civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

River Tamar The Tamar (; ) is a river in south west England that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A large part of the valley of the Tamar is protected as the Tamar Valley National Landscape (an Area of Outsta ...

Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

Gunnislake Gunnislake () is a large village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately north of Plymouth The first woman cabinet minister in the British Empire, Mary Ellen Smith, was born here in 1863. G ...

Harrowbarrow Harrowbarrow () is a village in the parish of Calstock in east Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish ...

Latchley Latchley is a village in the Tamar Valley in Cornwall, England, UK. It is in the parish of Calstock (where the population of the 2011 census is included.).Metherell,

Coxpark Coxpark is a hamlet in the parish of Calstock (where the population is included), Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homel ...

, Dimson,

Drakewalls Drakewalls is a small village in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, UK. It is in Calstock parish, adjacent to Gunnislake between Callington, Cornwall, Callington and Tavistock, Devon, Tavistock.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 ...

,

Norris Green Norris Green is a suburb and ward of Liverpool, England, in the east of the city. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 17,784, which had fallen to 15,047 at the 2011 Census. History Historically a part of Lancashire, Norris Green's dev ...

, Rising Sun and St Ann's Chapel. Calstock village is within the

Tamar Valley AONB Tamar Valley National Landscape is a legally designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Devon and Cornwall in England. It includes an area of covering the lower parts of the valleys of the River Tamar, River Tavy and River Lynher to the ...

, is overlooked by

Cotehele Cotehele is a medieval house with Tudor additions, situated in the parish of Calstock in the east of Cornwall, England, and now belonging to the National Trust. It is a rambling granite and slate-stone manor house on the banks of the River T ...

house and gardens, and lies on the scenic Tamar Valley railway.

Calstock railway station Calstock railway station () is an unstaffed railway station on the Tamar Valley Line serving the village of Calstock in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at the north end of Calstock Viaduct which carries the railway at high level over t ...

opened on 2 March 1908. The village is twinned with

Saint-Thuriau Saint-Thuriau (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Saint-Thuriau are called in French or . It takes its name from Saint Turiaf of Dol, bishop of the ancient Diocese of Dol. Twinni ...

in Brittany, France.

Early history

Archaeological excavations and geophysical surveys on Church Hill, conducted between 2007 and 2011 by archaeologists from the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a research university in the West Country of England, with its main campus in Exeter, Devon. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of ...

, revealed evidences of a settled population in the

Early Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

(c. 2200-2000

BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the o ...

). During the

Late Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progr ...

(500-350 BCE), the church hill was surrounded by an enclosure. It is possible that the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

reused this Iron Age

hill fort A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...

when they set up their own, albeit smaller, squared

Roman fort ''Castra'' () is a Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified military base.. Included is a discuss ...

measuring about . This fort, discovered during the same excavation, is only the third known in Cornwall, and the largest. The fort was likely established in about 50/55 CE, contemporaneously with a legionary fortress at

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

. It is thought that up to 500 soldiers would have been based here. More recent excavations have revealed the presence of a Roman mine consisting of pits connected by a network of tunnels. There is also evidence of a Roman road in the vicinity. The fort was occupied for about thirty years: in 75 CE, the

Legio II Augusta Legio II Augusta ( Second Legion "Augustus'") was a legion of the Imperial Roman army that was founded during the late Roman Republic. Its emblems were the Capricornus, Pegasus, and Mars. It may have taken the name "''Augusta''" from a victory ...

moved on to South Wales, leaving auxiliary units behind in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

and Cornwall. The site was probably abandoned around 80/85 CE, buildings were disassembled and demolished and the ramparts and ditches leveled. Only from the 8th century CE onwards, was the hill again populated. Part of the Roman site is now occupied by St Andrew's Church and the cemeteries; an interpretation board at the entrance to the cemetery opposite the church gives more details. In

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

times, Calstock was in the

Kingdom of Cornwall The history of Cornwall goes back to the Paleolithic, but in this period Cornwall only had sporadic visits by groups of humans. Continuous occupation started around 10,000 years ago after the end of the last ice age. When recorded histor ...

