Saint Austell
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St Austell (; kw, Sans Austel) is a town in
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England, south of
Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...
and west of the border with
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
. St Austell is one of the largest towns in Cornwall; at the 2011
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
it had a population of 19,958.


History

St Austell was a village centred around the parish church, until the arrival of significant tin mining in the 18th century turned it into a town. St Austell is named after the 6th century Cornish saint, St
Austol Saint Austol ( cy, Austel; la, Austolus) was a 6th-century Cornish holy man who lived much of his life in Brittany. He was a friend of Saint Méen, who founded the Saint-Méen Abbey in Brittany. Méen is said to have been his godfather. The ...
, a disciple of St Mewan. In a Vatican manuscript there is a 10th-century list of Cornish parish saints. This includes Austoll, which means that the church and village existed at that time, shortly after 900. St Austell is not mentioned in
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
(1086). However
A. L. Rowse Alfred Leslie Rowse (4 December 1903 – 3 October 1997) was a British historian and writer, best known for his work on Elizabethan England and books relating to Cornwall. Born in Cornwall and raised in modest circumstances, he was encourag ...
, in his book ''St. Austell: Church, Town, and Parish'', cites records which show a church was dedicated on 9 October 1262 by Bishop Bronescombe, and other records show a church there in 1169, dedicated to "Sanctus Austolus". The current church dates from the 13th–14th centuries, and was extended in 1498–99. The join between the two sections is still visible. In the time of
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
, St Austell is described as a poor village. In John Leland's ''Itinerary'' he says, in around 1542, "". Neither travel writer, John Norden (c. 1547–1625) or Richard Carew (1555–1620) in his ''Survey of Cornwall'' mentioned St Austell as a place of any consequence.
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
granted a
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
to hold a market on Friday, as a reward to a local
gentleman A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...
who fought for him at the battle of
Boconnoc Boconnoc ( kw, Boskennek) is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, approximately four miles east of the town of Lostwithiel. According to the UK census 2011, 2011 census the parish had a population of 9 ...
. The village started to grow in the 18th century. The nearby Polgooth mine became known as the greatest tin mine in the world. Around 1760 the Land's End to
Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...
road went through the town. Along with
William Cookworthy William Cookworthy (12 April 170517 October 1780) was an English Quaker minister, a successful pharmacist and an innovator in several fields of technology. He was the first person in Britain to discover how to make hard-paste porcelain, like t ...
's discovery of china clay at Tregonning Hill in west Cornwall, and the same mineral, found in greater quantity in Hensbarrow downs north of St Austell, the town became more prominent. China clay mining soon took over from tin and copper mining as the principal industry in the area, and this eventually contributed enormously to the growth of the town. The china clay industry really only came into its own during the mid 19th to early 20th century, at a time when the falling prices of tin and other metals forced many mines to close down or convert to clay mining. The success and high profitability of the industry attracted many families whose breadwinner had been put out of work by the depression in the local metal mining industry, and increased the population of the town considerably. This meant that more shops and businesses took root, providing more jobs and improving trade. This, along with other factors, led to St Austell becoming one of the ten most important commercial centres of Cornwall. The town was a noted centre of Methodism. By 1839 '' The West Briton'' recorded 37 non-conformist chapels in the town.


