Is it worth visiting Charlestown, Cornwall - The black and white village!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- In this video we explore Charlestown Harbour. It is situated on the south coast of Cornwall near St Austell. Today it is picture perfect and attracts many tourists, and feels like a film set.
Charlestown was a tiny fishing village called Porthmear. The harbour, as we see it today, was the vision of Charles Rashleigh, a local lawyer, entrepreneur, and mine owner. He wanted the ability to export his tin ore without making a journey over land to Fowey. The harbour made his fortune and he built a large house nearby at Duporth. He also continued to develop Charlestown during the early part of the 1800s and the village is, in fact, named after him. Sadly, he died a pauper and his story is fascinating!
During the 19th century, the harbour was used to export china clay to the northern potteries. Tunnels from the china clay dry were built underground to maintain the free movement of traffic above. In this video we explore the Shipwreck Treasure Museum, home to these tunnels. Many thanks for the free entry to the museum.
The last export of china clay was in 1992, when the harbour became the backdrop to many films and tv productions like Alice in Wonderland, Poldark, Dr Who and Bait, amongst others.
The standard description bit…
We are Sarah and Andrew and we film our walks around Cornwall and publish on RUclips, usually weekly. Sometimes we stay in accommodation in Cornwall and upload our vlog. Sarah is fascinated by sea glass and likes to collect it so there may be the occasional sea glass video too. The channel is a hobby and we both have normal day jobs!
Frequently asked questions:
What camera do we use?
Since December 2018 we have used: Canon Powershot G7x MkII
How do I find the books you use?
Most are still in print although some we pick up in charity shops and may be available on Amazon secondhand. Please refer to the video for the book titles. Every video shows the book three times. Sorry but we can’t put a link in every description.
Best time of year to visit Cornwall?
We love May, June for flora and fauna, July and September for spectacular scenery.
What is your dog’s name?
Sorry but we do not release the name of our dog, perhaps you can make up your own name for him.
To embed this video please contact us. We have disabled this feature.
Our links:
To support our channel with a donation: www.cornishwal... Many thanks
Contact us by email: cornishwalkingtrails@gmail.com
Etsy Shop: for sea glass projects and other artwork created by Sarah www.etsy.com/u...
Patreon: Join us on Patreon to support the channel and watch ad free
/ cornishwalkingtrails
Facebook: for news about video posts www.facebook.c...
Instagram: for lots of stunning images www.instagram....
Website: for more information about Cornish Walking Trails www.cornishwal...
Every Friday I discover a (new) treasure:
Your channel, your videos......
Amazing video !!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you so much 😀
Thank you Sarah and Andrew. With family connections there and in St Austell I have been visiting Charlestown for 70 years and your walk was full of nostalgia for me. I was there in 1976 during the filming of The Eagle Has Landed and watched them set up the fight scene where someone came crashing through the window. It seemed like hours of setting up for what in the film was only a few seconds of footage.
Thanks for sharing!! Andrew was fascinated by your comment, he loves the film. Sarah :)
i loved it there the only time i felt my dad sitting beside me
What a lovely place
Thanks for posting (again), we stayed in Charlestown twice between September 2020 and April 2021, beautiful place to stay, or live. 🏴
totally agree - beautiful! Sarah :)
Greetings from Port Stephens Australia, I enjoyed your video on Charlestown. In 1976 I was a student at a commercial diving school in Charlestown operated by Richard Larne. The school was in a building known as 'The Long Store' where historically ships masts used to be stored. Students on the course lived in one of the old houses overlooking the dock, while china clay was still being loaded at the time. We used to train in the harbour, at a nearby flooded quarry and off the coast of Fowey. We had our meals in the Pier House hotel. As an aside, walking distance from our home in Australia is one of Rick Stein's 2 Australian restaurants - Bannisters. It is a fine dining seafood establishment and charges accordingly. Fowey is a very pretty place from my memory. All the best from Trevor
You are fast becoming the Cornish History Channel! What a great vid...BBC should snap you up Sarah...so much more entertaining and informative than some of the documentaries they do! Just back from IOW so late watching this week. Many memories of Charlestown. Stayed there in the 80s & walked over the cliff to see Paul Young at the concert hall! And stayed at Duporth too long long ago....how it has changed now! But there are always little shadows of the past to find arn't there in the landscape. Couldn't finish this without mentioning my beloved Poldark of course! Few years now since we've been & it's changed a bit so look forward to coming back & walking the harbour now. Fab vid. x J x
I remember going to a Car Show in the Coliseum! Last time we visited Carlyon Bay beach, the footprint of Cornwall Coliseum was still there while the planners argued about the proposed hotel/apartment complex! Sarah :)
I stay near Charlestown when i’m in Cornwall and love a wee evening walk down the harbour 😉
I live in Duporth and write a history piece for the Duporth residents newsletter, The Duporth Glide, and thought I’d let you know where the Manor House was situated, as you couldn’t find it. The footprint of the house straddles where the residents car park for the Clock Tower Court flats are and the flats themselves (not to be confused with the area where the clock tower is though, the Clock Tower Court flats are opposite that). Great video by the way!
