History
The following is taken from a Women’s Institute Scrapbook which was put together for the Festival of Britain in 1951.
Some historical facts relating to Ponsanooth and District
In the 18th and 19th Century the banks of the Kennall River were throbbing with industry, ranging from corn milling to iron founding. In a 7-mile stretch of the river there were 48 water wheels. It may be doubted if, within the same short distance, another such stream can be found in England.
Mills at Ponsanooth were: -
Kennall Mills - In the Middle Ages, the Lord of the Manor provided a mill at which his tenants were obliged to grind their corn. This was the mill for Kennall Manor. It was first mentioned in 1659.
Chestnut Farm Corn Mill - 1691
Tregoose Corn Mills - 1589. According to local inhabitants there was also a flourmill here at the end of the 19th Century.
Frog Grist Mill - Shown on a map in 1730
Fulling or Trucking Mills - These were places where homespun cloth was dipped, cleansed and dressed. One such - Wellindructure - was apparently on the site of the present Tremenhere Farm. On the Kennall tributary, about 200yds above Tremenhere, is Tory Pond, a half-acre stretch of water used today for coarse fishing.
Paper Mills - During the 19th century on mill was working in Kennall Vale and two at Ponsanooth
Gunpowder Mills - Blasting material for the Cornish mines and quarries were originally supplied from London. But at the beginning of the 19th Century five powder manufactories were established in the county. Two of these lay in the vicinity of Ponsanooth. The manufacture of the powder continued in the area until the end of the 19th Century but by 1890 all the mines were using dynamite. Granite quarries continued to use powder because dynamite shattered the stone too much, but there was a depression in the granite industry round about 1900 (due to imports of Norwegian granite). These factors considerably reduced the demand for gunpowder and brought an end to another local industry.
There was a charcoal mill in Ponsanooth at the end of the last century, supplying ground charcoal to the powder mills; also a salt-petre refinery and a cooper's shop making barrels for the powder.
Textile Manufacture - Ponsanooth appears to have been one of the county's most important centres for the industry during the 19th Century.
In the 1880's between 80 and 100 girls, women and men from the Ponsanooth district were employed at the Vale View woolen factory. During the 1880's the factory turned over to tape making, using cotton from Manchester. Most of the tape was sent to Tuckingmill to be used as binding for safety fuse. The factory closed about 1914.
Kelly's directory for 1897 states that the proprietor of the Victory Inn, Ponsanooth was also a mattress maker. Two drapers and a wholesale tailor also lived in the village.
Mining - There were several mines in the area. One of which is Magdalen Mine, first mentioned in 1522. The name was derived from a nearby Chantry Chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. Some carved stonework of the chapel was unearthed and is now on a ledge behind the pulpit in the Church.
When mines began to open up a turnpike road was constructed from Redruth to Falmouth - i.e. Commercial Hill. At the beginning of the 19th Century the gradient was too steep for horse buses and so the present main road was made - circa 1860
Schools - Prior to 1878 there was no public school. Children attended Mr. Thomas's school at the bottom of School Hill. The school is still standing. It was also used for Church of England services before St. Michael and All Angels Mission Church was built-in 1880. The said Mr. Thomas, as well as being the schoolmaster ,was also the parish clerk, village constable and the village lawyer.
The present St. Gluvias County Primary School was opened on 1st Janaury, 1878. The first headmaster was a Mr. John Alonzo Dingle. He retired on the 30th April 1922. On the 1st June Mr. Harold Richards succeeded him as headmaster.
Stag Hunt Public House - So named because in Roman times, Ponsanooth was in the middle of a forest, extending to Lanner, in which stag hunts took place.
The Round House, Cot Wood - Built for Mr. Lanyon (one time owner of the Kennall Gunpowder Company) as a lunch house for shooting parties.