St Austell
St. Austell is a bustling market town often referred to as the capital of the Cornish Alps. The ethereal white mini-mountains, the spoil heaps of the china-clay industry lend an eerie atmosphere to the landscape. William Cookworthy discovered the clay in 1755, and with the opening of the pits to mine the clay St. Austell’s population and prosperity soon began to grow. Kao-Lin, an essential ingredient in the manufacture of porcelain, had previously only been found in northern China. Today Cornwall still exports clay, which is also used to produce paint, paper and in some medicines.
St Austell is arguably one of the six largest centres of population in Devon and Cornwall and the largest single conurbation in Cornwall.
The Market House was founded under the St Austell Market House Act of Parliament 1842. The construction of the building is most interesting. The granite was obtained from local quarries and most of the cutting and shaping was done on site by skilled stonemasons. The vaulted ceiling, the largest freestanding ceiling in Europe, with massive granite pillars in the entrance hall, is worthy of close inspection. The stone stairways on either side of the Market Hall lead to the first floor with a cast iron balustrade set in granite blocks to form a gallery.
St Austell is also home to the Eden Project, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, China Clay Country Park, formally Wheal Martyn and St Austell Brewery. all top tourist attractions.
Built in a disued clay pit The Eden Project has become one of the top tourist attractions in the world. Their mission is promote the understanding and responsible management of the vital relationship between plants, people and resources leading to a sustainable future for all. It’s all about man’s relationship with and dependence upon plants. Much of our food, our clothes, our shelter and our medicines all come from the plant world. Without plants there would be no oxygen for us to breathe no life on earth.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan is one of the finest examples of Victorian gardens in the country In 2001 they celebrated the tenth anniversary of the restoration of the Lost Gardens. For many decades rampant overgrowth had engulfed the increasingly neglected gardens until the Great Storm of 1990, which appeared to put the final, fatal seal on this mysterious estate. However, during Easter 1991, a small band of enthusiasts started clearing away the veil of brambles which strangled what later emerged as the Melon Yard, at the heart of the productive gardens.
China Clay Country Park is situated in a beautifully landscaped 26 acre site, originally two clay works called ‘ and ‘Gomm’, situated close to St. Austell, Cornwall in the Trenance Valley which at one time contained several china clay works. There are many species of flora and fauna to investigate for those who have additional interests.
The clay works have been carefully restored in 1975, to give an historical idea of what they originally looked like, and go back to the 1870 Wheal Martyn is still active today, and it is possible, following a walk to a viewing point, to see some activity in the pit.
The St Austell Brewery Company Limited was founded in 1851 by Walter Hicks, who mortgaged his farm for £1,500 to set up his business in St Austell. In 2001, the company celebrated its 150th Anniversary. It is one of the longest established of only a few independent family brewer’s left in the UK. St Austell Brewery is totally committed to continuing its brewing business and to retaining its independence.
Cornwall College St Austell was created in 1993 and quickly grew to accommodate over 2000 full-time and 6000 part-time students per annum. So much so that in 1995 a new annexe, named the Sedgemoor Centre and situated on the west side of St Austell was built to accommodate the growing number of vocational and Higher Education courses, plus a specially adapted wing to house a suite of classrooms for Foundation Studies students.
In August 2001 St Austell College merged with Cornwall College and became Cornwall College St Austell. The College has since invested heavily in technology and equipment, the most significant investment, however has without a doubt been the acquisition of John Keay House in 2002.
With two years of preparations, 2004 saw the beginning of Cornwall College St Austell’s reloction of its former five sites to a single site at John Keay House, as well as the building of a new Performing Arts Centre with a 300-seat theatre to house new Dance and Performing Arts studios.
ST AUSTELL DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
Sembal House
West Hill
St Austell
Cornwall
PL25 5ET 01726 69094
stachamb@btconnect.com
STOP PRESS
MEETINGS
Monthly Monday 12th January 6.00pm The White Hart Hotel.
Management Monday 19th January 5.15pm The White Hart Hotel.
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