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Altarnun
Altarnun maps
Historic maps of Altarnun and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Altarnun maps
Altarnun photos
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Altarnun area books
Displaying 1 of 16 books about Altarnun and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Altarnun
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Cornwall memories
The Picture House.
How many people remember the picture shows which were held in a hut at the top of the hill. I was one of the London evacuees billeted at Minions, and some of us would walk to the pictures and back again - how far was that! We were at Upton Cross school and I can recall the class being told to bring a lunch to school one day as Mr Bartholomew, our teacher, was to take us up on the moors, I think towards Sharp Tor, to see a bomb crater. Relations of the elderly couple I lived with owned Addicroft Mill, they were George and Ethel Pike, and we loved going there. I believe the Mill was bought at one time by the author and artist Norman Thelwell, and I have his book, 'A Millstone Round My Neck', with his drawing of the Mill. I used to visit Cornwall most years and always came back to Minions, usually to have a pub lunch, and then drove down the hill... Read more
'The Glass Mountain'
I remember going to Rilla Mill to see 'The Glass Mountain', I think it was Joan Fontayne. My grandmother lived in Bathpool, at Cockerels Rest with my grandfather and Charles Rice, plus dog. Charles and the dog used to walk to Rilla Mill every day to get the paper. My grandmother used to do tailoring and my grandfather worked at Harris's, down in Bathpool Village. We lived at Antony and must have got a bus so far as Upton Cross. From there we used to walk from Upton Cross, past Darley Ford up past Miss Harrisons and down past the chapel to my grandmothers. It must have been in the late 1940s, I really don't remember the date, but it was many years after that, in the 1970s, when I met a gentleman who delivered cakes to the shop which I was running and we got talking and he was evacuated to Rilla Mill, and he told me that he used to watch films in the hut too. Small world.... Read more
Living at Addicroft Mill
I was born at Addicroft mill. The picture on the cover of the book "A Millstone Around My Neck"my mum says is exactly what it was like when we lived there. She has many memories of life there as does my sister....Olver was our name. They were very hard but happy days. Mum and Dad had the electricity put in...
World War One Visitor
In January 1917, my grandfather, Percy Smith, a young soldier from Australia, was on leave from the Front in France. He visited a family in Camelford, and this is the letter he wrote home to his sister. I would love to know more about the family and the area he visited.
*******
Helston Manor
Camelford
Cornwell
Jan 31st 1917
Dear Maud,
I wrote to Mother last week - the day after I arrived from France and told her about my journey across. The trip across was not very pleasant but you more than make up for that once you get here.
I spent three days in London and had a look at all the sights - St Paul's Westminster Abbey, the tower of London and all the rest - and then came along to this place where I only intended to stay a couple of days, but have been nearly a week now. I promised the son of these people I would come and see... Read more
Family History
I have been researching my family tree and it seems that my great-great-grandfather was born in St Breward, Camelford. His name was William J Burnard. His mother was called Ann and his father's name was James. He also had a brother called Thomas. My hope is that someone will be able to tell me more and whether there are any relatives still living in the area. I was in Camelford recently and I must say it's a lovely place. Please contact me if you have any information.
Cricket at The Quoit.
I just read a memoir by John Stanyon about playing cricket at Trethevy Quoit. I played with your family.Would love to hear from Ruth. ronaldsteed@thesteeds.us
Evacuation
On July 12th 1944, the day after my 8th birthday, my sister Maureen and I were evacuated from London to St Breward to live with Arthur and Ethel Hawken of Lower Lank. They were wonderful to us and cared for us with love and affection. We stayed for one year, returning to London and our family in 1945 when the war was over.
We went to St Breward School, which was quite a long walk for us, but in the springtime it was beautiful to see the primroses and daffodils blooming as we went on our way. We made many nice friends there, Bernard Skinner and Clifford Crowle being two I remember, and we enjoyed the nature walks we went on. In the holidays we helped 'Uncle Arthur' in his grocery shop and enjoyed helping 'Aunty Ethel' with her cooking. She was an amazing cook and we so enjoyed the Cornish pasties she made. The first time we ever saw the sea was when they took us to Perranporth... Read more
