Egloshayle (pronounced "eglos-hale" kw, Eglosheyl – meaning church and ''heyl'' meaning estuary) is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is beside the River Camel, southeast of Wadebridge. The civil parish stretches southeast from the village and includes Washaway and

Sladesbridge Sladesbridge ( kw, Ponslayn) is a small village located near Wadebridge in Cornwall, England, UK. It is situated at the confluence of the River Allen and the Croan Stream about 1 km upstream of the confluence with the River Camel. The surro ...

History

Egloshayle was a Bronze Age settlement and later a river port, rivalling Padstow downriver. The trade consisted of tin, clay, wool, and vegetable crops. Egloshayle is now a residential suburb of Wadebridge. Wadebridge developed in the parishes of Egloshayle and St Breock. A Vicar of Egloshayle named Thomas Lovibond was responsible for the construction of the first bridge across the River Camel to replace a dangerous ford. Begun in 1468 and completed in 1485, the bridge was traditionally known as the "Bridge on Wool" because it was reputedly built on wool sacks. In fact, however, it has been proven to be founded directly on the underlying bedrock.

Churches

The parish church, which is Grade I listed, is named after

St Petroc Saint Petroc or Petrock ( lat-med, Petrocus; cy, Pedrog; french: link=no, Perreux; ) was a British prince and Christian saint. Probably born in South Wales, he primarily ministered to the Britons of Devon (Dewnans) and Cornwall (Kernow) then f ...

and is constructed almost entirely in the Perpendicular style. It has a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

font, a stone pulpit dating from the 15th century, and also has a fine monument to Dame Barbara Molesworth (ob. 1735). There is a peal of eight bells: the tenor bell weighs 12-1-25. The Anglican chapel at Washaway, dating from 1883, has a font which is one of the earliest in the county. Arthur Langdon (1896) recorded that there were six stone crosses in the parish, including two in the parish churchyard and one at Washaway. Three-hole Cross is about north of Egloshayle at a crossroads. (Another cross is described at

Pencarrow Pencarrow ( kw, Pennkarow) is a listed building, Grade II*-listed country house in the civil parish of Egloshayle, in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated three miles (5 km) east-southeast of Wadebridge and three miles ( ...

.) The

bell-ringer A bell-ringer is a person who rings a Bell (instrument), bell, usually a church bell, by means of a rope or other mechanism. Despite some automation of bells for random swinging, there are still many active bell-ringers in the world, particularl ...

s of the village are celebrated in the song ''The Ringers of Egloshayle''. The ringers named in the song are all buried in the churchyard of the village church and their names may be seen on the headstones. The song has been recorded by, amongst others, the well-known Cornish singer Brenda Wootton.

Notable buildings and antiquities

Local private properties of interest include Pencarrow House (18th century) and Croan House (17th century), each of which have seven

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

. Kelly Rounds (or Castle Killibury) is an Iron Age fort on the border of the parish and has been associated with the legend of

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

. One of the houses on the Egloshayle road overlooking the River Camel is Grade 2 listed.

Notable people

Plant collecting brothers William and Thomas Lobb, spent their early life at Egloshayle. Arthur Hamilton Norway (1859–1938), who became head of the Post Office in Ireland before the First World War, and the father of novelist Nevil Shute, was born in the village.1901 Census of England and Wales

References

External links