First Visit To Mr Leys Caravans

A Memory of Par.

Mr Ley, ex Army Major who along with his family started probably one of the first Holiday Caravan sites at Par Sands. Mr Ley always drove a yellow Rolls Royce when he arrived to clean the vans. On the entrance to the site you entered the road passing on your left the Ship Inn and the little cream and red caravan used as a snack bar.  Along the beach stood many Beach Huts well used in those days.  Patches of china clay gunge, very slippery, was a feature in those days as was the white powder which covered everything in the harbour region. Even so it still was a very relaxing location then and now, because we continue to visit the rather splendid caravan site developed here 55 years later.

Par village is still much the same except for the loss of Hamleys multiple shop now long gone as is the sign for Hamleys Corner. Also lost is Brewer's grocery shop which is now Cost Cutters. Garth Nertherton's Newsagent shop is also gone although only recently closed in the last two years.  Sadly because of the china clay industry needs, the lovely old bridge which spanned the river which ran alongside the rail link to ST Blazey Gate was knocked down.
Another feature lost was the rail line powered by steam in those days which ran along the back of the Polmear caravan site (Mr Ley's Caravans) through one of the longest tunnels in the region to Fowey and the china clay docks.  This has now been replaced by a private road owned by Imerys China Clay Business.

The steam rail link from Fowey up to Lostwithiel was a wonder and my wife's father Fred Curtis travelled on the footplate with the driver Mr Whittle.  The rail link exists but is now only used to transport china clay to the docks. Fowey rail station was lost long ago. Even this amazing bit of rail history and docks is probably under threat as the china clay industry struggles to keep alive.

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