Albaston Explained

Country:England
Map Type:Cornwall
Static Image:Albaston-by-Jonathan-Billinger.jpg
Static Image Caption:Albaston post office and the Queen's Head pub
Coordinates:50.5124°N -4.2254°W
Label Position:left
Official Name:Albaston
Cornish Name:Trevalba
Region:South West England
Post Town:GUNNISLAKE
Postcode District:PL18
Postcode Area:PL
Dial Code:01822
Os Grid Reference:SX 423 704

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 .[1]

Albaston is about 1miles 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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes and References

  1. Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 Plymouth & Launceston
  2. Book: Gamble, Barry. Cornish Mines: Gwennap to the Tamar. April 2011. Alison Hodge Publishers. 978-0-906720-82-0. 77. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171111212713/https://books.google.com/books?id=1yhxoRzAspAC&pg=PA77. 2017-11-11.
  3. Book: The Industrial Archaeology of Cornwall. Arthur Cecil Todd, Peter Laws. David and Charles. 1972. 215. 9780715355909. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170118080416/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9vsaAAAAMAAJ&q=Albaston&dq=Albaston&hl=en&ei=6-SETIzHIYXJswajnNGaBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCA. 2017-01-18.
  4. Book: Barber, Norman. A Century of British Brewers, 1890-1990. 1994. Brewery History Society. 978-1-873966-04-4. 12. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171111212713/https://books.google.com/books?id=5-ogAQAAIAAJ. 2017-11-11.
  5. Web site: Callington Methodist Church - Home page. Callington Methodist Church. 16 January 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130526082436/http://callingtonmethodist.org/. 26 May 2013.
  6. News: Deals of the week. The Daily Telegraph. 7 July 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131110080330/http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004. 10 November 2013.
  7. Book: Letson, Harry. Catalysts of the Spirit: An Introduction to Pentecostal History. 2007. AuthorHouse. 978-1-4259-6273-9. 73. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171111212713/https://books.google.com/books?id=BASbWIacZGIC&pg=PA73. 2017-11-11.
  8. The West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 16 September 1875, p11.
  9. Royal Cornwall Gazette, 11 September 1875.