, which resisted the spread of

Wessex The Kingdom of the West Saxons, also known as the Kingdom of Wessex, was an Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from around 519 until Alfred the Great declared himself as King of the Anglo-Saxons in 886. The Anglo-Sa ...

from the east. In 838 CE, Wessex had spread as far as the Tamar, and a battle for independence was fought near Calstock. Following the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

, Calstock manor was recorded in the

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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

, referred to as ''Callestock''. The Saxon manor (held by Asgar) was taken over, and in the 14th century became part of the

Duchy of Cornwall A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between "sovereign ...

: one of the 17

Antiqua maneria The Antiqua maneria (ancient manors), also known as assessionable manors, were the original 17 manors belonging to the Earldom of Cornwall. After March 1337, these manors were transferred to the new Duchy of Cornwall created by King Edward III ...

. At the time of Domesday Book (1086), the manor was held by Reginald from

Robert, Count of Mortain Robert, Count of Mortain, first Earl of Cornwall of 2nd creation (–) was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother (on their mother's side) of King William the Conqueror. He was one of the very few proven companions of William the Conqueror at t ...

. There were two and a half hides of land and land for 12 ploughs. Reginald held one virgate of land with two ploughs and 12 serfs. Thirty villeins and 30 smallholders had the rest of the land with six ploughs. There were 100 acres of woodland, 3 square leagues of pasture and three pigs. The value of the manor was £3 sterling, though it had formerly been worth £6. The manor was sold by the Duchy to John Williams of

Scorrier House Scorrier House, located near the village of Scorrier, Cornwall, England, UK, is a country house and the seat of the Williams family. Scorrier House is also home to an important Cornish garden, Scorrier House Stud and, more recently, the Great Est ...

circa 1807. During the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, Calstock became a garrison of the

Royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gover ...

in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, consisting of roughly 1,200 Cornishmen. The force was quartered at Cotehele and

Harewood House Harewood House ( , ) is a English country house, country house in Harewood, West Yorkshire, Harewood, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architects John Carr (architect), John Carr and Robert Adam, it was built between 1759 and 1771, for Ed ...

. During the civil war, the Parliamentarians attacked Gunnislake New Bridge; it was defended by

Sir Richard Grenville Sir Richard Grenville ( – ), also spelt Greynvile, Greeneville, and Greenfield, was an English privateer and explorer. Grenville was lord of the manors of Stowe, Cornwall and Bideford, Devon. He subsequently participated in the planta ...

and Captain Southcote with men from their garrison at Calstock. At the cost of 240 men, the bridge was lost to the Parliamentarian forces, however they failed to advance further into Cornwall. Calstock and Cornwall were commended by King Charles I for their loyalty and the King's letter to the Cornish people is still displayed at St Andrew's Church, Calstock.

Industries

Mining

Danescombe Valley Mine Buildings - geograph

Mining was important in Calstock from

Mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and t ...

times, with the Duchy mining silver. The industry was booming in the late 19th century, and the discovery of copper, coupled with nearby

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

quarrying, made Calstock a busy port. The rapid population boom due to the growth of industry led, in 1849, to an outbreak of

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

. The industry declined in the early 20th century due to foreign competition, and now only the ruined pump houses that dot the landscape remain. Calstock had much mining activity, principally; *Cotehele Consol - copper and arsenic *Calstock Consol - copper *Okeltor Consol - copper, tin and arsenic, mined silver and copper up until 1877 *Wheal Trelawny - copper, very close to Okeltor Consols *Danescombe Mines - copper, tin and arsenic *Wheal Zion - copper *Wheal Edward - copper and arsenic *Wheal Arthur - copper and arsenic, directly east of Wheal Edward

Transport

The Tamar is navigable to boats past Calstock some upstream to

Morwellham Quay Morwellham Quay is an historic river port in Devon, England that developed to support the local mines. The port had its peak in the Victorian era and is now run as a tourist attraction and museum. It is the terminus of the Tavistock Canal, and ...

with some or even of water at extreme spring tides. Calstock Quay and Danescombe Quay were once important for transporting minerals from the various mines in the area. In the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

when

steamers Steamer may refer to: Transportation * Steamboat, smaller, insular boat on lakes and rivers * Steamship, ocean-faring ship * Screw steamer, steamboat or ship that uses "screws" (propellers) * Steam yacht, luxury or commercial yacht * Paddle st ...

brought tourists to the village, Calstock was visited by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1846. Tourist boats still operate from Plymouth as far as Cotehele in the summer months. The importance of the river as a transport route declined with the construction of the Tamar Valley railway at the start of the 20th century. The village is still dominated by the railway's viaduct.

