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Portreath

Portreath (Cornish: Porthtreth or Porth Treth)] is located on the north coast of Cornwall. The village is about three miles (5 km) northwest of Redruth. The village extends along both sides of a stream valley and is centred on the harbour and beach.

The name Portreath (meaning "sandy cove") was first recorded in 1485, and tin streaming in the valley was recorded from 1602. Devon contractor Samuel Nott was engaged to build the first mole (or quay) in 1713 on the western side of the beach, near Amy's Point. The quay was destroyed by the sea before 1749, and the foundations are occasionally seen when the sea washes away the sand. The village also had a fishing fleet, mainly for pilchards. The present harbour began to be developed in 1760 to service the expanding mining industry in the Camborne and Redruth area. The quay was extended and the inner basin constructed in 1846; New Dock, now known as Little Beach, was constructed in the 1860s.

In the late 1770s, during the American Revolutionary War, lieutenant-colonel of the North Devon militia, Francis Basset, commanded local miners to fortify the port, which helped counter a Franco-Spanish invasion fleet gathered as part of the European theatre of the war, some of them still standing to this day.

By 1827, Portreath was described as Cornwall's most important port and was, with Devoran on the south coast, one of the main ports for sending the copper ore mined in the Gwennap area to Swansea for smelting. The ships returned with Welsh coal to fuel the steam engines used on the mines. The peak of this enterprise was around 1840, when some 100,000 tons of copper ore were shipped out each year.

With the population growing, a church was built in 1827; the Portreath Hotel (1856), Methodist Chapel (1858), Basset Arms (1878) and the School (1880) all followed. A cholera outbreak in 1878 caused the death of almost half the population. The copper trade collapsed by 1886 and the port was almost bankrupt, although trade of domestic coal, cement, slate and potatoes continued until after the Second World War. The owner, Beynon Shipping Company, donated the harbour to Kerrier District Council in June 1980; it is now leased to the Portreath Harbour Association by the present owner, Cornwall Council.

The Portreath Tramroad, the first railway in Cornwall, was started in 1809 to link the harbour with the copper mines at Scorrier and St Day. By 1812 the tramroad reached Scorrier House, one of the financier's houses, and was completed by 1819. It was horse-drawn with wagons on an approximate 4 ft (1.2 m) gauge using L-shaped cast iron plates on square granite blocks. The line was little-used after the Poldice mine closed in the 1860s, and the tramroad was closed in 1865.

The Portreath branch of the Hayle Railway was opened in 1838. To the south of the harbour, and on the west side of the valley, are the remains of the old cable-worked incline that linked the harbour to the mainline at Carn Brea. The Portreath incline was one of four on the Hayle Railway; it was 1,716 ft (523 m) long with a rise of about 240 ft (73 m). It was worked by a stationary steam winding engine located at the top of the incline. Part of the main line of the Hayle Railway was incorporated into the route of the West Cornwall Railway in 1852; the Portreath branch line finally closed in 1936.
The railways and Portreath Tramroad associated with the minerals trade today form the Mineral Tramways Coast to Coast, a long-distance cycleway and footpath extending 15 miles (24 km) from Portreath to the south coast.

Unfortunately the quaysides have been developed with 1980s housing which looks as though it has been cut and pasted from “any town” UK and is not sympathetic to its surroundings which deprives the port of some of its historic charm.
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  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Outer basin with the Lower Pilot Look Out to the right - sometimes known as the "Deadman's House".

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath Beach looking towards Gull Rock,

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    View towards the Monkey Hut on the the end of the pier. Unfortunately a large fence which can be seen prevents access due to the extremely exposed pier being dangerous as sudden swells can break over the wall. The Monkey Hut was destroyed in 2014 and had to be rebuilt. On the cliff can be seen the day mark.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Remembering the storms of 2014 and 2018.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    The mainly infilled site of the New Dock constructed in the 1860s. Now known as Littel Beach.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Though many new buildings have been constructed around the quaysides in the past 40 years some traditional cottages remain.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Boats on the quayside beside the Middle Basin.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Fishing boats - a number of fishing vessels operate out of Portreath usually on a seasonal basis.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    View from the middle basin to the inner basin

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Some former mine pumping main uses as a mooring bollard. These are typical features in many Cornish ports.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Outer basin with the Lower Pilot Look Out to the right - sometimes known as the "Deadman's House".

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Outer basin with the Lower Pilot Look Out to the right - sometimes known as the "Deadman's House".

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    View from the middle to outer basin with the Lower Pilot Lookout visible. The slot in the masonry at the entrance to the middle basin is used to insert timber baulks during the winter months and during stormy periods.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    The middle basin. The lower pilot look out known as the "Dead Man's Hut" can be seen to the right. This was used as a look out to assist vessels entering the port. Portreath is a very difficult port to enter with the approach being directly under the cliffs and in a very exposed location.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Inner basin

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    View directly through from the inner to middle and outer basins.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    View towards the harbour entrance with the "Monkey Hut" to left of centre at the end of the pier. Access to this pier is now prohibited as it is extremely exposed and vary dangerous. The Monkey Hut, a familiar landmark, had to be rebuilt in 2014 as the original was destroyed in a storm.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    View towards the harbour entrance with the "Monkey Hut" to left of centre at the end of the pier. Access to this pier is now prohibited as it is extremely exposed and vary dangerous. The Monkey Hut, a familiar landmark, had to be rebuilt in 2014 as the original was destroyed in a storm.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    This old hut is one of the few original buildings associated with the harbour .

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    This old hut is one of the few original buildings associated with the harbour .

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    The passage giving access between the middle basin and the inner basin.

  • Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    Portreath, Cornwall - October 31, 2019

    One of a number of heavily corroded pully wheels which would have been used to assist in the movement of sailing vessels between the middle and inner basins.

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