Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for COLUMB-MAJOR (St.)

COLUMB-MAJOR (St.), a small town and a parish in St. Columb district, Cornwall. The town stands on an eminence, the reputed site of a Danish fort, on the left side of the river Trent, 9 miles NW of St. Austell r. station, and 14 NNE of Truro. It consists chiefly of one good street; contains some good new Gothic houses; is a seat of petty sessions and a polling-place; and has a head post office, ‡ of the name of St. Columb, Cornwall, a banking office, two chief inns, a market-house, a parish church, five dissenting chapels, and a workhouse. One of the inns was kept by Polkinhorne, the famous wrestler. The church is chiefly of the 13th century; presents features of much beauty; consists of aisled nave, aisled chancel, and a transept, with pinnacled tower; and has a curious font, and monuments of the Hoblyns, the Vyvyaus, the Bealinges, the Pendarvises, and the Arundels. A college for six priests stood adjacent to the church, and was destroyed by accidental fire in 1701. A weekly market is held on Thursday; and fairs on the Thursday after Mid-Lent Sunday, and after 12 Nov. The parish comprises 12, 697 acres. Real property, £14, 153. Pop., 2, 879. Houses, 587. The property is sub-divided-Granite, felspar, tin, copper, cobalt, and bismuth are found. The ancient camp, called Castle-an-Dinas, is 2 miles SE of the town; and there are several Druidical monuments. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Exeter. Value, £1, 515.* Patron, the Rev. Dr. Walker. Charities, £50. Bislhop Arundel, who died in 1504, was a native.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town and a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: St Columb Major AP/CP       St Columb Major RegD/PLU       Cornwall AncC
Place names: COLUMB MAJOR ST     |     ST COLUMB MAJOR
Place: St Columb Major

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