Boat building

The river has its own unique design of craft, The Tamar barge. Calstock had two main boat builders, Goss's Yard, which built the West Country Ketch '' Garlandstone'', now at Morwellham Quay industrial museum, and May's Yard, in the Danescombe Valley. '' Garlandstone'' was, unusually, built as a speculative venture by James Goss to keep his men employed at a period of diminishing repair work following the run down and closure of Morwellham Quay. A surviving Tamar barge, ''Shamrock'', is preserved by the

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

and

National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the Unit ...

at Cotehele Quay. A second barge, ''Lynher'', also built by James Goss, is privately owned at

Cremyll Cremyll (pronounced ) is a small coastal village in the civil parish of Maker-with-Rame, in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Cremyll is on the Rame Peninsula facing Plymouth Sound. The village is about 9 miles by road or 0.5 miles ...

Lime production

There are four sets of lime kilns at Calstock and more at Cotehele Quay. Further kilns were located at various points along the river. The burning of lime was a major industry in the area in the 19th century. The limestone was delivered to the kilns by boat but the resulting lime was shipped out to the various farms by horse and cart. It was used as a fertiliser, an ingredient in paint and as a mortar for bricklaying.

Churches

Parish church of St Andrew

The church is said to have been consecrated about 1290. Nothing obvious remains of this period, but the pillars and arches to the north of the centre aisle of the present building are early 14th century. About 1420 the south aisle was added, and the whole church re-roofed. In 1861, an architectural survey of the diocese of Exeter noted that the whole church was in a sad state. This resulted in the thorough restoration of 1867, the floor levels were altered, the existing tiles relaid, the chancel given its present roof, and the building furnished with plain pitched-pine benches. Although the restoration was severe, many of the interesting features of the church were preserved. In addition, three chapels-of-ease were built at Gunnislake, Harrowbarrow and Latchley; these chapels were needed because of the increase in population for the mines of the parish. Diocese of Truro arms

St. Anne's, Gunnislake

The land was bought on 29 January 1879. The total cost of the building was £2,400 of which the Duke of Bedford gave £500 and the Church building society gave £200. The foundation stone of the church was laid by the Dowager Countess of Mount Edgcumbe, at 3pm on Tuesday, 30 September 1879. The building was designed by J. Piers St Aubyn and was consecrated by Edward Benson, the Bishop of Truro, in 1880. It was dedicated to St. Anne because of an ancient local holy well, close to the site of the church. The church seats up to 225 worshippers. In 1918

Gunnislake Gunnislake () is a large village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately north of Plymouth The first woman cabinet minister in the British Empire, Mary Ellen Smith, was born here in 1863. G ...

made an appeal to become its own separate parish but failed to raise the necessary funds.

All Saints, Harrowbarrow

In 1870, a parishioner presented the rector with a piece of land, near the Prince of Wales Mine. The church was designed by J. Piers St Aubyn; it was built as a school and a mission chapel for £700. The church seats up to 80 worshippers.

Albaston Chapel

The graveyard in front was consecrated in 1888. Outside the chapel, just inside the main gate, there is a large granite

memorial cross A memorial cross (sometimes called an intending cross) is a cross-shaped memorial to commemorate a special event or an incident, typically where one or more people died. It may also be a simple form of headstone to commemorate the dead. File I ...

commemorating 132 men who made the supreme sacrifice in war. The cross bears the following inscription;

St Michael and All Angels, Latchley Church

In 1879, the "foundation stone of our long wished for church was laid".

Latchley Latchley is a village in the Tamar Valley in Cornwall, England, UK. It is in the parish of Calstock (where the population of the 2011 census is included.).Piers St Aubyn James Piers St Aubyn (6 April 1815 – 8 May 1895), often referred to as J P St Aubyn, was an English architect of the Victorian era, known for his church architecture and confident restorations. Early life St Aubyn was born at Powick Vicarag ...

