AN EXCURSION TO THE CHEESEWRING
In 1850
The following extracts are taken from the book ‘Rambles Beyond Railways’ written by Wilkie Collins and published in 1851.
A postcard of the Cheesewring that was posted in 1913
For Wilkie Collins and Henry Brandling, his illustrator, the journey started from Devonport where a rowing boat was commissioned to take the two travellers to St Germans rowed by “a fine strong swarthy fellow, with luxuriant black hair and whiskers”.
After resting at St Germans they walked to Looe and after being there a few days they walked on to Liskeard. After Looe they were not impressed by Liskeard and considered it “that genuine abomination of desolation, a large agricultural country town. Modern square houses, barren of all ornament; wide, dusty, deserted streets; misanthropical-looking shop-keepers, clad in rusty black.” “Such samples of the population as we accidentally encountered here and there, were not promising.” As they also missed the best tavern in town and lodged at what they considered the worst their opinions of the town were confirmed.
They left Liskeard early in the morning heading north and upwards to visit St Cleer and the Holy Well. They then walked on to Trevethy Stone and after viewing and sketching this proceeded upwards.
“Our path had been gradually rising all the way from St. Clare's Well; and, when we left Trevethey Stone, we still continued to ascend, proceeding along the tram-way leading to the Caraton Mine. Soon the scene presented another abrupt and extraordinary change. We had been walking hitherto amid almost invariable silence and solitude; but now, with each succeeding minute, strange, mingled, unintermitting noises began to grow louder and louder around us.
We followed a sharp curve in the tram-way, and immediately found ourselves saluted by an entirely new prospect, and surrounded by an utterly bewildering noise. All about us monstrous wheels were turning slwly ; machinery was clanking and groaning in the hoarsest discords; invisible waters were pouring onward with a rushing sound; high above our heads, on skeleton platforms, iron chains clattered fast and fiercely over iron pulleys, and huge steam pumps puffed and gasped, and slowly raised and depressed their heavy black beams of wood. Far beneath the embankment on which we stood, men, women, and children were breaking and washing ore in a perfect marsh of copper-coloured mud and copper-coloured water. We had penetrated to the very centre of the noise, the bustle, and the population on the surface of a great mine.
When we walked forward again, we passed through a thick plantation of young firs; and then, the sounds behind us became slowly and solemnly deadened the further we went on. When we had arrived at the extremity of the line of trees, they ceased softly and suddenly. It was like a change in a dream.”
After passing through the copse they left the tramway and headed towards the Cheesewring, taking time to study and sketch the Hurlers en route. By the time the made their way back to Liskeard darkness had fallen and they made their way across country by moonlight.
From the description above I presume that they were looking upon the South Caradon mine and the Goonamena Valley. From their continuing walk it was apparent that there was not much mining activity on the higher ground, however by the 1860’s all of the present Minions and Marke Valley areas would have resembled the scene described above. Something that is hard to imagine as we enjoy peaceful walks on the moors today.