The History of Chacewater

Evidence of prehistoric activity near to Chacewater is limited to a possible crop mark of an enclosure identified at Little Chacewood, approximately 100 metres south of the parish church. The Cornwall and Scilly Sites and Monuments Record records that Pound Cottage, on the western limit of the village, may mark the site of a medieval stock enclosure.

The place name evidence suggests that the surrounding area was unenclosed land during (the medieval period and was probably maintained as a hunting preserve: the ‘chase’ in Chacewater. Now, the Cornwall Landscape Assessment has recorded much of the surrounding agricultural area as post-mediaeval farmland. .

Chacewater became the property of the Boscawen family in 1335 and it descended through the family of Viscount Falmouth of the Tregothnan Estate. The presence of a single large landowner in the area has had an impact on controlling the spread of development.

Chacewater has French chasse, 'hunt, chase' (cf Middle Breton chace, 'pack of hounds') with English 'water, stream' and the Cornish *chas- occurs in Penchase 'headland of the hunt'; Coysynchase 'wood in the hunt' and Goenchase 'moor of the hunt' in farmnames of the parish.

Chacewater comes into history as the hunting-ground of the early kings of Cornwall. In Eilhart of Oberg's twelfth-century version of the Tristan legend we are told of King Mark seeking Tristan and his love, Isuelt, in the king's forest and finding them asleep in a leafy bower in Blancheland - the manor in which Chacewater lies. But Tristan's sword lay unsheathed between them, proving that they were guiltless - who could ever say that the fair maids of Chacewater were neither chased nor chaste?

Historical development

Post-Conquest

The origins of the settlement of Chacewater appear to lie between the production of a detailed map of Kerrier Hundred, produced in 1597, which does not record any evidence for a settlement in this location and the Joel Gascoyne’s map of Cornwall of 1699, which does show a hamlet north of the main Truro-Redruth road. The settlement recorded in 1699 appears to be set-back from the road with small enclosures in the intervening space.

A tin mine, named the Great Works, was recorded in the vicinity of Chacewater in the 16^th century and this later became known as Wheal Busy. By 1718, if not earlier, this had become one of Cornwall’s most significant mines. Copper was first produced there around1724 and, in 1725, Joseph Hornblower installed some of the earliest Newcomen engines to be used in the mines. In 1768 the Great County Adit was driven into the Wheal Bury mine, which increased the efficiency of the mining process. In 1778 the first Boulton and Watt engine to be used in a Cornish mine was installed at Wheal Busy.

Although the Cornish mining industry suffered a temporary decline in the later 18^th century, its fortunes recovered at the beginning of the 19^th century due to increased demand resulting from the Napoleonic Wars and the depletion of copper deposits elsewhere.

Pre-19^th century - early tinners’ smallholdings

The Cornwall Industrial Settlements Initiative (CISI) report regarding Chacewater suggests that the earliest settlement avoided the valley floor, where tin streaming would have been practised. Instead it was located along the valley sides aligned on lanes, which led to the various mines outside the valley, as well as extending southwards along the valley and thus forming the alignment of the modern street of The Terrace and the Falmouth Road.

The settlement would have formed a loose grouping of ‘tinners’ smallholdings, with some larger farmsteads, reflecting the mixed economy practiced by the early tin miners.

However, the first edition of the Ordnance Survey in 1809 records that a village centre had been established by that date following the east-west alignment of the main road.

Early 19^th century - development of a commercial/public centre

During the 19^th century Chacewater developed as an economic and civic centre for the farming and industrial communities. It was divided between the parishes of Kenwyn and Kea until 1837 when it had grown sufficiently to become a parish in its own right. A new church had been built to the south of the village in 1828. A Primitive Methodist Chapel was also opened in 1830 and a Wesleyan Methodist chapel was opened in 1832. The Bethel Methodist Chapel was added in 1842.

Industrial development within the village included the establishment of a brewery to the north of Fore Street in the area now named Brewery Court. The long terrace of cottages on Station Road may have been built to provide brewery workers’ homes. The tithe award for Kenwyn parish, produced in 1841, records Pitsleweren Stamps and Lobbs Stamps, which are believed to have been stamping mills used for crushing ore, whilst fields named Upper Stamps and Lower Stamps were located between The Terrace and High Street. It is also recorded that Chacewater contained as many as 13 public houses by 1830.

The Kenwyn Parish Tithe map of 1841 shows both the areas of more scattered housing along The Terrace, North Hill, High Street and Falmouth Road, as well as the planned development of terraced buildings along Fore Street, The Square and Station Road. Buildings in The Square appear to have included the King’s Head and a structure on the north side of The Square with a distinctive ‘U’ shaped plan, which may be preserved in the plans of nos. 37-40 Fore Street.

The tithe map for Kea parish of 1843 shows significantly less development on the east side of the river crossing, suggesting that the river served as the boundary of the planned development.

Later 19^th century- mining decline/economic redirection

The Village School was built in 1847 between the parish church and the village, whilst the mainline railway station was opened in 1852 just over half a mile to the north of the village. However, the 1850s saw the beginning of a long term decline for the mining industries that had hitherto driven the economic prosperity of the area. Wheal Busy mine was closed in 1873 and the population of Chacewater fell from 3558 to 2053 in the ten years to 1891.