, the same architect as Gunnislake. It was built three years later than

Gunnislake Gunnislake () is a large village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately north of Plymouth The first woman cabinet minister in the British Empire, Mary Ellen Smith, was born here in 1863. G ...

at a cost of £1,147 as a chapel-of-ease dedicated to St Michael and All Angels. It was dedicated by the

Bishop of Truro The bishop of Truro is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown De ...

on 20 July 1883. After a bad attack of woodworm to the building in August 1968. it was closed to worshippers. In 1985, it was sold and used for a dwelling. Cotehele Courtyard - Delicate Hues - panoramio

Cotehele Courtyard - Delicate Hues - panoramio

Cotehele's chapels

St. Katharine, House Chapel Cotehele

In

Cotehele Cotehele is a medieval house with Tudor additions, situated in the parish of Calstock in the east of Cornwall, England, and now belonging to the National Trust. It is a rambling granite and slate-stone manor house on the banks of the River T ...

, on the west side of Hall Court is the vicarage and chapel. The chapel, dedicated to St. Katharine and St. Anne, is connected to the main building via a small passageway leading to the dining room. The chapel is one of the oldest rooms in the house, alongside the Great Hall. It still has the original clock, a rare example from the

Tudor period In England and Wales, the Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603, including the Elizabethan era during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England, which began with ...

, still in operation today.

St. Thomas Becket, Woodland Chapel Cotehele

In the grounds of

Cotehele Cotehele is a medieval house with Tudor additions, situated in the parish of Calstock in the east of Cornwall, England, and now belonging to the National Trust. It is a rambling granite and slate-stone manor house on the banks of the River T ...

, directly East of the House close to the

River Tamar The Tamar (; ) is a river in south west England that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A large part of the valley of the Tamar is protected as the Tamar Valley National Landscape (an Area of Outsta ...

, lies a peaceful basic chapel. inside there are pews going around the walls, two minister's benches and a very ornate table. the patron saint of the chapel is St.

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

.

Cornish wrestling

Cornish wrestling Cornish wrestling () is a form of wrestling that has been established in Cornwall for many centuries and possibly longer. It is similar to the Breton people, Breton Gouren wrestling style. It is colloquially known as "wrasslin’"Phillipps, K C: ...

prize tournaments were held at the Bridge Inn in Calstock in the 1800s and 1900s.West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 20 November 1846.Western Morning News, 12 July 1926. Tournaments were also held at St Ann's ChapelRoyal Cornwall Gazette, 21 August 1875.St. Austell Star, 13 September 1906. and AlbastonRoyal Cornwall Gazette, 11 September 1875.

Primary school

Calstock Community Primary School was built in 1901 and opened on 6 January 1902. At that time, the school consisted of just two main classrooms. It has since been extended with the addition of the infant suite which won an award for architectural design, in keeping with the remainder of the school. The centenary of the school was celebrated in the summer of 2002. In 2014, Stoke Climsland School federated with Calstock to pool resources. The vast majority of pupils continue their education at

Callington Community College Callington Community College is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, in Callington Cornwall. The school was established between 1911 and 1914 on Launceston Road as a council building, with parts of that buildi ...

or

Devonport High School for Boys Devonport High School for Boys is an 11–18 boys grammar school and Academy (English school), academy in Plymouth, Devon, England. It has around 1,150 boys, and its catchment area (human geography), catchment area includes southwest Devon and s ...

/

Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. ''daughter'' or ''girlfriend'' regardless of age, ...

.

Railway

East Cornwall Mineral Railway

The East Cornwall Mineral Railway was a gauge railway line, opened in 1872 to connect mines and quarries in the

Callington Callington () is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston. Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had increased to 5,78 ...

and

Gunnislake Gunnislake () is a large village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately north of Plymouth The first woman cabinet minister in the British Empire, Mary Ellen Smith, was born here in 1863. G ...

areas in east

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

with shipping at Calstock on the

River Tamar The Tamar (; ) is a river in south west England that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A large part of the valley of the Tamar is protected as the Tamar Valley National Landscape (an Area of Outsta ...

