Gwinear is the most easterly parish in Penwith, the area of
Cornwall nearest Land's End. It is possible to see the
Atlantic and the English Channel from the highest
point, 240feet. Since 1968 around 450 houses have been
built thanks to mains water, sewers, and later mains gas
being laid on. The houses in Gwinear Churchtown look
much the same today as in this early 20th century photo,
which includes the postman on his delivery cart.
The green enclosed fields around Gwinear Churchtown are
seen here with vicarage and church tower in the background.
Roman coins were found in a field at nearby Trungle.
Other finds included a spindle, a 3rd century small stone
handmill and a lead ingot, a sign of industrial workings.
There wasevidence that, in the fourth century farmers kept
cattle and sheep .Nowadays daffodils and cauliflower are
main crops, and cattle still browse the grass.
An archaeological dig in 1987 in Reawla, the highest of
the four villages in the parish, revealed a second century
defended farmstead.
The name Reawla means 'Royal place'. Reawla has a busy little shop near Reawla House where, around
1910, the bearded JamesThomas, ( seen here with pony and tarp), lived with his wife and ten children.
At Carnhell Green Carnhell the Post office can be
glimpsed in this photoacross the road from Pendarves Inn.
Are the villagers 'All set for the annual tea treat?'
Wall is situated between Carnhell Green and Reawla
This photo was taken before 1920 of Francis Hale's
wheelwrights' shop and Box Tree Cottage where
John Wesley, a founder of Methodism, was said to have
slept when he visited Wall in 1743.
The cottage was owned by Mr Eva, and in the 1920s
and 1930s the Cocking family lived there until the cottage side wall collapsed while the family was watching a village
cricket match.
Sanitary Inspector Mr Craze (father of Kelvin Craze of Carnhell Green) condemned the cottage, and although
Mr Eva wanted to repair it, this was not allowed, and the cottage fell into disrepair. Mrs Hilda Willis,(nee Cocking)
of Wall Vean, lived in the cottage from 1928-1936 before moving to a cottage at Drannack One of her Saturday
morning jobs was to clean the granite slab at the front door of this cottage. In the background of this photo is the
Manse with Wall Chapel behind the tree.
Gwinear Churchtown and Wall each have well used halls, both buildings were Sunday Schools.
The former Sunday School at Wall had 250 pupils using footpaths from as far as Praze an Beeble to get
their education. Joyce Ireland, an eight year old pupil when
Wall Sunday School closed in 1935, still attends Wall
Chapel with her friends and savours the monthly Soup and
Sweet community lunches served in her former school.
BusyBodies Playschool is based at Hall for Gwinear, as well
as film club, and monthly theatre productions.