St Buryan
Coordinates: 50 ° 5 ′ N , 5 ° 37 ′ W
| St Buryan | ||||
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 Location in the former District of Penwith
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| Basic data | ||||
| status |
Civil Parish (1974) |
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| region | South West England | |||
| Ceremony county | Cornwall | |||
| Trad. county | Cornwall | |||
| Administrative headquarters | St Buryan | |||
| Residents | 1215 (2001) | |||
| Post Code | TR19 6xx | |||
| Telephone code | 01736 | |||
| Sub-locations | Lamorna , Crows-an-Wra , Sparnon , Tregarnoe | |||
| Website | www.stburyan.com | |||
St Buryan ( Cornish : Eglosborrie) is a municipality in the former District Penwith the county Cornwall in England . St Buryan was named after the Irish saint Buriana . The place is about eight kilometers west of Penzance on the B3282 towards St Levan .
The place with its beautiful natural landscape has been under special protection since 1990. It is also historically an important place with its numerous finds from the Neolithic Age , its Celtic crosses and its stone circles . Some painters from the Newlyn School lived in the southern part of Lamorna . The painter Samuel John Birch liked it there so much that he made the district his artist name.
geography
The community has a land area of 28.2 km², as well as a 6 hectare coastal strip and a water area of one hectare. The northern part of the area is highest and flattens out towards the coast. At 200 meters, Chapel Carn Brea is the highest point on St Buryan. The coast is rugged and steep throughout. The place itself is on a small plateau.
history
Neolithic
The surrounding area of St Buryan was inhabited as early as the Neolithic . This is proven by the numerous stone circles , graves and other sites. 1.5 km north of the village is Boscawen-ûn , a stone circle with 19 stones, the center of which is a megalith lying on the side . The Merry Maidens , three kilometers south along the B3315 to Land's End, also form a stone circle to which the Pipers of Boleigh and the Fogou of Boleigh belong.
There are still many single standing menhirs and stone crosses around the place. Some of the original standing stones were reshaped into stone crosses by the early Christian church. The three most famous in St Buryan's are in the churchyard, in the town center and in Crows-an-Wra .
Bronze and Iron Ages
Just a few hundred meters from the Merry Maidens is Cruk Tregyffian , a burial chamber from the Bronze Age that was discovered during road construction work on the B3315 and unfortunately also damaged. The burial mound consists of vertical stones adorned with signs and four keystones, which are surrounded by a stone wall. Today only the replicas of the decorated stones can be found at the site. The originals are in the Truro Museum to protect them from the elements.
Further east along the B3315, there is a basement from the Iron Age . The purpose of Fogous (derived from Cornish for cave) is not known. It is speculated that the chambers served as food stores or were used for ceremonies. The basement has a large entrance area that leads to a long passage. Inside the building there is another narrower and lower passage.
middle Ages
In 931 there was a revolt against the Anglo-Saxons by the Cornish Celts (supported by the Danes ). This led to a battle in the southeast of the village of Boleigh , which is now a small hamlet. However, the English King Æthelstan crushed the resistance movement and shortly afterwards conquered the Isles of Scilly . He also had a church and a monastery built in St Buryan.
During the Norman conquest , the area fell under the rule of Robert von Mortain , a half-brother of Wilhelm I. The community is mentioned in the historical land register Domesday Book with the old Cornish name Eglosberrie (or Eglosburrie ). At that time the place had only six inhabitants.
In the early 13th century, Johann Ohneland stayed at St Buryan after coming from Ireland in Sennen . During his visit, he inspected Penwith's mining operations to see if the hired German engineers were improving the mines' efficiency. In the 14th century, the place grew into an important regional center. Edward I granted St Buryan market rights as early as 1302 . A market was then held every week on Saturday.
Early modern times to the present
One of St Buryan's most notable sons during the 17th century was William Noy , who was born on the Pendrea estate. He was a lawyer and member of parliament. With one exception, from 1603 until his death, he was repeatedly elected as deputy for a constituency of his native Cornwall.
