Albaston (Cornish: Trevalba) is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in the civil parish of Calstock. It is located at Ordnance Survey grid reference SX 423 704.[1]

Albaston
Albaston post office and the Queen's Head pub
Albaston is located in Cornwall
Albaston
Albaston
Location within Cornwall
OS grid referenceSX 423 704
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townGUNNISLAKE
Postcode districtPL18
Dialling code01822
PoliceDevon and Cornwall
FireCornwall
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cornwall
50°30′45″N 4°13′31″W / 50.5124°N 4.2254°W / 50.5124; -4.2254

Albaston is about 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) from the centre of Gunnislake and half-a-mile (0.7 kilometres) from Gunnislake railway station, the terminus of the Tamar Valley Line from Plymouth.

History edit

Historically, Albaston was closely connected with the nearby mine at Drakewalls. The success of the Drakewalls mine in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century led to the growth of the village of Albaston, including the construction of a Methodist chapel and several shops, dwellings and businesses.[2] A brewery, Edward Bowhay & Brothers, was established by 1877; this brewery had ceased operation by 1930.[3][4]

Albaston, Chapel of Rest edit

The grave yard in front was consecrated in 1888. Outside the chapel, just inside the main gate, there is a large Granite Memorial Cross commemorating the 132 men who had made the supreme sacrifice in war. On the cross it bears the following inscription;

"Thanks be to god which giveth us the victory In glorious memory of the men from the parish of Calstock who fell in the Great War 1914 - 1918. Greater Love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends"

Facilities edit

The village has a Methodist church, known as Tamar Valley Methodist Church. The current building was opened in 2001.[5]

The Old Post Office House is now let as a holiday home accommodating nine people.[6]

Notable residents edit

Christian Pentecostal leader Thomas Ball Barratt was born in Albaston in 1862, the son of a mining engineer. He moved to Norway when his father began working for a mine there and in later life became the founder of the Norwegian Pentecostal movement.[7]

Cornish wrestling edit

Cornish wrestling tournaments for prizes were held at Albaston.[8][9]

References edit

  1. ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 Plymouth & Launceston ISBN 978-0-319-23146-3
  2. ^ Gamble, Barry (April 2011). Cornish Mines: Gwennap to the Tamar. Alison Hodge Publishers. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-906720-82-0. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017.
  3. ^ Arthur Cecil Todd, Peter Laws (1972). The Industrial Archaeology of Cornwall. David and Charles. p. 215. ISBN 9780715355909. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017.
  4. ^ Barber, Norman (1994). A Century of British Brewers, 1890-1990. Brewery History Society. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-873966-04-4. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Callington Methodist Church - Home page". Callington Methodist Church. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Deals of the week". The Daily Telegraph. 7 July 2012. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
  7. ^ Letson, Harry (2007). Catalysts of the Spirit: An Introduction to Pentecostal History. AuthorHouse. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4259-6273-9. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017.
  8. ^ The West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 16 September 1875, p11.
  9. ^ Royal Cornwall Gazette, 11 September 1875.

External links edit

  Media related to Albaston at Wikimedia Commons