Climate


Redevelopment

Work began in 1963 on a brutalist-style pedestrian precinct which included shops, offices, and flats. The design was by Alister MacDonald & Partners and the materials reinforced concrete with some stone facing.Pevsner, N. (1970) Cornwall; 2nd ed. Penguin Books; pp. 156–58 In the 2000s this area of the town had become very outdated, and underwent a £75 million redevelopment process. In August 2007, developers David McLean and demolition team Gilpin moved onto the town centre site to complete the preparation, with the Filmcentre which was originally an
Odeon Odeon may refer to: Ancient Greek and Roman buildings * Odeon (building), ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing exercises, musical shows and poetry competitions * Odeon of Agrippa, Athens * Odeon of Athens * Odeon of Domitian, Rome ...
cinema dating back to 1936, being demolished in late September/early October. In October 2007, the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) announced the new development would be named ''White River Place''. It was also announced that 50% of shop units had been leased to High Street stores, with New Look, Peacocks, Bonmarché and
Wilko Wilko may refer to: People * Wilko Johnson (1947–2022), English musician * Wilko de Vogt (born 1975), Dutch football goalkeeper, mostly played for Dutch clubs * Wilko Risser (born 1982), Namibian-German football forward, mostly played for German ...
opening new stores. This would mean New Look relocating from its current premises in Fore Street and the return of Peacocks to St Austell following the demolition of its old store to make way for the new development. Bonmarche has since closed. It was announced in October 2008 that the developer David McLean Developments had gone into administration and concern was expressed that this could jeopardise the completion of the project. The new White River Cinema opened its doors in December 2008 for the first time: the cinema is technically advanced and the first purpose-built cinema in Cornwall for over 60 years. The Torchlight Carnival was revived in November 2009 as a direct result of public demand through a survey conducted with local residents. The Torchlight Procession has become an important event in the town's calendar, heralding in the Winter celebrations and drawing thousands of people from across Cornwall and Devon. The event is run by a small group of non-affiliated
volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
. The
St Austell and Clay Country Eco-town The St Austell and Clay Country Eco-town is a plan to build a new town on a cluster of sites owned by mining company Imerys near St Austell, in Cornwall, UK. The plan was given outline government approval in July 2009. The plan would need to gain ...
is a plan for several new settlements around St Austell on old
Imerys Imerys S.A. is a French multinational company which specialises in the production and processing of industrial minerals. It is headquartered in Paris and is a constituent of the CAC Mid 60 index. Imerys has operations in over 40 countries and ...
sites. It was given outline government approval in July 2009. The Cornwall Council strategic planning committee voted in July 2011 to approve a £250 million beach resort scheme at
Carlyon Bay Carlyon Bay ( kw, Caryones, meaning ''forts'') is a bay and a set of three beaches (Crinnis, Shorthorn and Polgaver) near St Austell on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is located approximately east of the town centr ...
, St Austell. The development was initially proposed in 2003.


Governance

The arms of St Austell are Argent a saltire raguly Gules.


Parliamentary

St Austell is in the parliamentary constituency of St Austell and Newquay which was created in 2010 by the Boundary Commission for England (increasing the number of seats in Cornwall from five to six). Before 2010 it was in the Truro and St Austell seat.


Local government

The main local authority is Cornwall Council, the unitary authority created as part of the
2009 structural changes to local government in England Structural changes to local government in England were effected on 1 April 2009, whereby a number of new unitary authorities were created in parts of the country which previously operated a "two-tier" system of counties and districts. In five s ...
. The six former Districts and the former Cornwall County Council were abolished and replaced by Cornwall Council on 1 April 2009. Also on 1 April 2009, four new parishes were created for the St Austell area. They are: * ''St Austell Town Council'' covering
Boscoppa Boscoppa ( kw, Boskoppa) is a settlement in the amalgamation of St Austell in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Originally Boscoppa was a separate village but is now a suburb of St Austell (Cornwall's largest town) and is west of the recently bu ...
,
Bethel Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...
, Gover, Mount Charles, Poltair and Holmbush; represented by 20 councillors. * '' Carlyon Parish Council'' covering
Carlyon Bay Carlyon Bay ( kw, Caryones, meaning ''forts'') is a bay and a set of three beaches (Crinnis, Shorthorn and Polgaver) near St Austell on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is located approximately east of the town centr ...
and Tregrehan; represented by 9 councillors. * ''
St Austell Bay St Austell Bay ( kw, Baya Ti war Dreth) is a bay on Cornwall's south coast which is bounded to the east by Gribbin Head and to the west by Black Head. Since 1 April 2009, it has also been the name of a civil parish, one of four new parishe ...
Parish Council'' covering Charlestown,
Duporth Duporth ( Cornish: ''Dewborth''; also Duporth Holiday Village) was situated on Porthpean Road, just outside St Austell in south Cornwall, England, UK. For over 50 years, it was a holiday resort, until its closure in 2006. The site has now been so ...
, Porthpean and
Trenarren Trenarren ( kw, Dinaran) is a hamlet northeast of Pentewan in mid Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Ordnance Survey ''Landranger 200; Newquay, Bodmin & surrounding area, 1:50 000''. 1988 A. L. Rowse the historian lived in his retirement in Trenarr ...
; represented by 7 councillors. * ''
Pentewan Valley Pentewan Valley is one of four new civil parishes created on 1 April 2009 for the St Austell district of mid Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The population including Gracca, Lavalsa Meor, London Apprentice and Lower Porthpean Lower Po ...
Parish Council'' covering
Tregorrick Tregorrick ( kw, Tregorrek) is a hamlet south of St Austell in mid Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of ...
,
Trewhiddle Trewhiddle is a small settlement in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies in the civil parish of Pentewan Valley and the ecclesiastical parish of St Austell. The nearest town is St Austell, approximately one mile to the north. The Tre ...
,
London Apprentice London Apprentice ( kw, Oberden Loundres) is a village in south Cornwall, England, UK, on the banks of St Austell River in the Pentewan Valley (where the population of the 2011 census was included) approximately two miles (3 km) south of S ...
and
Pentewan Pentewan ( kw, Bentewyn, meaning ''foot of the radiant stream'') is a coastal village and former port in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at south of St Austell at the mouth of the St Austell River. Pentewan is in ...
; represented by 9 councillors. Before this date the area had been an unparished area.


