Charlestown

Read and share memories of Charlestown and Cornwall inspired by Frith photos

The tiny port of Charlestown

I briefly attended Charlestown Infants' school in 1942 as it accepted children a years earlier than Mount Charles Infants (just a mile away) which I lived just a few yards from on Porthpean Road.  I was four years old at the time.
During those war years the quaysides around the inner dock had corrugated iron buildings that were used in the fitting out of inshore mine-sweeper vessels.  These boats were built at nearby Par and had their engines and machinery fitted at Charlestown.  These sheds were removed at the end of the war and once more the harbour looked very much as it had when it was built by Charles Rashleigh in the last decade of the 1700s.  
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Contributed by Peter Marks

The tiny port of Charlestown

I briefly attended Charlestown Infants' school in 1942 as it accepted children a years earlier than Mount Charles Infants (just a mile away) which I lived just a few yards from on Porthpean Road.  I was four years old at the time.
During those war years the quaysides around the inner dock had corrugated iron buildings that were used in the fitting out of inshore mine-sweeper vessels.  These boats were built at nearby Par and had their engines and machinery fitted at Charlestown.  These sheds were removed at the end of the war and once more the harbour looked very much as it had when it was built by Charles Rashleigh in the last decade of the 1700s.  
   ...read more here
A memory of Charlestown contributed by Peter Marks

Anti Invasion Devices

I spent many happy hours on Porthpean beach, both with my family and my friends during the summer holidays. I remember the anti invasion devices well as we used them as monkey bars. After the war they became very rusty with many sharp rusty edges to get snagged on.

I also remember during the war years that a few miles off the beach were some bombing targets and we used to watch bomber pilots practising their skills from time to time.

Peter, I believe you were a year behind me at St. Austell Grammar school and that a few years back I think we swapped emails. I now live in Marblehead, Massachusetts, having moved here in 1968.
A memory of Porthpean contributed by Gerry Mewton

The boat house Porthpean Beach

The tall building at the bottom left hand side of the slipway leading down to the beach was used by a Mr Axford who had two or three wooden rowing boats that he hired out by the hour.  He would sit on a bench outside the boathouse and having paid the appropriate monies one was issued with a pair of oars and allocated a boat.  My dad bought one of Charlie's boats in the early '50's which we kept on the quay at Charlestown and used it for recreation fishing. We initially powered it with a 4hp Seagull outboard.  Then,  on one of our fishing trips we come across a large quantity of wood planks that must have washed overboard from ...read more here
A memory of Porthpean contributed by Peter Marks