History of Calstock Parish
Calstock Parish has the second largest population in Cornwall and is full of interest. Callestock was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Back in the 13th Century, it was part of the Earldom of Cornwall, and a huge number of archives dating from that time are housed at the Calstock Parish Archive held in the Tamar Valley Centre.
The parish lies deep in the heart of the Tamar valley, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it contains seven villages and many small hamlets. Many of these are ancient, but some date from the last century when the numerous mining activities caused the population to increase seven-fold. Historical and official documents referring to “Calstock” usually mean the parish, and not the town, which was named after the parish.
Calstock Parish Map
Calstock Town is dominated by the elegant railway viaduct which was built in the first decade of the last century - one of the last great railway viaducts. It always existed as a small, river-side port but developed greatly when mining expanded. It is the home of many old traditions, especially those in which Cornish music features quite significantly. Many books and publications exist, some of which are still available.
Activities and Points of Interest Within the Parish
Click on a subject to learn more...
Mining
Music and Customs
River Transport
The Railways
Quarrying
Brickworks
Mining
Music and Customs
River Transport
The Railways
Quarrying
Brickworks
Calstock Parish Archive Trust
Our History
Calstock Parish Archive was created in 1985 as the result of a Job Creation scheme (MSC) which was set up by Calstock Town Community Council to provide work for a number of people in an area of post-industrial depression.
The resultant collection has been housed in a large walk-in cupboard in the Village Hall at Calstock Town, and for many years has been kept going by one man on an extremely limited budget.There was a growing awareness of the inadequacy of the storage materials used, and of the overall housing of the archive. At the same time there was also a clear need to catalogue and improve many areas of the Archive, and to expand the number of people able to meet and satisfy the growing demand for access to the materials without involving their degradation. The Calstock Parish Archive Trust was set up to meet these requirements and in 2000 all the documents were re-housed on shelving etc in a separate section of Calstock Village Hall, and work commenced on cataloguing.
Calstock Parish Archive was created in 1985 as the result of a Job Creation scheme (MSC) which was set up by Calstock Town Community Council to provide work for a number of people in an area of post-industrial depression.
The resultant collection has been housed in a large walk-in cupboard in the Village Hall at Calstock Town, and for many years has been kept going by one man on an extremely limited budget.There was a growing awareness of the inadequacy of the storage materials used, and of the overall housing of the archive. At the same time there was also a clear need to catalogue and improve many areas of the Archive, and to expand the number of people able to meet and satisfy the growing demand for access to the materials without involving their degradation. The Calstock Parish Archive Trust was set up to meet these requirements and in 2000 all the documents were re-housed on shelving etc in a separate section of Calstock Village Hall, and work commenced on cataloguing.
The Present
With the ever expanding archive, and its growing use, it was recognised that a more permanent home was needed. On 18th June 2009 the archive relocated to the new visitor centre at Drakewalls, close to Gunnislake railway station. The Centre also houses the Tamar Valley AONB and the Parish Clerk. In preparation for the move, the archive successfully applied for a grant at the end of 2008 from the Cornwall Community Foundation in order to purchase much needed furniture. The Cornwall Community Foundation is an independent community organisation that awards small grants to a significant number of charities and grassroots organisations in the county, and money donated to the foundation is guaranteed to be spent in Cornwall. In 2007 in excess of £650,000 was given to 250 organisations. The Foundation is currently building a £2 million endowment fund for the long-term investment in Cornwall’s communities.
With the ever expanding archive, and its growing use, it was recognised that a more permanent home was needed. On 18th June 2009 the archive relocated to the new visitor centre at Drakewalls, close to Gunnislake railway station. The Centre also houses the Tamar Valley AONB and the Parish Clerk. In preparation for the move, the archive successfully applied for a grant at the end of 2008 from the Cornwall Community Foundation in order to purchase much needed furniture. The Cornwall Community Foundation is an independent community organisation that awards small grants to a significant number of charities and grassroots organisations in the county, and money donated to the foundation is guaranteed to be spent in Cornwall. In 2007 in excess of £650,000 was given to 250 organisations. The Foundation is currently building a £2 million endowment fund for the long-term investment in Cornwall’s communities.