. The line included a rope-worked incline to descend to the quay at Calstock. Wagons with goods from the mines around

Gunnislake Gunnislake () is a large village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately north of Plymouth The first woman cabinet minister in the British Empire, Mary Ellen Smith, was born here in 1863. G ...

and

Callington Callington () is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston. Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had increased to 5,78 ...

were brought down the hillside on a cable-worked incline with a gradient of 1 in 6 (17%). Following the opening of the LSWR mainline railway at nearby

Bere Alston Bere Alston is a village in West Devon in the county of Devon in England. It forms part of the civil parish of Bere Ferrers. The village is reported to have a population of 2,259 (2021 Census) History and geography With a population of a ...

, a connecting line from there to Calstock was opened, and the existing line converted to

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...

, opening throughout as a passenger line in 1908. When rural lines in the area were closed in the 1960s under the

Beeching Axe The Beeching cuts, also colloquially referred to as the Beeching Axe, were a major series of route closures and service changes made as part of the restructuring of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain in the 1960s. They are named ...

, a short section of the original ECMR line was retained to keep open a connection from

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

to Gunnislake, and that section remains open.

Calstock Viaduct

The viaduct is high with twelve wide arches, and a further small arch in the Calstock abutment. Three of the piers stand in the River Tamar, which is tidal at this point and has a minimum clearance at high tide of . It was built between 1904 and 1907 by John Lang of

Liskeard Liskeard ( ; ) is an ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) east of Bodmin. Th ...

using 11,148 concrete blocks. These were cast in a temporary yard on the

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

bank opposite the village. The engineers were Richard Church and

W. R. Galbraith William Robert Galbraith (7 July 1829 – 5 October 1914)Marshall, 2003 was a civil engineer in the United Kingdom during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was employed by the London and South Western Railway as a consulting engineer ...

. The viaduct was first crossed by truck on 8 August 1907 and first used by passengers on 2 March 1908. It is a

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

structure.

Services

is served by trains on the

Tamar Valley Line The Tamar Valley Line is a railway line from Plymouth, Devon, to Gunnislake, Cornwall, in England, also known as the Gunnislake branch line. The line follows the River Tamar for much of its route. Like all railway lines in Devon and Cornwall, ...

from to . Connections with main line services can be made at Plymouth, although a small number of Tamar Valley services continue to or from .

Ferry

The Calstock Ferry operates between Calstock and Ferry Farm on the Devon side of the Tamar. The service resumed in May 2025 after a ten-year absence. The new ferry is entirely solar-powered. It can be used by walkers on the

Tamara Coast to Coast Way The Tamara Coast to Coast Way is a walking route in England from Cremyll on the south coast of Cornwall to Morwenstow on its north coast. The route largely follows the River Tamar, which rises less than from the north coast, and is mostly ...

to avoid a long detour via Bere Alston station.

Literary associations

The poetry publisher Peterloo Poets, founded by Harry Chambers, was based in Calstock until it closed down in 2009. Peterloo Poets was formerly based at

Liskeard Liskeard ( ; ) is an ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) east of Bodmin. Th ...

. In 2010 Chambers was honoured for services to Poetry in the New Year Honours.

Local establishments

During Victorian times, the parish had "13 churches and 13 taverns." Currently, the parish only has four churches and nine taverns. These include the Tamar Inn, on Calstock Quay, which dates from the 17th century and was rumoured to be the haunt of smugglers and highwaymen, and the Boot Inn, in the centre of the village, built in the year 1666. Calstock Arts hosts a wide variety of art and music events and exhibitions in the Old Chapel. Calstock has a

non-league football Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...

club, playing in the second division of the

Duchy League The Duchy League was an English football competition based in the eastern half of Cornwall, but also included a few sides from over the border in Devon. The League was formed in 1965 as a merger of the Liskeard & District League and the St. Auste ...

. Their home ground is on Calstock Quay by the banks of the River Tamar. The club's nickname, The Bees, and logo are derived from Cornwall's county colours of black and gold. The club is run by local volunteers and is sponsored by the Tamar Inn, also located on Calstock Quay.

