St Dennis, Cornwall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Dennis
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 St Dennis from the air showing the church built inside a hillfort |
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| Population | 2,785 (United Kingdom Census 2011) |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ST AUSTELL |
| Postcode district | PL26 |
| Dialling code | 01726 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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St Dennis (in Cornish: Tredhinas) is a village and a civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is located between the towns of Newquay and St Austell.
In 2011, St Dennis had a population of 2,810 people. A big part of the village's history and economy is linked to china clay. About a quarter of the men in St Dennis work in the china clay industry.
The village is well-known for its church. This church was built on the site of an ancient Iron Age hillfort, which was like a fortified settlement from a long time ago. Other important buildings include the Methodist chapel and the Boscawen Hotel.
Contents
History of St Dennis
St Dennis started as several smaller groups of homes called Hendra, Trelavour, and Whitepit. The number of people living here grew very quickly after William Cookworthy found china clay in the area. This discovery changed the village a lot.
Geography and Landscape
The area around St Dennis is known for its china clay mining. You can see many large piles of waste material, called tips, and big holes in the ground, called pits. However, St Dennis village itself is a special 'island settlement'. This means it is protected from the china clay industry expanding into it.
Much of the parish is quite high up, about 500 feet above sea level. The countryside is mostly moorland, which is open, uncultivated land. There are also small fields surrounded by 'hedges'. These hedges are actually earth-covered granite walls. They were built many centuries ago when people cleared the land for farming.
Part of Trelavour Downs is a special protected area. It is called a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it has important plants, animals, or geological features. It is also a Geological Conservation Review site because of its unique rocks. A small pit there was once used to find lithium. It is also the best place in Britain to find a type of rock called biotite mica.
Churches and Chapels
The main church in St Dennis is on top of a hill. From there, you can see great views over Goss Moor all the way to the sea at Newquay. The church is named after St Denys. It stands on the same spot where an Iron Age fort once stood.
The oldest part of the church is its tower. The newer part of the church was badly damaged by a fire in 1985. It was a sad event, but the church was rebuilt. The new roof timbers were so big that a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter had to lift them into place!
St Dennis also has a strong history with Methodism. Methodism is a type of Protestant Christian faith. At one time, there were three Methodist chapels in the village. Today, only Carne Hill chapel is still open.
In the churchyard, there is an old cross. Its top part is shaped like a horseshoe. It has some interesting carvings on it.
Education and Community Life
The infant school in St Dennis has joined with the new primary school. The old infant school building has been updated. It is now a community center called ClayTAWC. This center helps adults learn computer skills. It also offers many other interesting classes for the community.
St Dennis Brass Band
The St Dennis Band is based in the village. This band has a long history of competing against some of the best bands in the world. In 2017, the band reached Championship Status, which is a very high level. They went to Blackpool last year and kept their Championship status. They are currently the WEBF Champions.
Local Clubs and Pubs
The village of St Dennis has two public houses, which are like local pubs: The Commercial Inn and the Boscawen Hotel. There are also three clubs where people can gather: the St Dennis Working Men's Club, the St Dennis Band Club, and St Dennis A.F.C., which is the local football club.
Technology and Energy
In the late 1970s, a special vehicle called the Land Master all-terrain vehicle was created here. This vehicle was designed to travel over all kinds of difficult ground.
Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre
The Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre is a facility built near St Dennis. It is a type of incinerator that burns waste to create energy. The company SITA built it.
This center helps Cornwall by taking 90 percent of the county's waste that would normally go into a landfill. Instead, it burns the waste to make electricity. It can generate sixteen megawatts of electricity. The local community has also received a lot of money as a benefit from the center.
Railway Connections
The closest railway station for St Dennis is St Columb Road, which is over three miles away. However, there have been special mineral railways in the parish. These railways were used to transport minerals, especially china clay. You can find more information about them in the article about St Dennis railway station.
Cornish Wrestling
Cornish wrestling is a traditional sport in Cornwall. In St Dennis, the usual place for wrestling tournaments was a small field behind the Commercial Inn. Other places used for these events included a field behind the Miners Arms pub in Hendra, and the Old football ground near the current football club.
Even though St Dennis is a small village, many famous Cornish wrestlers have come from here. Some successful wrestlers include:
- Gilbert Bennetts: He was a heavyweight champion in 1921 and a lightweight champion in 1922 and 1923.
- George Bazeley: He famously beat a Japanese wrestler named Yukio Tani. His grandson, Richard Bazley, is planning to make a film about this fight called "George and the Dragon."
- Almond Giles: He became the lightweight champion in America, South Africa, and England.
More recently, successful wrestlers from St Dennis include:
- Toby Garner: Featherweight champion in 2016 and 2017, and lightweight champion in 2017.
- Violet Margetts: Ladies champion in 2023.
- Simon Margetts: Heavyweight champion from 2019 to 2023, and light heavyweight champion from 2019 to 2023.
Images for kids
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St Dennis from the air showing the church built inside a hillfort
See also
In Spanish: St Dennis para niños
