- Charlestown, Cornwall
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Coordinates: 50°19′53″N 4°45′28″W / 50.3314°N 4.7578°W
Charlestown Cornish: Porthmeur 
Cottages overlooking the inner harbour at Charlestown
Charlestown
Charlestown shown within CornwallOS grid reference SX037516 Parish St Austell Bay Unitary authority Cornwall Ceremonial county Cornwall Region South West Country England Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town ST. AUSTELL Postcode district PL25 Dialling code 01726 Police Devon and Cornwall Fire Cornwall Ambulance South Western EU Parliament South West England UK Parliament St Austell and Newquay List of places: UK • England • Cornwall 
St Paul's Church
Harbour entrance and outer harbourCharlestown (Cornish: Porthmeur) is a village and port on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, in the parish of St Austell Bay. It is situated approximately 2 miles (3 km) south east of St Austell town centre.[1]
The port at Charlestown developed from what was in the late 18th century the fishing village of West Polmear. Whereas other areas within the conurbation of St Austell have seen much development during the 20th century, Charlestown has remained relatively unchanged within this expansion. There are deposits of china clay in the area. Particles of mica quartz in the sea near Charlestown give it a turquoise-blue colour. The same colour is imparted to flooded china clay quarries.[2]
Contents
History
Charlestown grew out of a small fishing village called West Polmear (also West Porthmear). Prior to the building of the harbour trading vessels landed and loaded on the beach. It was developed in the Georgian era (specifically from 1790 when work on building an outer quay began to 1799 when the first dock gates were erected) as a new town, and named after local landowner Charles Rashleigh who had a hand in its design. In 1799 the locals asked his permission to rename the place Charles's Town which in turn became Charlestown. The works were to the plans of John Smeaton. It was built to facilitate the transport of copper from nearby mines but its main function became the export of china clay from the region's quarries and, to a limited extent, still serves that purpose today.
Following the death of Charles Rashleigh in 1823 the fate of Charlestown was caught up in the financial problems of Rashleigh's estate. As a result in 1825 Messrs. Crowder and Sartoris, trading as Charlestown Estate, agreed to accept all the leasehold property in Charlestown in lieu of sums owed to them and purchased the rest of the estate from the Rashleigh family thus becoming the new owners of the port and the surrounding settlement.
In 1790 the settlement was known as West Polmear and had a population of 9, which increased to 3,184 by 1911.
Economy
Charlestown harbour is used by several local fisherman. The harbour itself is owned by Square Sail, a company that owns and sails a small fleet of tall ships, including Kaskelot. One or two of these can often be found at anchor in the harbour, and are frequently open for tours during the summer months. The best-known tall ship to regularly visit the port was the Maria Asumpta, first launched in 1858 and the world's oldest working square rigger. The Maria Asumpta was very popular with tourists and locals alike, until the ship ran aground and broke up on the north Cornish coast in May 1995, with the loss of three of her sixteen crew.
Charlestown is a popular tourist destination. Attractions are the architecture, the sea, and the Charlestown Shipwreck, Rescue and Heritage Centre.
Religion
St. Paul's Anglican Church: see gallery of images[3]
Culture
Charlestown harbour has been used several times as a filming location for both film and television dramas. For example, on 25 September 2008 Tim Burton filmed a part of his Alice in Wonderland movie here.[4]. Filming took place on 1 February 2011[5] for much of The Curse of the Black Spot, an episode of the Dr Who television series. It was filmed at night on the sailing ship Phoenix of Dell Quay while it was moored in the harbour.[6]
it has starred in Poldark, an adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion and films such as the 1993 version of The Three Musketeers. The sequence set in Alderney in the film The Eagle Has Landed was filmed in and around the harbour and the adjacent beach. The famous Heart Of The Ocean necklace from the 1997 film Titanic resides at the town's National Shipwreck Museum. Charlestown Rowing Club is based in the village.[citation needed]
Education
Charlestown Primary School is a one form entry primary school situated between Charlestown village and Carlyon Bay. It currently has 211 children. In 1999 the school was awarded Beacon Status to work in partnership with other schools sharing good practice. In May 2002 the school achieved Healthy Schools Status. The school's declared aim is to "Promote the highest standards of work and behaviour and to provide opportunities for success for all children in a caring environment of mutual trust, respect and harmony."
Administration
Charlestown is in the new parliamentary constituency of St Austell and Newquay. Previously, the village was in part of an unparished area with all local services directly administered by Cornwall County Council, but since 1 April 2009 is in the newly formed St Austell Bay civil parish.
Gallery
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The first beach is separated from the other...
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...by the harbour entrance and outer harbour...
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The impounded harbour
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... as the tide went out, August 2001
References
- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 200 Newquay & Bodmin ISBN 9780319229385
- ^ Last Refuge
- ^ "Photographs of St Paul's parish church, including shots of the interior and stained glass windows". http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cornwallpics/charlestownchurch/.
- ^ IMDB. "Alice in Wonderland (2010)". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/locations. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
- ^ BBC (4 February 2011). "Dr Who is filmed in Charlestown". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9384000/9384857.stm. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
- ^ Mulkern, Patrick (7–13 May 2011). "Who ahhhhh!". Radio Times (BBC Magazines) 349 (4539): 6–7.
External links
Geography of Cornwall Cornwall Portal Unitary authorities Major settlements Bodmin • Bude • Callington • Camborne • Camelford • Falmouth • Fowey • Hayle • Helston • Launceston • Liskeard • Looe • Lostwithiel • Marazion • Newlyn • Newquay • Padstow • Par • Penryn • Penzance • Porthleven • Redruth • Saltash • St Austell • St Blazey • St Columb Major • St Ives • St Just-in-Penwith • St Mawes • Stratton • Torpoint • Truro • Wadebridge
See also: Civil parishes in CornwallRivers Topics History • Status debate • Flag • Culture • Places • People • The Duchy • Diocese • Politics • Hundreds/shires • Places of interest • full list...Categories:- Towns in Cornwall
- Ports and harbours of Cornwall
- Beaches of Cornwall
- Populated coastal places in Cornwall
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