Ahhh! That makes more sense when we put that together with a skim through some of the aerial shots online - we were a bit too high! Amazing how all trace of it has been erased! Sarah :)
I was hoping to see Sarah dancing the Charlestown !
I missed a trick there - but I have two left feet! Sarah :)
An extremely interesting video. Most of us here in NZ are familiar with the extraordinary voyage of Shackleton and the heroic rescue of his men. It was wonderful to be shown the memories in the Shipwreck Museum. And Charlestown generally is an equally interesting town which we thoroughly enjoyed in your walk through its lanes. The Black and White City story is cool as is the red history of Eleven Doors Lane. Thanks so much.
Ahh, of course! being so close to Antarctica, I guess Shackleton's adventure is well known! We caught part of a documentary about searching for the wreck of the Endurance last week - very interesting! Sarah :_
21.29 Duporth. A small part of my life I'd totally forgotten! Mad! 76/77? no idea. Worked a few weekends as a trolley boy there lugging luggage up and down from the car park to the chalets for tips. Weird but good memory jolt. Cheers
Thankyou Sarah and Andrew for another wonderful and very educational video, I enjoyed it very much
We enjoyed making this video, just a shame about the weather! Sarah :)
Just started watching you. Excellent , love the historic element.
Thank you! Sarah :)
I'm sorry I missed you.. I walk my dog to Charlestown quite regularly 😁🐾. I feel really bad that I haven't been into the museum and being so local to the area...it looks amazing 👌. I used to be a lifeguard at Duporth when it was a holiday park many moons ago... it's so strange to see how it is now...how things change. Really enjoyed this guys..you always give fantastic history and great humour 😋🙏💝😘
What a shame that we didn't bump into you! We may have been underground when you walked over our heads!! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails ha ha..very possible 😋
Hi Sarah and Andrew. I really love your historic walk round Charlestown today so enjoyable to watch and learnt alot of new things as well.
It's a fascinating place! Sarah :)
Thankyou.
Brilliant video Sarah and Andrew
Perfic!!! I asked for a charlestown vid and you delivered🌞🌞👍👍
LOL! Sarah :)
Another fabulous video, packed with so much information and so interesting. Charles town certainly has changed since the last time I visited, it always used to be so deadly quiet but well worth a look. I always look forward to your videos, a perfect start to the weekend. 👍
I think they are expecting a crowd by the number of snack shacks on the harbour, but plenty of room for everyone! Sarah :)
Another fantastic video, Sarah and Andrew, many thanks. I always learn something new when I watch your videos, despite spending the last 30+ years exploring Cornwall! It would be lovely to see you doing a walk maybe along one of the china clay trails one day! It's a part of Cornwall which is often ignored by guide books and tourists. The "Cornish Alps" are fascinating and have their own unique beauty. Many thanks.
You must have read our minds or sneaked a peak at our planner! We are hoping to visit St Martin's China Clay Museum, bring in the social history through Rowse - he has some lovely descriptions of the owners who suddenly found themselves rich! Sarah :)
I wondered if the pottery was still there , and the Atishoo Gallery where I bought a couple of Alan Arthur paintings. I loved this trip. Thankyou both. 🥰🇬🇧
Lovely film. This was just waiting to be made, Charlestown is so photogenic ! Brought back some lovely memories of visits over the years with my children (& my parents too ) on our holidays from Gloucester (which is the UK's most inland port so we see Tall ships here too. ) I love the way you give us a balance of the interesting historical facts with humour in a fun way. Wasn't the Shakleton Exhibition great! The doves had the right idea staying 🕊️
We had a great day exploring and discovering the museum was a bonus! Sarah :)
Particularly good video this one. I have visted Charlestown a couple of times and gave watched other documentaries on its history. This was the best one I have seen. Andrew is a natural historian and when he focuses on historical detail and does not overdo the attempted humour, he is at his best, although I did find the jokes of this video very funny - sometimes less is more if you know what I mean.
Setting the time frame as to when the harbour was built, then highlighting that the harbour entrance was expanded as late as the 1970's was all news to me and really surprised me. The water feed, the rail tunnels and the separation between china clay and coal to differnt sides of the harbour was fascinating, as was the film industry links.
What really set this video apart from other Charlestown videos was the walkabout. The harbour area having been so well preserved, walk a bit further and Charle's former home is a housing development with only the clock tower and a couple of chalets from the interim holiday park usage, fascinating I thought.
They were filming Poldark a couple of years ago in Charlestown and all on the crew caravans and other vehicles were parked on one of the car parks at Market World, and they would bus the actors and crew to and from in mini buses, got some great photos of some of the actors in full outfits walking around.
captain birdseye lived near me on the ashdown forest ,sussex ,i think he has passed now , i met him when turning on christmas lights in crowborough some years ago.
How interesting! Did you ask if he liked fish fingers! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails no I didn't Sarah..but he was a nice Man to meet
Just came across your videos and really enjoy them. I love that you share history of the area. Your pup is so cute.
Another interesting walk...as a side note ,when we lived up in the smoke,I found purely by accident Shackletons house ..not far from crystal Palace Park.. A lot bigger than those chalets .!!! Thanks for your efforts again.