Economy

St Austell is the main centre of the china clay industry in Cornwall and employs around 2,200 people , with sales of £195 million. The St Austell Brewery, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2001, supplies
cask ale Real ale is the name coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for beer that is "brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous car ...
to pubs in Cornwall and other parts of the country. Its flagship beer is ''St Austell Tribute''; a number of other ales are brewed but are less commonly sold outside Cornwall. St Austell Brewery's first public house, The Seven Stars Inn, purchased in 1863, still stands today on East Hill in the town. Tregonissey House, the site of the company's first steam Brewery, built in 1870, can also be seen in Market Hill. A brewery museum and visitor centre is open to the public on the present brewery site in Trevarthian Road.


Tourism

As in much of Cornwall and neighbouring counties, tourism is increasingly important to St Austell's economy. Tourists are drawn to the area by nearby beaches and tourist attraction such as the
Eden Project The Eden Project ( kw, Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England, UK. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located from the town of St Blazey and from the larger town of St Austell.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS E ...
, sited in a former
clay pit A clay pit is a quarry or mine for the extraction of clay, which is generally used for manufacturing pottery, bricks or Portland cement. Quarries where clay is mined to make bricks are sometimes called brick pits. A brickyard or brickworks is of ...
, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. The China Clay Country Park, in a former china-clay pit north of the town, tells the story of the men, women and children who lived, worked and played in the shadow of the clay tips around St Austell. St Austell is home to several public houses, numerous high street retailers, and several independent shops, many of which cater for tourists. The town has a small museum which is situated in the Market House. A Brewery Museum and Visitor Centre is situated on the site of the St Austell Brewery in Trevarthian Road.


Newspaper and radio

The town has two weekly newspapers: * ''
St Austell Guardian ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
'', part of the
Cornish Guardian The ''Cornish Guardian'' (founded 1901) is a weekly newspaper in Cornwall, England, UK, which is part of the Cornwall & Devon Media group. Its head office is in Truro and it is published in seven separate editions: *Bodmin edition *Lostwithiel and ...
series published by Cornwall and Devon Media Ltd, has a long history in the town and is published on Friday. * ''
St Austell Voice ''St Austell Voice'' is a paid-for weekly newspaper that is published each Wednesday. The paper was launched in 2005 and is the sister title to the Newquay Voice. It covers the south half of the former Borough of Restormel, Cornwall, UK, while ...
'', sister paper to the ''
Newquay Voice The ''Newquay Voice'' is a local weekly newspaper, launched in September 2001 by Andrew and Chrissie Laming, that publishes every Wednesday from Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, c ...
'', had offices close to the town centre in Truro Road, but has since moved to Old Vicarage Place. It is published on Wednesday
Radio St Austell Bay Radio St Austell Bay (RSAB, often incorrectly called St Austell Bay Radio) is a non-profit, community radio station. The radio station is funded by a combination of grants from the National Lottery and the Arts Council, alongside a small amount ...
is a local radio station which broadcasts from studios at Tregorrick Park. It launched in January 2008 to cover the area from
Trewoon Trewoon (; kw, Trewoon) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the western outskirts of St Austell, on the A3058 road and is a linear settlement, with housing estates, a village hall, park and playing fields. The ...
in the west to Tywardreath in the east.


