St Teath: slate quarrying on two continents

St Teath in the 1860s was Cornwall’s slate capital. The village of Delabole in the parish had grown as the result of the expansion of the former hamlets of Pengelly, Meadrose and Rockhead, which housed the hundreds of quarry labourers who came to work at Delabole Quarry, one of the deepest, if not the deepest, … Continue reading St Teath: slate quarrying on two continents

Cornwall’s granite backbone

Cornwall’s central spine is made up of four granite outcrops, from Bodmin Moor in the east through Hensbarrow and Carnmenellis to West Penwith at the Land’s End. It is said that every Cornish person also has a granite core. Easy-going on the surface, we can be obstinate and unmoveable if pushed too far. Cornishmen combined … Continue reading Cornwall’s granite backbone

Delabole slate quarry

It used to be said with some pride that Delabole slate quarry was so big it could be seen from space. Nowadays, given the state of satellite surveillance technology, that’s not saying much. But it’s still a big hole in the ground by any standards – the largest open work in a region where open … Continue reading Delabole slate quarry