During the industrial revolution, the population increased for a short time due to the great demand for tin and the new railway line. After that it sank again, as the booming mining industry in St Buryan only played a secondary role next to agriculture. The population continued to decline in the years that followed. The reasons for this included modern agricultural technology, which required fewer workers. In the 20th century, some jobs were also lost due to the closure of several shops and a dairy. Only since 1980 has the population increased again due to the influx of young families. The school in the village was then expanded.
politics
In the parish of St Buryan, the parish council is elected every four years and has a total of 11 seats. The ultimate government agency is Cornwall County Council . In 2005 it was decided that St Buryan and St Just may elect a candidate to Cornwall County Council. Previously, the congregation, along with Paul , St Levan , Sancreed and Sennen, fell into a constituency that allowed the election of two members.
economy
The main economic sector in the municipality is agriculture. In addition to milk production, which is in the foreground, some crops are grown, such as potatoes and cauliflower. Sometimes pigs and sheep are also kept in some farms. As in all of Cornwall, fishing is an important source of income. Many small shrimp and longline fishermen work in the small bays and near the rocky coast.
In addition to fishing and agriculture, tourism is also playing an increasingly important role. Scenic corners such as Land's End or Sennen Cove as well as cultural sites attract many visitors every year, especially during the summer months.
religion
The Church of St Buryan
As early as 930, King Æthelstan had a church built in honor of St. Buriana. In gratitude for conquering Cornwall. In addition, at the request of Æthelstan, one of Cornwall's first monasteries was also built in St Buryan. This was enlarged by Bishop William Briwereby and also dedicated to the Irish saint. For a long time the local church was regarded as the crown's own church. So it fell directly under the jurisdiction of the British monarchy. After centuries of controversy between the English crown and the bishops of Exeter, the entire parish was excommunicated by the bishop in 1327. This was reversed as early as 1336.
Only two deans appointed by the king lived in St Buryan's deanery for a few months. As a result of these factors, the church was neglected and on the verge of collapse. It was not until 1501 that the church was rebuilt and, in addition to being enlarged, also received its current bell tower. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the central nave was further enlarged. The last major changes took place in 1814 with a new interior design and in 1956 with the construction of the Lady Chapel.
The deanery was annexed by the Bishop of Exeter after the English Civil War in 1663. Through episcopalism , it later became an independent deanery. Today it is responsible for the parishes of St Buryan, St Levan and Sennen . The church is known for its heavy ringing of bells. The bells of the church, with regard to the alternating ringing of six bells, are the heaviest bells in the world.
paganism
In 1996, Cassandra Latham was appointed for the very first time a pagan contact person for hospital patients. She had so many inquiries that one year later she was able to set up her own business as an official “village witch” and the office was no longer dependent on state support.
traffic
As one of the westernmost parishes in England, St Buryan is somewhat isolated from the rest of the UK. The most important traffic connection is the B3282 towards St Levan. Three other roads meet in St Buryan, which connect the town with the B3315 towards Lamorna and the A30 towards Crows-an-Wra .
The three bus routes that run through the community are operated by the First Davon & Cornwall bus company , part of the FirstGroup group. Two lines, 1 and 1A, run between Penzance and Land's End via Gwavas , Sheffield , St Buryan and Sennen. The third, line 300, is a circular route through St Ives , St Just , Sennen, St Buryan and Newlyn. The lines run regularly during the summer months from Penzance to St Buryan until 10 p.m. In the winter months, however, there are fewer buses.
Long distance travel by train is only possible from Penzance. This is where the westernmost station on the Cornish Main Line is located . There is also the possibility to get to Penzance via the regional St Ives Bay Line . The nearest major airport is Newquay Cornwall International Airport in Newquay , which serves both civil (domestic flights only) and military aviation.
education
The first mention of a school in St Buryan is from 1801. It is said to have stood next to the poor house near the church. The school was run by the administrators of the poor house . In 1830 a new paid school was built, which today serves as a community hall. Students had to pay a penny for each day of class. When compulsory schooling was introduced in 1875, there was a large influx of students and the building was expanded. In 1910 the school moved one more time to its current location on Rectory Road.
Today pupils between the ages of four and eleven are taught in primary school . Until recently, the school had a day nursery for preschoolers. However, this moved to other premises in the community. A few years ago the school only had 3 classrooms. Under the direction of Paul Gazzard, it was converted and another classroom was added, as well as an entrance hall, a gym, a small library and a new reception. This expansion was financially possible because the school was able to determine its own budget at that time. About 87 students from the village and the surrounding communities are currently attending the school. All students are British by birth and have English as their first language.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Article in Cornish World, Issue 13, June / July / August 1997, page 14.