Landmarks

Notable Cornish architect
Silvanus Trevail Silvanus Trevail (11 November 1851 – 7 November 1903) was a British architect, and the most prominent Cornish architect of the 19th century. Early life Trevail was born at Carne Farm, Trethurgy in the parish of Luxulyan, Cornwall on 11 Nove ...
designed a number of St Austell's buildings and houses, including the Thin End and the Moorland Road terrace. Other notable architects from St Austell include John Goode, who contributed considerably during the 1970s to residential developments in the area. Pevsner remarks in his guide to Cornwall that the following buildings are notable: *The Parish Church *The Old Market Hall, in Italian Renaissance style, 1844 *Friends Meeting House, 1829, a plain granite structure *Masonic Hall, South Street, 1900 and is home to nine Masonic bodies *White Hart Hotel: once contained panoramic wallpaper of the Bay of Naples by Dufour (now in the Victoria and Albert Museum) *Holy Well at Menacuddle *Three buildings of the 1960s: Penrice School, 1960; Public Library, 1961; former Magistrates' Court, 1966


Transport

St Austell railway station St Austell station is a Grade II listed station which serves the town of St Austell, Cornwall, England. It is from via . The station is operated by Great Western Railway, as is every other station in Cornwall. The station is situated on the h ...
was opened by the Cornwall Railway on 4 May 1859 on the hillside above the town centre. Two branch lines west of the town were later opened to serve the china clay industry; the
Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway The Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway was a broad gauge railway intended to link the Cornwall Railway with the horse-worked Newquay Railway. It opened a short section to Nanpean in 1869, the remainder being built by the Cornwall Minerals ...
which is still partly open, and the short-lived Trenance Valley line. The independent narrow gauge
Pentewan Railway The Pentewan Railway was a Narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge railway in Cornwall, England. It was built as a horse-drawn tramway carrying Kaolinite, china clay from St Austell to a new harbour at Pentewan, and was opened in 1829. In 1874 the ...
ran from West Hill to the coast at
Pentewan Pentewan ( kw, Bentewyn, meaning ''foot of the radiant stream'') is a coastal village and former port in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at south of St Austell at the mouth of the St Austell River. Pentewan is in ...
. The Cornish Main Line in St Austell is quite renowned for its viaducts in the Gover Valley and Trenance areas of the town. The original timber structure was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it was high, long on 10 piers; it was replaced by a new stone
viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
in 1899. There was a siding located west of the viaduct. In the early years trains from St Austell had to push wagons over the tall, curving viaduct to shunt this siding. The
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
's instructions stated that: "Trucks may be pushed from St Austell to the Siding, but when this is done the speed of the Train between the two places must not exceed 8 miles an hour, and the head Guard must ride on the leading vehicle, unless it be a bonnet end one, in which case he must ride in the first low sided vehicle from it, to keep a good look out, and be prepared to give a signal to the Driver either by Day or Night, as may be required". Train services today operate west to and , and east to and London. There are also
CrossCountry CrossCountry (legal name XC Trains Limited) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Arriva UK Trains, operating the Cross Country franchise. The CrossCountry franchise was restructured by the Department for Transport (DfT) ...
services on most days to the North of England and Scotland. The town's bus station faces the entrance to the railway station to offer an easy interchange between buses and trains. National Express coach services call here, a dedicated link operates to the
Eden Project The Eden Project ( kw, Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England, UK. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located from the town of St Blazey and from the larger town of St Austell.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS E ...
, and local buses operate to villages such as
Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...
and Mevagissey. The town can be accessed by the A390 which by-passes the town to the south on its way from Liskeard to Truro, or by the A391 from
Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...
, or by the A3058 from
Newquay Newquay ( ; kw, Tewynblustri) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, in the south west of England. It is a civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries, spaceport and a fishing port on the North Atlantic coast of ...
. In addition there are the B3273 to Mevagissey, the B3274 to Padstow and the A3082 to Fowey.


