Herodsfoot
Encyclopedia
Herodsfoot is a village in southeast Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is situated approximately four miles (6 km) southwest of Liskeard
and five miles (8 km) north of Looe
at a point where two tributaries of the West Looe river join.
The name Herodsfoot derives from the Cornish 'Nanshiryarth' and means 'the foot of the stream at Heriard'. The name 'Heriard' was changed to Heriod in the 17th century and then to Herod in the 18th century. Bartholomew's map of 1879 in Black's Guide to Cornwall of that year has "Herras Foot" but this had become "Herodsfoot" by editions of around 1900.
There has been a settlement here since medieval times, with people gaining a living from the Herodsfoot and Deer Park forests as well as locally cultivated orchards, but it was not until silver and lead mines were dug into the steep valley walls that the population began to grow.
Herodsfoot is one of 51 Thankful Villages
in the UK and the only one in Cornwall (the 'Thankful villages' are those that lost no men in World War I
).
as 'big boned and stately'. The Church is a substantial building, buttressed all round under a very high pitched, slate roof and a turret at the Western end hung with a single bell. The font is of 14th century workmanship and was brought here from the ruined chapel of St Martin at Respryn in St Winnow
. The population of the village was a mere 116 when the Church was opened but ten years later had quadrupled and reached a peak in 1871 with 499 people being recorded in the census. The Rev Enys Henry Rogers was vicar of Herodsfoot 1900-1902. In 1936, St Cuby's at Duloe, and All Saints Herodsfoot joined to become the united benefice of Duloe-with-Herodsfoot.
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 approximately four miles (6 km) southwest of Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
and five miles (8 km) north of Looe
Looe
Looe is a small coastal town, fishing port and civil parish in the former Caradon district of south-east Cornwall, England, with a population of 5,280 . Looe is divided in two by the River Looe, East Looe and West Looe being connected by a bridge...
at a point where two tributaries of the West Looe river join.
The name Herodsfoot derives from the Cornish 'Nanshiryarth' and means 'the foot of the stream at Heriard'. The name 'Heriard' was changed to Heriod in the 17th century and then to Herod in the 18th century. Bartholomew's map of 1879 in Black's Guide to Cornwall of that year has "Herras Foot" but this had become "Herodsfoot" by editions of around 1900.
There has been a settlement here since medieval times, with people gaining a living from the Herodsfoot and Deer Park forests as well as locally cultivated orchards, but it was not until silver and lead mines were dug into the steep valley walls that the population began to grow.
Herodsfoot is one of 51 Thankful Villages
Thankful Villages
Thankful Villages are settlements in both England and Wales from which all their then members of the armed forces survived World War I. The term Thankful Village was popularised by the writer Arthur Mee in the 1930s...
in the UK and the only one in Cornwall (the 'Thankful villages' are those that lost no men in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
).
Church history
In 1851 the parish was created from parts of Duloe, Lanreath, and St Pinnock parishes and the Church of All Saints was built high on the hillside in 1850—described by John BetjemanJohn Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
as 'big boned and stately'. The Church is a substantial building, buttressed all round under a very high pitched, slate roof and a turret at the Western end hung with a single bell. The font is of 14th century workmanship and was brought here from the ruined chapel of St Martin at Respryn in St Winnow
St Winnow
St Winnow is a civil parish situated in Cornwall, England, UK. Its name may be connected with either that of Saint Winnoc or Saint Winwaloe. It has a population of 304....
. The population of the village was a mere 116 when the Church was opened but ten years later had quadrupled and reached a peak in 1871 with 499 people being recorded in the census. The Rev Enys Henry Rogers was vicar of Herodsfoot 1900-1902. In 1936, St Cuby's at Duloe, and All Saints Herodsfoot joined to become the united benefice of Duloe-with-Herodsfoot.