Constantine () ( kw, Lann Gostentin, meaning ''church enclosure of St Constantine'') is a village and
civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately five miles (8 km) west-southwest of
Falmouth. The electoral ward also bears the same name but includes
Budock Water and the surrounding area. At the 2011 census, the population of the ward was 4,709 and the population of the civil parish was 1,789. The parish of Constantine is bounded by the parishes of
Mabe,
Mawnan,
Gweek,
Wendron and the north bank of the
Helford River.
Constantine is named after
Saint Constantine, a 6th-century Cornish
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
possibly identified with a minor British
king Constantine King Constantine may refer to:
* Constantine (Briton) (520–523), a king of Dumnonia in sub-Roman Britain
* Constantine I of Georgia (d. 1412), King of Georgia from 1405 or 1407 until his death
* Constantine II of Georgia (ca. 1447–1505), of t ...
.
History
In pre-historic times, a
fogou was constructed near Trewardreva: its purpose is unknown.
The ancient name of Constantine, "Langostentyn", implies that the settlement was monastic, with the "Lan" prefix. Dr Lynette Olson (1989) has examined literary and archaeological evidence for all early monastic establishments in Cornwall and found significant doubts about the religious nature of Constantine before the Norman Conquest.
After the Norman conquest
The land holdings in the parish were the manors of
Polwheveral
Polwheveral ( kw, Poll Hwevrer, meaning ''lively creek'') is a hamlet near Constantine in Cornwall, England. Polwheveral is at the head of a creek of the Helford River
The Helford River ( kw, Dowr Mahonyer) is a ria (flooded river valley) in ...
, Trewardreva, Merthen (also a tithing and barton),
Tucoys (also a tithing), Treworval and Treviades; the barton of
Bonallack
Bonallack is an estate and former barton in the civil parish of Constantine, Cornwall. The estate is named after the Banethlek family and is on the northern bank of the Helford River. Bonallack passed into the Jerveys family through marriage in ...
; and Trenarth and Budock Vean. Trewardreva Manor House was built circa 1600 and remodelled in 1719–49; the west wing was demolished in 1860. It is now Grade II* listed. Treviades Barton, also Grade II* listed, is a gentry house with historic garden.
Andrew Langdon (1999) lists twelve stone crosses, or parts of crosses located in the parish. One of these was carved and erected in 1991. Several have been transferred from other sites. The stone cross at the cross-roads in High Cross was found in 1992 and re-erected nearby. Arthur Langdon (1896) recorded six Cornish crosses in the parish; in the churchyard, at Bosvathick, at
Merthen, at Nanjarrow, at Trevease and at Trewardreva.
St Constantine Church
Little remains of the Norman church, which was rebuilt between 1420 and 1480: the tower has been called impressive. There is a brass of 1574 to Richard Gerveys and family.
The chancel was rebuilt in 1862 and there was other
restoration work between 1859 and 1901. Restoration of the roof timbers (costing £1,200) commenced in 1874, completed in 1878, with the re-opening ceremony held on 22 January 1879 by
Edward Benson Edward Benson may refer to:
* Edward White Benson (1829–1896), Archbishop of Canterbury
* E. F. Benson
Edward Frederic Benson (24 July 1867 – 29 February 1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story wr ...
the
Bishop of Truro. In 1882 the north aisle was restored with a new roof of pitch pine and slates, as well as new seating. The restoration of the Bosahan aisle was commenced in the summer of 1882 and completed the following May.
The church was given a
grade I listing on 10 July 1957.
Extractive industries
The settlement called Constantine Churchtown grew up around the church. Mineral extraction led to an increase in population and the village expanded down what is now called
Fore Street, during the 19th century. However, one property, "The Bow Window", is thought to be a 300-year-old farmhouse. The parish had three main industries: agriculture; mining for
tin, copper, and iron; and quarrying
granite. The largest mine was
Wheal Vyvyan
Wheal may refer to:
* Wheals, a type of skin lesion
* Brad Wheal (born 1996), British cricketer
* Donald James Wheal (1931–2008), British British television writer, novelist and non-fiction writer
* David John Wheal, Australian businessman
* "Th ...
, which was worked from 1827 to 1864. The production figures for copper 1845–1864 and for tin ore, 1855–1864, are given in ''Cornish Mines''. The value of copper raised peaked in 1845, 1850 and 1855. The peaks of value in tin ore production were in 1856 and 1863. In 1864, the value of tin raised was only a quarter of the previous year's value and the mine closed.
Twentieth-century
In 1921,
Alice Hext of
Trebah gave the playing field and sports pavilion to the village, in memory of her husband, Charles Hawkins Hext, who died in 1917. She supported the development of the Sport and Social Club until her death in 1939.
In 1933, overhead cables, providing electricity to homes were installed in the village.
Port Navas has an ancient
oyster farm.
Government and politics
Constantine Parish Council has prepared a Parish Plan as a framework for future development/conservation.
Twinning
Like many other
Cornish places, Constantine Parish with
Gweek, is twinned with a partner in
Brittany in western France. In this case the village is twinned with
Pont-Croix, Département
Finistère. In Breton, "Pont-Croix" is "Pont-e-kroaz" and, colloquially, "Ar Pont".