Governance

In 1894, the parish was made its own rural district, '' Calstock Rural District'', at the time Calstock had a large population. In 1934, the rural district was abolished and amalgamated with Callington Urban District to form

St Germans Rural District St Germans Rural District was a local government division of Cornwall in England, UK, between 1894 and 1974. Established under the Local Government Act 1894, the rural district was enlarged in 1934 by the abolition of Callington Urban District ...

. Then in 1974, the

St Germans Rural District St Germans Rural District was a local government division of Cornwall in England, UK, between 1894 and 1974. Established under the Local Government Act 1894, the rural district was enlarged in 1934 by the abolition of Callington Urban District ...

was amalgamated with Liskeard Rural District to form Caradon. In 2009, Caradon was abolished so that the whole of

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

was governed by one unitary authority,

Cornwall Council Cornwall Council ( ), known between 1889 and 2009 as Cornwall County Council (), is the local authority which governs the non-metropolitan county of Cornwall in South West England. Since 2009 it has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary ...

.

Parish Council

Calstock Parish Council forms the lowest tier of local government. The parish council was established in 1934, after Calstock Rural District was amalgamated the parish with the Rural District of St Germans. Eighteen councillors are elected or co-opted from the five wards of the parish - Calstock, Chilsworthy, Delaware,

Gunnislake Gunnislake () is a large village in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the Tamar Valley approximately north of Plymouth The first woman cabinet minister in the British Empire, Mary Ellen Smith, was born here in 1863. G ...

and

Harrowbarrow Harrowbarrow () is a village in the parish of Calstock in east Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish ...

. The council meets at the Tamar Valley Centre in Drakewalls.

Cornwall Council

For elections to

Cornwall Council Cornwall Council ( ), known between 1889 and 2009 as Cornwall County Council (), is the local authority which governs the non-metropolitan county of Cornwall in South West England. Since 2009 it has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary ...

, Calstock is an electoral division represented by one member on the council. Dorothy Kirk of the Labour Party has been the councillor since 2021. Before 2021, Calstock was in the Gunnislake and Calstock electoral division.

Freemasonry

Calstock has always had a strong

masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

presence. Cotehele Lodge No. 2166 was Warranted in June 1886 and Consecrated in April 1887 at Cotehele House. It was founded by twelve local men and was greatly supported by the then

Provincial Grand Master Provincial Grand Master (abbreviated PGM or PrGM), sometimes called District Grand Master or Metropolitan Grand Master, is a fraternal office held by the head of a Provincial Grand Lodge, who is directly appointed by the organisation's Grand Maste ...

, the

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Earl of Mount Edgcumbe is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for George Edgcumbe, 3rd Baron Edgcumbe. This branch of the Edgcumbe family descends from Sir Piers Edgcumbe of Cotehele in Cornwall (descended from the ...

. In August 1900, Cotehele Lodge moved to the purpose built Calstock Masonic Hall, on Commercial Road, which was opened by Sir Philip Colville Smith, CVO. The Lodge has continued to meet there since its construction.Worcestershire Masonic Library and Museum Trust - Cotehele Lodge Entry
/ref>

Twin towns

*

Saint-Thuriau Saint-Thuriau (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France. Inhabitants of Saint-Thuriau are called in French or . It takes its name from Saint Turiaf of Dol, bishop of the ancient Diocese of Dol. Twinni ...

,

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

Places of interest

References

External links

Calstock Online Parish Clerk

Calstock History

Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Calstock
*Calstock Parish Church History, Rev Gordon Ruming {{authority control Calstock Civil parishes in Cornwall Manors in Cornwall Ports and harbours of Cornwall River Tamar Villages in Cornwall

Early history

Industries

Mining

Transport

Boat building

Lime production

Churches

Parish church of St Andrew

St. Anne's, Gunnislake

All Saints, Harrowbarrow

Albaston Chapel

St Michael and All Angels, Latchley Church

Cotehele's chapels

St. Katharine, House Chapel Cotehele

St. Thomas Becket, Woodland Chapel Cotehele

Cornish wrestling

Primary school

Railway

East Cornwall Mineral Railway

Calstock Viaduct

Services

Ferry

Literary associations

Local establishments

Governance

Parish Council

Cornwall Council

Freemasonry

Twin towns

Places of interest

See also

References

External links