St Dennis, Cornwall
Encyclopedia
St Dennis is a civil parish and village in Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. The village is situated on the B3279 between Newquay
and St Austell
.
St Dennis had a population of 2,696 in the 2001 census
. A quarter of the male population is employed in the extraction of china clay.
The village is famous for its church built on the site of an Iron age
hillfort. Other major buildings include the Methodist chapel and the Boscawen Hotel.
discovered China Clay
in the area.
of china clay mining but St Dennis village itself is designated an 'island settlement' which prevents encroachment by the china clay industry. Much of the parish is up to 500 feet above sea level, and the countryside is moorland with small fields enclosed by earth-covered granite walls known as 'hedges'. These hedges were constructed centuries ago, when the land was cleared for farming. Part of Trelavour Downs has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
and a Geological Conservation Review
site. A small shallow pit of 0.3 ha was once worked for lithium
and is the best known locality for biotite mica
in Britian.
Seaking helicopter.
The village also has a strong history of Methodism
and at one stage there were three Methodist chapels in the village. Two of these, at Carne Hill, and Hendra Road are still open to this day.
St Dennis Band
is based in the village, and has a history of competing with some of the world's top bands. The Band recently gained Championship Status in 2009.
The village of St Dennis has two public houses, The Commercial Inn and the Boscawen Hotel, and there are also three clubs, the St Dennis Working Men's Club, the St Dennis Band Club, and the St Dennis Association Football Club.
all-terrain vehicle was developed here in the late 1970s.
Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre
A plan to site an incinerator near St Dennis by French company SITA
is currently being opposed by the Parish Council who are worried about the effects of pollution and extra traffic. SITA claim that the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC) will benefit Cornwall by diverting 90 per cent of the county’s residual waste away from landfill and will generate sixteen megawatts of electricity.
but there have been mineral railways in the parish, for which see article St Dennis railway station
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...
. The village is situated on the B3279 between Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
and St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
.
St Dennis had a population of 2,696 in the 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
. A quarter of the male population is employed in the extraction of china clay.
The village is famous for its church built on the site of an Iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort. Other major buildings include the Methodist chapel and the Boscawen Hotel.
History
St Dennis originated as several smaller settlements: Hendra, Trelavour and Whitepit. The area's population grew rapidly after William CookworthyWilliam Cookworthy
-Bibliography:*Early New Church Worthies by the Rev Dr Jonathon Bayley*Cookworthy's Plymouth and Bristol Porcelain by F.Severne Mackenna published by F.Lewis...
discovered China Clay
Kaolinite
Kaolinite is a clay mineral, part of the group of industrial minerals, with the chemical composition Al2Si2O54. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra...
in the area.
Geography
The area is characterised by tips and pitsClay pit
A clay pit is a quarry or mine for the extraction of clay, which is generally used for manufacturing pottery, bricks or Portland cement.The brickyard or brickworks is often located alongside the clay pit to reduce the transport costs of the raw material. These days pottery producers are often not...
of china clay mining but St Dennis village itself is designated an 'island settlement' which prevents encroachment by the china clay industry. Much of the parish is up to 500 feet above sea level, and the countryside is moorland with small fields enclosed by earth-covered granite walls known as 'hedges'. These hedges were constructed centuries ago, when the land was cleared for farming. Part of Trelavour Downs has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
and a Geological Conservation Review
Geological Conservation Review
The Geological Conservation Review is produced by the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee and is designed to identify those sites of national and international importance needed to show all the key scientific elements of the geological and geomorphological features of Britain...
site. A small shallow pit of 0.3 ha was once worked for lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
and is the best known locality for biotite mica
Biotite
Biotite is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . More generally, it refers to the dark mica series, primarily a solid-solution series between the iron-endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more aluminous endmembers...
in Britian.
Churches and chapels
The church is situated on top of a hill overlooking the village and has views over Goss Moor to the sea at Newquay. It is dedicated to St Denys and stands on the site of an Iron Age fort. The tower is the oldest part of the church, and the newer church was almost destroyed by fire in 1985. Although heartbreaking at the time, it has risen again from the ashes. The new roof timbers were so large that they had to be lifted in by a Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Seaking helicopter.
The village also has a strong history of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
and at one stage there were three Methodist chapels in the village. Two of these, at Carne Hill, and Hendra Road are still open to this day.
Education and social life
The infant school in St Dennis has been amalgamated with the new primary school, and the old building has been refurbished and is now used as an outreach centre called ClayTAWC. The centre teaches computer studies to adults in the area, and also has many other interesting classes.St Dennis Band
Brass band (British style)
A British-style brass band is a musical ensemble comprising a standardised range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 19th century, with a vibrant tradition of competition based around local industry and communities...
is based in the village, and has a history of competing with some of the world's top bands. The Band recently gained Championship Status in 2009.
The village of St Dennis has two public houses, The Commercial Inn and the Boscawen Hotel, and there are also three clubs, the St Dennis Working Men's Club, the St Dennis Band Club, and the St Dennis Association Football Club.
Technology
The Land MasterLand Master
The Land Master is a civilian all-terrain utility vehicle produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a competitor to the Land Rover. Many of its features were incorporated into the Land Rover Defender introduced some years later....
all-terrain vehicle was developed here in the late 1970s.
Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre
A plan to site an incinerator near St Dennis by French company SITA
Sita (waste management)
SITA is the main brand representing Suez Environnement's waste subsidiaries in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific zone and Australia....
is currently being opposed by the Parish Council who are worried about the effects of pollution and extra traffic. SITA claim that the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC) will benefit Cornwall by diverting 90 per cent of the county’s residual waste away from landfill and will generate sixteen megawatts of electricity.
Railway lines
The railway station for St Dennis is St Columb RoadSt Columb Road railway station
St Columb Road railway station, on the Atlantic Coast Line, serves the village of St Columb Road in Cornwall, UK.-History:The first railway here was a horse-worked line from Newquay Harbour to Hendra Crazey...
but there have been mineral railways in the parish, for which see article St Dennis railway station
St Dennis railway station
-1849 - 1960:The history of railway lines through the Cornish village of St. Dennis dates back as far as 1849. In that year, a tramway was opened linking the harbour in Newquay to areas where clay was - and still is - mined. This railway ran from Newquay, through the localities of Quintrell Downs,...