Education and language
A
British School was opened in 1836 at
Ponjeravah
Ponjeravah ( kw, Pons a Revedh, meaning ''wonder bridge'') is a hamlet near to and east of Constantine in Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the ...
. After 1957, the school moved to what is now the Church Hall and in 1966 to its present site, the building being refurbished and extended in 2005, as Constantine Primary School. The school is part of Kernow Learning Multi Academy Trust. There is also a pre-school, set in an eco-friendly building on the primary school campus. For secondary education, children have to travel to Helston,
Mullion, Falmouth or
Penryn.
Constantine parish is the home of five
bard
In Celtic cultures, a bard is a professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's ancestors and to praise t ...
s of the
Cornish Gorseth, including a former Grand Bard, Vanessa Beeman.
Cultural activities
A social enterprise, Constantine Enterprises Company, bought the former Methodist chapel in 1998. A wide range of social and cultural events happen there, all run by volunteers. The building is now known as the Tolmen Centre. The Tolmen Centre has hosted three editions of an international guitar festival, that has attracted a range of concert performers including the
Silesian Guitar Octet Silesian Guitar Octet is the only performing Octet (music), octet in the world that has a stable structure. The Octet consists of professors, graduates, and students of University of Music in Katowice, Musical Academy in Katowice, Poland.
The octe ...
,
Mick Abrahams, Andrea Dieci,
Ben Salfield (who also directed the three festivals) and
Stonephace
Larry Stabbins (born 9 September 1949 in Bristol) is a British jazz saxophonist, flutist and composer.
Biography
Larry Stabbins learned clarinet at school from the age of eight, when his musical idol was Acker Bilk. He started playing saxophone a ...
(featuring Adrian Utley and Larry Stabbins).
The village has a number of choirs and a
Silver band
In Britain, a brass band (known regionally as a silver band or colliery band) is a musical ensemble comprising a standardized range of brass and percussion instruments. The modern form of the brass band in the United Kingdom dates back to the 1 ...
.
In September 2006, Constantine won the Calor Best Village in Cornwall 2006 competition. Constantine was also judged the Best Village in the West of England 2007, in the Business Category.
Annual events
Saint Constantine's "Feast" is celebrated in the village, on or around 9 March. The Agricultural Society (founded 1900) and the Cottage Garden Society run shows early in July. The Constantine Social Club runs a carnival, usually on a weekend at the end of July. The Constantine Art Society has a two-week exhibition, starting at the end of July. An annual "Cornish Talk and Taste" festival takes place in January.
Historic estates
Within the parish of Constantine are situated various historic estates including:
*
Bosahan, the estate of a branch of the Trefusis family from
Mylor.
*
Carwithenack (Carwythenack), a seat of the Chapman family who had a vault in the Bosahan aisle in the parish church, also the Stapleton family and in the late 14th century of the Tremayne family later of
Collacombe in Devon.
* Trefusis, the original estate of the Trefusis family.
Place-names in the civil parish of Constantine
Bonallack, Bosahan, Bosanarth, Bosawsack, Bosvathick, Boswarch, Boswidjack, Bridge,
Brill (a hamlet to the west of the village of Constantine), Brillwater, Calamansac, Carvedras, Goongillings, Groyne Point,
High Cross
A high cross or standing cross ( ga, cros ard / ardchros, gd, crois àrd / àrd-chrois, cy, croes uchel / croes eglwysig) is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval traditi ...
, Job's Water, Lestraynes, Maen Pern,
Merthen,
Nancenoy
Nancenoy ( kw, Nans Noy, meaning ''Noah's valley'') is a hamlet near Constantine in west Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations ...
, Penbothidno, Penwarn,
Polpenwith
Polpenwith ( kw, Poll Pennrudh, meaning ''creek of the red headland'') is a hamlet south of Constantine in west Cornwall, England. It is at the head of a creek which leads to the Helford River
The Helford River ( kw, Dowr Mahonyer) is a ria ...
,
Polwheveral
Polwheveral ( kw, Poll Hwevrer, meaning ''lively creek'') is a hamlet near Constantine in Cornwall, England. Polwheveral is at the head of a creek of the Helford River
The Helford River ( kw, Dowr Mahonyer) is a ria (flooded river valley) in ...
,
Ponjeravah
Ponjeravah ( kw, Pons a Revedh, meaning ''wonder bridge'') is a hamlet near to and east of Constantine in Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the ...
,
Port Navas, Retallack, Scott's Quay,
Seworgan
Seworgan ( kw, Res Wodhgen, meaning ''Goethgen's ford'') is a village in the parish of Constantine in west Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of th ...
, Trebarvah, Trecombe, Tregantallan, Treglidwith, Treleggan, Trenarth, Trengrove, Tresahor, Tresidder, Trevassack, Trevease, Treviades, Trewardreva, Trewince, Treworvack, Treworvall, Tucoyse.
Notable people
*
John Hellins F.R.S., the mathematical astronomer, was curate of Constantine from 1779 to 1783.
*Vanessa Beeman, Grand Bard of
Gorseth Kernow September 2006 to September 2009.
Notes
References
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External links
The Village Website of Constantine
{{Authority control
Villages in Cornwall
Civil parishes in Cornwall