Self Catering Holiday Cottages in Hayle

A selection of holiday properties in Hayle

There is a long history of settlement in the Hayle Estuary area which dates as far back as the Bronze Age. However, the modern town of Hayle was built predominantly during the 18th century industrial revolution. At the fort on the hill above Carnsew Pool where The Plantation (a public park) now stands, there is evidence of an Iron Age settlement. It is thought that Hayle was an important centre for the Neolithic tin industry, trading with not only Irish and Breton people, but also the Phoenicians of the eastern Mediterranean. Evidence of this comes from finds of imported pottery including Romano/Grecian Amphorae - containers for wine and oil. Although the Romans never fully conquered Cornwall they may have had a presence in the Hayle Estuary; it is thought that the rectangular churchyard at St. Uny's Church, Lelant on the western shore of the estuary is built within the outline of a Roman fort. The estuary looked hugely different when it was deeper as it was possible for boats to go up the River Hayle as far as where St. Erth Bridge is now situated; the tide used to flow in and out of what is now Foundry Square in the town and at Gwithian, reached inland almost as far as Connor Downs. Christian missionaries flooded the area when the Romans departed, most of whom are said to have had Irish origins and after whom many Cornish towns take their present name. A number of inscribed stones have been found in the area. Two early stones have been found at Phillack, one bearing a 'Constantine' form of a Chi-Rho cross which may date to the 5th Century. The most noteworthy inscribed stone is one uncovered during the construction of a road (1834) in the grounds of Carnsew, and is now set into a bank at The Plantation. There is also a replica lying next to it. The stone bears an inscription in Latin which is sadly unreadable. The version that appears on the replica is translated as "Here Cenui fell asleep who was born in 500. Here in his tomb he lies, he lived 33 years." However, in her discussion of this inscription Elisabeth Okasha passes over this transcription in silence, and mentions only three early drawings of this inscription and the results of more recent inspections, then tentatively offers her translation: "Here in peace has rested Cunatdo [or Cunaide]. Here he lies in the tomb. He lived for 33 years." Both Saint Samson and Saint Petroc reportedly arrived in Cornwall on the Hayle Estuary which suggests that the port was established as early as the 6th century. While physical and documentary evidence indicates that the port continued to be of importance through the Middle Ages, it was the Industrial Revolution that saw the town and port of Hayle grow to resemble the town as seen today. The Domesday survey in 1086 does not show ‘Hayle’, yet the manor of ‘Conardition’ includes the Hayle Estuary. Conarditon centred on ‘Conerton’ which if it were in place now, would have Gwithian at its centre. It is from Conerton that the name of the present day settlement of Connor Downs is derived. The first documentary evidence of settlements around the Hayle Estuary is in 1130 when Phillack Church and surrounding building were recorded as ‘Egloshayle’. ‘Eglos’ means church and ‘Heyl’, estuary: The church on the estuary. This church was originally dedicated to St. Felec which has begun ‘Phillack’. The first recorded mention of Hayle proper is in 1265 but it would seem even then the settlement was little more than a few dwellings and scattered farms. Hayle's role as a port included coal importation and ore exportation. It was a convenient point to land coal from South Wales, which was then taken to Angarrack by mule. Angarrack had a tin smelter built in 1704. The first modern quay, a major development at Hayle, by John "Merchant" Curnow, took place in the 1740s. In 1758 the Cornish Copper Company (CCCo) moved from Camborne and set up a copper smelter at Ventonleague (Copperhouse Creek) and this proved very successful. In response, a canal was built to bring vessels right up to the works and additional land was purchased on both sides of the creek. The smelting process generated large amounts of waste of copper slag which was cast into large heavy dark bricks or "Scoria Blocks". These proved to be a very useful building material and can be seen in many buildings around the town. Sea Lane or Black Road (and Black Bridge) was built using these. In 1779 John Harvey, a blacksmith from nearby Carnhell Green, established a small foundry and engineering works in the area. This successful foundry made professional and family partnerships with a series of great engineers and entrepreneurs, including Richard Trevithick, William West and Arthur Woolf that gave the firm an unmatched level of expertise. The firm of Harvey & Co is probably best remembered for producing beam engines, which not only served in Cornish mines but also were exported worldwide. Prior to 1825 anyone wanting to go from Hayle to St Ives or Penzance had to cross the sands of Hayle Estuary or make a significant detour crossing the River Hayle at the ancient St Erth Bridge. It could be a perilous journey with the shifting sand and racing tide claiming several lives. Due to this obstruction to trade, a turnpike trust was formed. Henry Harvey was a trustee and a causeway was built which now takes the road below the plantation west to the Old Quay House. Costing £5000 in 1825, the investors charged a toll to use the causeway to recover their costs. As Hayle’s prosperity grew the foundry and smelter owners invested in the mining industry. There was relatively little mining in and around Hayle itself, with Wheal Alfred and Wheal Prosper (near Gwithian), being the only mines in the area; the nearest significant mines were around Helston. In 1833, Hayle replaced Helston as the local coinage (Stannary) town. In 1837 the Hayle-Redruth Railway was opened which had been designed from the outset to carry both goods and passengers. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution first stationed a lifeboat at Hayle in 1866 and a boat house was subsequently built in 1897. It was closed in 1920 and demolished but replaced in 1887 with the final boat “Admiral Rodd” arriving in 1906. Currently, there is a disused quay in Hayle harbour and the town does not have very much to offer other than a train station, a few cafes, pubs and convenience stores. However, its seaside position with three miles of golden sands has meant that the area has developed as a holiday destination. Gwithian beach near Godrevy is not only picturesque but also a favoured area for water-related sports including surfing, windsurfing and body-boarding. Some notable buildings in the area include the famous Godrevy Lighthouse, situated at the eastern end of Hayle Towans. The Lighthouse is said to have inspired Virginia Woolf's novel "To the Lighthouse". The church of St Elwyn was built in 1886-88 to the design of J. D. Sedding. According to Pevsner it is "loud outside ... and dull inside".

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