Archaeology Group

This new group is headed by Shelia Harper, the society's Warden of Ancient Monuments and Archaeology Recorder.

Flint Workshop

Members of the Archaeology Group learning how to recognise and date flints

Flint Workshop

Part of the Flint Collection available for examination

Archaeology Group Members At Flint Workshop

".. and this is how to tell Mesolithic from Neolithic"

February 2011

Trevemper Bridge

SW 819 599

History of the Bridge

Trevemper Bridge Clearance March 25th 2011

The bridge is an ancient pack horse bridge at the head of the river Gannel. In the 18th century Welsh coal was unshipped at Trevemper and Penpol Creek on the Gannel for the Truro Smelting Works. The route of the pack horse track can be followed today.

The Gannel was of some importance, having an Iron Age cliff castle above it, and being a port for nearby Crantock in the 13th and 14th centuries.

1613 The bridge is named

1701 County Rate called for its repair

1712 Bishop of Exeter had his salmon weir or hatch at Trevemper worth £5 annually

1839 Two arches washed away by storm water. Later rebuilt with one arch.

1925 A big bridge is built parallel with the old pack horse bridge

1939 Cornwall County Council close old bridge

1939-197? Various attempts made by NOCS/FOCS to reopen bridge to pedestrians.

1977? Cornwall County Council announce they will repair the bridge and make a footpath across it.

2011 NOCS group tidy up the bridge as their first clearance work of historic monuments in the Newquay area.

Bridge Clearance

Members of the Archaeology Group busy clearing the ancient bridge

Trevemper Bridge Clearance March 25th 2011

Rachel, Sheila, Richard, Janet and Hilary

Trevemper Bridge Clearance March 25th 2011

Job Done!

March 25th 2011

St.Eval Longstone

SW 8705 6815

St.Eval Longstone is one of several similar prehistoric monuments in the area and appear to mark a boundary; it would seem these standing stones were laid down to rest by the ancient peoples of the land once this function had been fulfilled. More recently 18th and 19th century Antiquarians - perhaps misguidedly - re-erected many of them. This particular monument was re-erected by our Society in 1932.

It appears on the 1840 Tithe Map as the 'Boundary Rock'- on the boundary between the parishes of St. Mawgan and St. Eval.

Over time the stone had become overgrown - time for the 'A' Team to step in.