St Austell bus station

St Austell bus station is the main bus and coach terminus for the town. The bus station is located in the forecourt of
the railway station ''The Railway Station'' is an 1862 genre painting by the British artist William Powell Frith. It depicts a scene at the busy Paddington Station railway terminus of the Great Western in London. Frith had developed a reputation for producing cro ...
, formerly a railway goods yard. The bus station was redeveloped again in 2008, the new facility being opened on 3 November. It now comprises seven stands and shares facilities such as a taxi rank and buffet with the adjoining railway station which is operated by
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
, a sister company to the main local bus operator. Local services are provided by First Kernow. Long-distance coach services are part of the National Express Coaches network.


History

The
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
started to operate what they called ' road motors' from outside their railway station on 3 August 1908. These first services ran to
St Columb Road St Columb Road ( kw, Fordh Sen Kolomm) is a small village near Fraddon and Indian Queens in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies half a mile (750m) from the A30 road. St Columb Road railway station is on the branch line from Par to Newqua ...
via St Dennis. A bus garage was later provided nearby in Eliot Road, next to the railway's new goods yard. The network was progressively extended over the next twenty years, after which time the services were transferred to the Western National Omnibus Company, formed in 1929 to free the railway company from its bus services and avoid complaints about its transport monopoly. Western National has now become part of the FirstGroup and operates as First Kernow.


Education

St Austell has three comprehensive schools,
Poltair School Poltair School is a coeducational secondary school located on the site of the former St Austell Grammar School in St Austell, Cornwall, England. Admissions It has educational links with schools in Dithmarchen, Germany, notably the Gymnasium Hei ...
, formerly the grammar school, and Penrice Academy; together with Brannel School which is situated in the nearby village of St Stephen-in-Brannel. Several of these are joining an academy trust called CELT (Cornwall Education and Learning Trust).
Cornwall College The Cornwall College Group (TCCG; kw, Kolji Kernow) is a further education college situated on eight sites throughout Cornwall and Devon, England, United Kingdom, with its head office in St Austell. Campuses There are eight campuses within ...
St Austell is a Further & Higher Education institution incorporating the former St Austell Sixth Form Centre and Mid Cornwall College of Further Education. The college is based at John Keay House, which is also home to the college group's headquarters. There are a number of primary schools within the town.


Health services

St Austell has its own hospital, St Austell Community Hospital, formerly called Penrice Hospital.