You're welcome! Sarah :)
I think that this was one of your best and most informative video. Really enjoyed it.
This is a delightful video loaded with interesting historical facts about this villiage. Loved the museum. This is a lovely town. Thanks so much again for sharing your day with us.
You're very welcome, glad you enjoyed it! Sarah :)
Daphne du Maurier obtained the lease of menabilly from the rashleigh family in 1943 and lived there for 26 years.
Really loved this video. Thank you Sarah and Andrew. The museum looks very interesting. What a lovely time you both had (as always ) shame we live so far away. You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area
Glad you enjoyed it! Sarah :)
Love Charlestown, was also used in the 90s movie The 3 Musketeers starring Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland side note his dad Donald was the Irish man Liam in the Eagle has landed, Sheen and Sutherland and the main cast stayed at the carlyon bay hotel
Ohhh! Haw fascinating! Carlyon Bay Hotel is very luxurious! Sarah :)
really nice video
Glad you liked it, Sarah :)
Yet another brilliant video by both of you. Informative and entertaining, as always. Makes my week and always wait for these. Helps with us still having to shield. ☹. Thank you both so much. 👍
Wow! Still shielding - well I hope we brighten your week! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails Unfortunately we are immuno-compromised and there is no safe vaccine. We are virtually prisoners in our own home.
Your videos are an absolute Godsend. 👍
@@allanfettah4686 I feel for you guys, we have experience of immunosuppressed treatment. Thankfully we are ok at the moment. Sarah :)
The is again another brilliant video…we will be there next week so this is well timed…..we walk along the cliff path from Carlyon Bay.. which is another lovely walk.
We have our copy of Cornish Harbours Roland Roddis too.
Ohhh! That book is well written and very entertaining! Sarah :)
Nice video. I took my youngest son to Duporth in the early 90s, we stayed at the haven caravan park for a few days. Sad to see it gone. I also went to Charleston. Fascinating place.
Duporth looks very different now with the lovely house and quite contrasting styles all in one development! Sarah :)
Well, your ability to story tell is really enthralling with so much information about days gone bye. We really enjoyed visiting Charlestown with you & you really brought the past to life. Really enjoyable.
Thank you! Sarah :)
I loved watching this video. I recognize it from Poldark :-) But I had no Idea Charlestown had so much to offer. And the museum is amazing. It is a must-do when we get there in 2023 :-) And I appreciate vey much all your research. That makes the videos so educating and interesting. Thank you! Torunn :-)
Hi Torunn, Museum must go on the list - very interesting!! The coast path each side of Charlestown has diversions at the moment, hence why we stayed in the village! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails this will be along our Falmouth - Plymouth section in June 2023. We will probably have a pause day in Charlestown to visit Eden Project, and now also definitely this museum 😊👍🏻 Hopefully no diversion June 2023 😊 Torunn 😊
You two are absolutely delightful! I accidentally came across you on RUclips. You two are great presenters, adding history and movies. These things make the places come alive. Thank you so much! Ty, ty and ty.
Welcome aboard! And thank you for your lovely comment! Sarah :)
A Wonderfully informative tour as always, the Harbour scene used for ‘Poldark’ brought Back some great memories! a series I’m re-watching, during the ‘Outlander’ ‘Droughtlander’ The Shackleton Exhibition was very interesting! history has it that my Fathers brother was a member of Shackleton’s crew, but nothing was ever verified as he never returned, and the mystery died with my Father! Your little brown friend must be the most well traveled canine in Cornwall, and he loves every second, I noticed you have a very nice sea glass necklace Sarah was wondering if you have made it! I’m still tittering at Andrews Black or White joke! Thank you 🙏 both for another remarkable and interesting 🤨 tour, 🤗
Hi Bernice, Very interesting about your uncle! And yes, I found the piece of sea glass, it's a bottle stopper and made it into a necklace! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails I guessed you would have made it Sarah being so very artistic, it’s lovely, all those pieces you collected were very nice, looked great in the stack! 👍🤗
Absolutely fascinating as usual. You must spend hours researching your days out! Charlestown was not 'fully open' the last time I visited either so must get down there again, if only to go to the museum. Nice tale about the doves, I'd forgotten they were there.
Andrew reads lots of books in his lunch hour to find these little gems! Sarah :)
Looks very nice
Me and my wife went there when they was filming must be 15 years ago now
Unless you mean another show, I think the first series of the recent Poldark was 2015, so nearly 15 years ago! Sarah :)
@@CornishWalkingTrails no Sarah it wasn't Poldark it was another film and I can't remember what it was called silly me
Love ur videos,,,,
Entertaining chat / walk but for me, didn't seem much there. Good if you like ships, I suppose! Keep up the good work!
2 men went to war was another less well known film
Ahhh! We will check it out! Sarah :)
UnID the village today s
Brilliance brights
Satisfy classic wow 😳😎😎👍 people knowing themselves encourage peace ✌️ of class
Care o if its was Kim❤😂🎉🙆👿👯🥺😎👍✌️
Dies nice ploughmans in the pub
unfortunately I'm not into films.