Comparison of trade directories reveals that the mixture of businesses in Chacewater had moved from craftsmen supplying the mines towards more domestic shop keeping supplying the local village and farming populations. The CISI report for Chacewater also suggests that the character of the area changed through the increasing presence of market gardens and fruit growing in the area, stimulated by the presence of the railway line and improved access to urban markets.

The first edition Ordnance Survey of 1880 records that Chacewater had reached the limits of development that would confine it for the following seventy years. The development of terraced buildings had extended to the east of the River Carnon, including nos. 1-9 and 13-16 Chacewater Hill. Further development to the west of the town included The Crown Inn and an adjacent Post Office on the High Street. A Masonic hall is also recorded to the rear of the Britannia Inn at this time.

In 1892, the parish church was completely re-modelled, albeit to accommodate a reduced congregation. In the following year, the Passmore Edwards Literary Institute was opened. This was the second of four institutes in Cornwall donated by the philanthropist, John Passmore Edwards, who was born nearby at Blackwater. That it was possible to demolish the pre-existing buildings to construct the new institute may reflect the low demand for property in the centre of Chacewater at this time.

The apparent trend away from industrial production was reversed with the reopening of the Wheal Busy mine in 1907 and the Killifreth mine in 1911. Both mines operated largely for arsenic production until the 1940s when they were finally closed down and the machinery scrapped.

However, despite this period of revival it appears that Chacewater continued to function primarily as a commercial centre for agriculture. It provided an important horse and cattle market in the early to mid 20^th century. The brewery also continued as an important local employer until the mid 20^th century. In 1925 Lord Falmouth donated the recreation ground for the use of the villagers, but there was very little development.

After the closure of the mines and with the increasing use of motorcars from 1946, the village began to function as a dormitory settlement for Truro. The railway station was closed in 1964 sealing Chacewater’s fate as an economic backwater.

Development in the later 20^th century has included a significant proportion of residential infill, between Fore Street/High Street and The Terrace as well as the former Brewery Site and along Falmouth Road. Expansion of the village to the east and south east included the construction of housing estates with a mixture of bungalows and two storey houses to the north of Kerley Hill in the 1950s. A second phase of expansion to the south of Kerley Hill took place in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

Despite conversion of many of the former commercial properties on Fore Street to residential use, many have retained distinctive shop fronts, which has preserved the character of the settlement as an historic commercial centre.

1335	John de Boscawen married Joan of Tregothnan and settled at Tregothnan.
1699	Joel Gascoyne's map shows hamlet to north of Truro to Redruth Road ~ the first indication of a settlements in the vicinity of Chacewater
1718	Great Works Tin Mine ~ later known as Wheal Busy ~ was recorded
1724	Copper first produced at Wheal Busy
1725	Joseph Hornblower came to Chacewater to erect a new Newcomen engine at Wheal Rose, Scorrier
1768	The Great County Adit was driven into the Wheal Bury Mine
1775	Smeaton erected at Chacewater the finest and most powerful engine which had a 6ft diameter cylinder with a maximum stroke of 9ft 6ins.
1778	The first Boulton & Watt engine to be used in a Cornish Mine was installed at Wheal Busy
1893	John Passmore Edwards was born in nearby Blackwater on 24th March
1828	Bishop William Carey of Exeter consecrated the original Church at Chacewater on 2nd August.
1830	A Primitive Methodist Chapel opened
1832	A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel opened
1837	Chacewater became a Parish in its own right having previously been part of Kenwyn & Kea
1847	Chacewater School opened
1842	The Bethel Methodist Chapel opened
1852	Chacewater Railway Station opened
1866	During the thunderstorms on Feb. 3rd Chacewater Church which had been repaired, was struck by lightning and several windows were smashed.
1866	At Wheal Busy there was an outbreak of sabotage against those "adventurers" who were said to be infiltrating the tin industry.
1873	Wheal Busy Mine closed
1892	The Church was rebuilt and completed from the design of Edward Sedding of Plymouth.
1892	St Paul's Church re-dedicated by the Bishop of Truro on December 10th.
1893	The Passmore Edwards Men's Institute in Chacewater High Street was opened.
1907	Wheal Busy Mine re-opened after a decline in the late 19th century
1911	Killifreth Mine was re-opened. Both these mines were operated mainly for the production of arsenic
1925	Lord Falmouth donated the Recreation Ground to the Parish of Chacewater
1934	Chacewater Village Hall was built. The costs could not be met so St Paul's Church provided the necessary finances and it became the Church Hall
1940's	Wheal Busy & Killifreth Mines were finally closed and the machinery scrapped. Note that the names of these two mines are used today for the smaller rooms at Chacewater Village Hall
1964	Chacewater Railway Station was closed
1984	The Church Hall was bought from St Paul's Church and reverted to the name Chacewater Village Hall. At the same time it became a registered charity
1999	Chacewater Village Hall found to have mundic and was threatened with closure
2000	Chacewater Millennium Green was officially opened by Dame Annette Penhaligon at a traditional Cornish Tea Treat
2001	Having secured funding, the new Chacewater Village Hall was opened.
2002	Play Area and Skateboard Ramps opened in the Recreation Ground

Historical Events in Chacewater