Religious sites

The church was originally dedicated to St
Austol Saint Austol ( cy, Austel; la, Austolus) was a 6th-century Cornish holy man who lived much of his life in Brittany. He was a friend of Saint Méen, who founded the Saint-Méen Abbey in Brittany. Méen is said to have been his godfather. The ...
, a
Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...
saint associated with St Meven, but is now dedicated to the Holy Trinity. By 1150 it had been appropriated to the Priory of Tywardreath by the
Cardinham Cardinham ( kw, Kardhinan) (the spelling 'Cardynham' is almost obsolete) is a civil parishes in England, civil parish and a village in mid Cornwall, England. The village is approximately three-and-a-half miles (6 km), east-northeast of Bodmi ...
s: this continued until 1535. There was originally 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 ...
church here, of which some remains may be seen. The present church is of the 15th century and is large because the mediaeval parish was also a large one: the tower is impressive. All four outside walls bear sculptural groups in carved niches: the Twelve Apostles in three groups on the north, east and south; the Holy Trinity above the Annunciation and below that the Risen Christ between two saints on the west. The tower can be dated to between 1478 and 1487 by the arms of Bishop Courtenay, and the walls are faced in
Pentewan stone Elvan is a name used in Cornwall and Devon for the native varieties of quartz-porphyry. They are dispersed irregularly in the Devonian series of rocks and some of them make very fine building stones (e.g. Pentewan stone, Polyphant stone and Cata ...
. The tower and other parts of the church have an interior lining of granite On the south side of the church, a formerly separate chantry has been incorporated into the church when it was extended. (The chantry itself was abolished in 1543.) There are holy wells at
Menacuddle Menacuddle is a historic place, holy well and wooded area in St Austell, Cornwall, UK. The holy well was built in the 15th century and restored by Admiral Sir Charles John Graves-Sawle shortly after the First World War in memory of his son who w ...
and Towan. A new organ was placed on the north side of the chancel in 1880 and the first recital was held on 22 April. The organ was built by Messrs Bryceson Brothers and Ellis and cost circa £600. The church is dedicated to the
Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
, is Grade I listed, and seats 300. There is a Cornish cross in the churchyard which was found buried in the ground on the manor of Treverbyn in 1879. This cross was erected in the churchyard on a new base in 1879. Another cross is in the grounds of a house originally known as Moor Cottage. This house was built in 1819; the cross was brought from Hewas in the parish of
Ladock Ladock ( kw, Egloslajek) is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is about six miles (9.5 km) north-east of Truro. Historically, Ladock was two small settlements; Bissick by the river and Ladock on the hill. No ...
. The parish of St Austell was part of the archdeaconry of Cornwall and Diocese of Exeter until 1876 when the
Diocese of Truro The Diocese of Truro (established 1876) is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury which covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and a small part of Devon. The bishop's seat is at Truro Cathedral. Geography and history The di ...
was established. A new rural deanery of St Austell was established in 1875. The style of worship of the parish church is in the Evangelical tradition of the Church of England. The two chapels-of-ease are All Saints,
Pentewan Pentewan ( kw, Bentewyn, meaning ''foot of the radiant stream'') is a coastal village and former port in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at south of St Austell at the mouth of the St Austell River. Pentewan is in ...
, and St Levan's,
Higher Porthpean Higher Porthpean is a village south of Duporth and contiguous with Lower Porthpean in Cornwall, England. It has a small church, dedicated to St Levan that is a Grade II building, and that seats 48 people. The church is a Chapel of ease A ...
. In the 19th century the following parishes were created out of St Austell parish: St Blazey (1845); Charlestown (1846), Treverbyn (1847), and Par (1846 out of St Blazey and Tywardreath).


Quakers

There was formerly a Quaker burial ground at Tregongeeves, just outside the town on the Truro Road. It was covered by about of earth removed from the building of the new road in the 1960s. A high stone wall bounds the remaining acre of land; access can be gained through a wrought iron gate. Approximately forty of the headstones from Tregongeeves were removed and are now located at the Friends meeting house in the High Cross Street in St Austell, just below the high wall which surrounds St Austell railway station. That meeting house is still in use.


Sport


Speedway

Speedway racing first took place a venue called Rocky Park, under the name "
St Austell Gulls The St Austell Gulls were a speedway team which operated from 1949 until their closure in 1964 at the Cornish Stadium at Par, St Austell in Cornwall. In 1997 the team rode at the Clay Country Moto Parc until the club finally closed in 2000. E ...
". The sport was a hit during various years, between 1949 and 1963 at the
Cornish Stadium The Cornish Stadium was a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing track and Motorcycle speedway, speedway venue in Par Moor Road, St Austell, Cornwall. Opening The track opened in May 1949 for speedway and was located on the n ...
. The sport returned to the area in the late 1990s, in the Clay Country Moto Parc, located at Old Pound,
Nanpean Nanpean (from kw, Nanspian, meaning "little valley") is a village in the civil parish of St Stephen-in-Brannel in Cornwall, United Kingdom.Premier League (speedway), Premier League, re-formed as the Trelawny JAG Tigers, until site owners Imerys Minerals Ltd ended the lease. Speedway has not been held in Cornwall since. Many attempts have been made to re-introduce the sport, but none have got past planning permission. The two highest profile bids were at Par Moor Motor Museum and St Eval Raceway. The owner of the land for the Par Moor bid confirmed that he would rent the land for speedway but locals objected. The St Eval bid failed after residents expressed fears about noise.


