. The parish was originally divided between the coastal parish of Forrabury and inland parish of Minster until they were united in 1779.
The parish is in the Registration District of Camelford. It is bounded to the north by the Atlantic; to the east by the parishes of St Juliot
St Juliot
St Juliot is a civil parish in north-east Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish is entirely rural and the only settlements are the hamlets of Beeny and Tresparrett.-Parish Church:...
, Lesnewth
Lesnewth
Lesnewth is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately six miles east of Tintagel Head and two miles east of Boscastle....
and Davidstow
Davidstow
Davidstow is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is north of Bodmin Moor straddling the A395 road about 3 miles north of Camelford....
; to the south by Camelford
Camelford
Camelford is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles north of Bodmin and is governed by Camelford Town Council....
parish (ecclesiastical parish of Lanteglos by Camelford); and to the west by Trevalga
Trevalga
Trevalga is a coastal civil parish and village in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The parish is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south-east by Forrabury and Minster parish and on the west by Tintagel parish....
parish. The population of Forrabury and Minster parish in the 2001 census was 888.
Settlements and churches
Boscastle
Boscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Forrabury and Minster. It is situated 14 miles south of Bude and 5 miles north-east of Tintagel....
is the principal settlement in the parish of Forrabury and Minster. It is 14 miles (23 kilometres) south of Bude
Bude
Bude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...
and 5 miles (8 kilometres) north-east of Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
. Forrabury parish church, dedicated to St Symphorian
Symphorian and Timotheus
Saints Timotheus and Symphorian are venerated together as saints by the Catholic Church and share the same feast day , though the lives of the two saints are not related.-Timotheus:...
, is in Boscastle at .
However, the mother church of Boscastle is dedicated to St Materiana and nestles among the trees of Minster Wood in the valley of the River Valency
River Valency
The River Valency is located in north Cornwall with many tributaries, and after running past Lesnewth cuts a valley before entering the sea at the harbour of the village of Boscastle. One of its tributaries is the River Jordan, which it joins in Boscastle just before the B3263 road bridge.The...
half-a-mile east of Boscastle at . The original Forrabury / Minster boundary crossed the river so the harbour end of the village was in Forrabury and the upriver area in Minster. The churches were established some time earlier than the settlement at Boscastle (in Norman times when a castle was built there). The Celtic name of Minster was Talkarn but it was renamed Minster in Anglo-Saxon times because of a monastery on the site. Until the Reformation St Materiana's tomb was preserved in the church. (Another spelling of her name sometimes used is 'Mertheriana' but the usual Latin form is Materiana.) For many years the Anglican parishes of Forrabury and Minster have been in the charge of a Rector who is responsible for a group of adjoining parishes as well as these. Minster Church was damaged by the flood of August 2004
Boscastle flood of 2004
The Boscastle flood of 2004 occurred on Monday, 16 August 2004 in the two villages of Boscastle and Crackington Haven in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The villages suffered extensive damage after flash floods caused by an exceptional amount of rain that fell over eight hours that afternoon...
and in the following year archaeological work was done at the church to obtain a clearer idea of the history of the building.
Notable buildings and antiquities
Minster church was built in Norman times (some late medieval additions and restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
work carried out in the 19th century): it is listed Grade I. Forrabury church also has some Norman work but the tower was added in 1750. The Rev R. S. Hawker
Robert Stephen Hawker
Robert Stephen Hawker was an Anglican priest, poet, antiquarian of Cornwall and reputed eccentric. He is best known as the writer of The Song of the Western Men with its chorus line of And shall Trelawny die? / Here's twenty thousand Cornish men / will know the reason why!, which he published...
wrote a poem on "The Bells of Forrabury": it was based on a local legend arising from the absence of a peal of bells in the tower. At Welltown in Forrabury parish is a manor house dating from about 1640 and at Worthyvale and Redevallen in Minster parish are two manor houses also of the 17th century. Not far from Worthyvale is an inscribed stone (Latini [h]ic iacit filius Macari = Latin son of Macarus lies here). This stone is popularly known as King Arthur's Grave due to the erroneous identification of Slaughter Bridge
Slaughterbridge
Slaughterbridge, Treague and Camelford Station are three adjoining settlements in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. They straddle the boundary of Forrabury and Minster and Lanteglos by Camelford civil parishes just over a mile north-west of the market town of CamelfordThe settlements are on the...
with the site of Camlann. At Waterpit Down (on the road towards Launceston in Minster parish) are the remains of a cross probably from the 10th century. Camelford railway station (now occupied by the British Cycling Museum) was built in 1893 and was closed in 1966. (Though named after nearby Camelford
Camelford
Camelford is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles north of Bodmin and is governed by Camelford Town Council....
it was in Minster parish.)