St Breward facts for kids
St Breward (which is S. Bruwerd in the Cornish language) is a lovely village and area in Cornwall, England. It's located on the western edge of Bodmin Moor, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of the town of Bodmin. In 2011, about 919 people lived in the St Breward area, including nearby places like Cooksland and Fentonadle.
The village gets its name from an old saint called Branwalader. For a long time, until the 1800s, people often called it 'Simonward' by mistake!
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Exploring St Breward Village
St Breward is a friendly village with many things for people to do. You can walk along a special footpath that goes in a loop, passing by an old holy well and the village church.
What's in the Village?
The village has a shop and post office where you can buy things and send letters. There's also a village hall, which is a place for community events. If you like sports, there's a football club called Brake Parc FC and a playground for kids to enjoy.
For places of worship, you'll find a Methodist chapel and an Anglican church. There's also a pub called The Old Inn, a war memorial hall, and a primary school for younger children.
The Village Church
Quick facts for kids St Branwalader's Church, St Breward |
|
|---|---|
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Branwalader |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Breward |
| Archdeaconry | Bodmin |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
The church is at the north end of the village and is named after St Branwalader. It's a large building that started in the Norman period (around the 11th to 12th centuries). Later, in the 1400s, a side section and a tall tower were added, made from granite.
The church was repaired in the 1800s, but you can still see parts of the original Norman design inside. In the past, there were three smaller chapels in the area: one at Hamatethy, one called St Michael's Chapel at Roughtor, and another at Chaple. The village celebrates its feast day on the Sunday after February 2nd.
The Institute and War Memorial Hall
This hall is located at Limehead. It's easy for everyone to use, including people with disabilities. It has fast internet and a special "Smartboard" for presentations. The hall is used for many things like social gatherings, learning activities, and craft groups. It's also where the St Breward History Group keeps old records and stories about the area. There's a small kitchen for making snacks and drinks.
Hamatethy Manor
Hamatethy Manor is a large house and estate about half a mile north of St Breward. This important place has been around since before the Norman Conquest in 1066! After that, it was owned by Count Robert of Mortain, who was the half-brother of William the Conqueror.
Over the centuries, different families owned the Manor. The current house was built in 1924. It even includes some parts from an older house that was taken down in another village, like a doorway from 1678.
History and Ancient Sites
The moorland (open, wild land) around St Breward is famous for its very old remains from prehistoric times. One of the most interesting is a large earthwork called King Arthur's Hall.
For many hundreds of years, the main industry in St Breward was mining granite. This strong stone has been used in Cornwall and sent to many other places around the world. De Lank Quarry is a very important mine that produces high-quality granite. More recently, another material called china clay has also been mined here. There's another big china clay works at Stannon.
Prehistoric Remains
Besides King Arthur's Hall, other important ancient sites include the Fernacre stone circle and two other stone circles. One of these circles has 76 stones and a single stone standing outside it. The other has 16 stones, but it probably had 22 originally.
In the late 1800s, a historian named Arthur Langdon found seven old crosses and six cross-bases (the bottom parts of crosses) in the area. Some of these crosses are at Lanke, Penvorder, Deaconstow, and Middlemoor. From 1998 to 2000, archaeologists (people who study old things) worked at the china clay works on Stannon Down. They learned a lot about the many Bronze Age remains found there.
Geography and Landscape
In the 1600s, St Breward was actually two separate villages: Churchtown (the higher part) and St Breward (the lower part). As more houses were built over time, the two villages slowly grew together to become one. Today, the village has several main areas like Churchtown, Rylands, Row, Limehead, Wenford, Penvorder, Higher Penquite, and Lower Penquite.
The bridge and small group of houses called Wenfordbridge and Tuckingmill are located on the River Camel. This area is right on the border between St Breward parish and the nearby parish of St Tudy. The St Breward area also includes a large moorland section. This moorland is home to Rough Tor and Brown Willy, which is the highest point in all of Cornwall!
Cornish Wrestling
Cornish wrestling is a traditional sport, and tournaments have been held in St Breward for many centuries. These exciting events, where wrestlers compete for prizes, often took place at the Football Field. You can also find out more about wrestling in the nearby area of Wenfordbridge.
Famous People from St Breward
- Trevor Colman was born and grew up in St Breward. He later became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the UKIP political party. An MEP is someone who represents their country in the European Parliament, which is a group of countries in Europe working together.
- Brian Hanscomb is an artist who creates engravings, and he lives in the village.
- George Martin was a priest who was born in St Breward. He later moved to Southwark and became very well-known among poor people there. He was even called the 'modern St Anthony' because of his kindness and help.
See also
In Spanish: St Breward para niños