Stock car racing

Stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
, promoted by 1950s Kiwi Speedway star
Trevor Redmond Trevor John Redmond (16 June 1927 – 17 September 1997)Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2003) ''Bristol Bulldogs: 50 Greats'', Stroud: Tempus Publishing. was a New Zealand speedway rider who mainly rode for the Aldershot Shots, and the Wembley Lions ...
, ran side by side with speedway on numerous occasions. Numerous championships were run here, including the 1972 BriSCA World Championship for Formula 2 cars, won by Jimmy Murray from Northern Ireland. It closed its doors in 1987.


Greyhound racing

A
greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing (normally around an oval track) and coursing; the latter is now banned in most countries. Tra ...
track was also opened at the Cornish Stadium and traded from 1958 to 1986. The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the National Greyhound Racing Club) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.


Football

St Austell Football Club was formed on 17 September 1890. In 1908 the club won its first trophy: the Cornwall Charity Cup. The club achieved some success in the late 1920s and 1930s, winning the Senior Cup and Charity Cup twice. In May 2009, the team won the Senior Cup with a closely fought 3–2 victory over Saltash United.


Rugby and tennis

Tregorrick Park is the home of
St Austell RFC St Austell RFC is a Cornish rugby union club that is based in the town of St Austell and was founded in 1963. The club run three senior men's teams as well as ladies side, a colts and multiple junior/mini sides. The club's kit is red and whit ...
, St Austell Tennis Club and Cornwall Table Tennis Centre.
St Austell RFC St Austell RFC is a Cornish rugby union club that is based in the town of St Austell and was founded in 1963. The club run three senior men's teams as well as ladies side, a colts and multiple junior/mini sides. The club's kit is red and whit ...
play in the
Tribute Western Counties West Counties 1 Western West (formerly known as Western Counties West for sponsorship reasons) is an English rugby union league. Originally a single division called Western Counties, in 1996 the division split into two regional leagues called Wester ...
league and the club supports two senior teams, a ladies team and 14 youth teams covering most age groups. Founded in 1963 St Austell RFC has played at the Tregorrick Park ground since their move from Cromwell Road in the 1980s to make way for the Asda supermarket. Tregorrick Park also hosts a gym, sports hall, squash courts, bar, function room and holds local events such as firework displays and schools cross country competitions.


Cricket

Wheal Eliza Wheal Eliza is a cricket ground in Holmbush, to the east of St Austell, Cornwall. The ground is bordered to the south by Holmbush Road, to the east by the A391 road and to the north and west by housing. The end names of the ground are the Jews ...
cricket ground is the home of
St Austell Cricket Club ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
, and is also used for Minor Counties matches. The club supports four senior teams, a ladies' team and youth teams. Facilities at
Wheal Eliza Wheal Eliza is a cricket ground in Holmbush, to the east of St Austell, Cornwall. The ground is bordered to the south by Holmbush Road, to the east by the A391 road and to the north and west by housing. The end names of the ground are the Jews ...
includes two playing fields with their own changing room facilities enabling the club to hold two competitive matches every match day. The club also has a pavilion, scorebox, artificial and grass nets.


Baseball

In 2017, the St Austell Claycutters baseball club was established to compete in the South West Baseball League. While the team are named and associated with St. Austell, all outdoor training and home games are held on the sports fields at
Fowey River Academy Fowey River Academy is a co-educational secondary school with academy status (Learning Edge Academies Partnership), serving a large and diverse catchment area including Fowey the nearby towns of St Blazey and Lostwithiel and surrounding villag ...
in
Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...
.


Notable People

* Alan Cowland (1941 – 2005), was a British motorcycle speedway rider, born St Austell * Alfred Leslie Rowse (1903 – 1997), a British historian and writer, educated in St Austell *
Alice Hext Alice Hext (2 March 1865Birth Register: Entry No.401. Place of birth and residence of father: High Cross, St. Austell – 14 September 1939Burke's ''Landed Gentry'' (1952), p. 1220: Hext family.) was a Cornish philanthropist, garden developer and ...
(1865 – 1939), a Cornish philanthropist, garden developer and magistrate, born St Austell *
John Colenso John William Colenso (24 January 1814 – 20 June 1883) was a Cornish cleric and mathematician, defender of the Zulu and biblical scholar, who served as the first Bishop of Natal. He was a scholar of the Zulu language. In his role as an Angl ...
(1814 – 1883), cleric and mathematician, the first Bishop of Natal, born in St Austell * Jonathan Crowther (1794 – 1856), Wesleyan Methodist minister, born St Austell *
Keith Boanas Keith Robert Boanas (born 22 April 1959) is an English football manager. Playing career Boanas has played and coached on the semi-professional circuit, Boanas made three substitute appearances for Tooting & Mitcham United after being appointe ...
(born 1959), an English football manager, born St Austell *
Mary Corinne Quintrell Mary Corinne Quintrell (January 8, 1839 – July 18, 1918) was an English-born American educator and clubwoman, based in Cleveland, Ohio. Early life and education Mary Corinne Quintrell was born at St. Austell, Cornwall, the daughter of Thomas Q ...
(1839 – 1918), English-born American educator and clubwoman, born St Austell"Mary Corinne Quintrell"
in ''The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History'' (Case Western Reserve University, 1997).
* Michael Hutt (born 1957) is Professor of Nepali and Himalayan Studies, educated in St Austell * Paul Rapsey Hodge (1808 – 1871), English-American inventor and mechanical engineer, born St Austell * Steve Baker (born 1971), British politician, born St AustellProfile
, ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
* Vaughn Toulouse (1959 – 1991), British singer; founding member of Department S, raised in St Austell


See also

*
Boscoppa Boscoppa ( kw, Boskoppa) is a settlement in the amalgamation of St Austell in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Originally Boscoppa was a separate village but is now a suburb of St Austell (Cornwall's largest town) and is west of the recently bu ...
, a suburb of St Austell *
Carclaze Carclaze is a suburb of the town of St Austell in mid-Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The suburb forms part of the civil parish of Treverbyn and gives its name to the china clay works to the north.Carclaze mine produced tin and china cla ...
. a suburb of St Austell * Charlestown, the port of St Austell *
St Austell with Fowey St Austell with Fowey (pronounced "foy") was a municipal borough in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was created in 1968 by a merger of the historic borough of Fowey and the much more populous St Austell Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland), urb ...
, a former local government area * St Stephen-in-Brannel, a district of village near St Austell *
Sticker A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...
, a village near St Austell *
Treverbyn Treverbyn is a civil parish and village in mid-Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The church of St Peter is modern as the medieval chapel was closed at the time of the Reformation. The parish was formed from part of St Austell parish in 1847. ...
, a nearby village and parish *
Trewoon Trewoon (; kw, Trewoon) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is on the western outskirts of St Austell, on the A3058 road and is a linear settlement, with housing estates, a village hall, park and playing fields. The ...
, a village near St Austell *
People from St Austell A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of propert ...
* HMS ''St Austell Bay'' (K634)


References


Further reading

* Hammond, Joseph (1897) ''St Austell: being an account of St Austell, town, church, district and people''. London: Skeffington & Son * Rowse, A. L. (1960) ''St Austell: Church, Town, Parish''. St Austell: H. E. Warne * Roberts, E (1967) ''The Story of St Austell Parish Church'', Ramsgate: The Church Publishers


External links


St Austell Town Council
*
Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for St Austell
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Austell Civil parishes in Cornwall Cornish Killas Towns in Cornwall