Authority, authenticity and interpretation at Tintagel

Part of curtain walls of Richard, Earl of Cornwall's castle at Tintagel.

Summary This week my opinion article “Cornwall, Authenticity and the Dark Ages: Controversy at Tintagel Castle” was published by History & Policy. Following my visit to Tintagel on 30 April, it is an attempt to bring perspective to the key issues that have caused considerable upset and concern amongst Cornish communities, medieval historians and English Heritage. The… Continue reading Authority, authenticity and interpretation at Tintagel

Cornish heritage beneath our feet

Gutter grill by N. Holman and Sons Ltd, Penzance (Belgravia Street, Penzance)

Have you ever looked down when you’re walking about outside (do you walk about much)? We’re often encouraged to look up when we’re in the middle of towns and cities to admire the architecture of urbanisation above the modern, slightly jarring, signage of our high street shops. But do you look down? Local foundries made… Continue reading Cornish heritage beneath our feet

Cornish heritage is a man’s game

Geevor, near Pendeen, one of Cornwall's last mineral mines.

Cornwall Councillor Bert Biscoe today published a really thought-provoking article on the recommencement of mining in Cornwall: To manicure or mine, Cornwall’s modern dilemma. Amongst other points he raises the issues of the tensions between preservation, environmental sustainability and economic gain; he also makes the point many of us have been thinking about not really… Continue reading Cornish heritage is a man’s game

History 51 and All Our Stories

Part of the Judith Cook archive, Elizabeth Treffry Collection.

In November 2012 the Hypatia Trust was awarded £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s All Our Stories programme for a project entitled History 51: Unveiling Women in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. History 51 has been designed as a community-led project  based on the Hypatia Trust’s Elizabeth Treffry Collection to trace the journeys, make things… Continue reading History 51 and All Our Stories

Artistic licence: misrepresenting (Cornish) history

Last week the temperature under my collar was raised twice over. Both times it concerned a poor representation of the past. One probably down to lazy journalism (but with no real excuses) and the other possibly down to poor editing choices and an over-reliance on a ‘pat narrative’. Here I discuss the first of these,… Continue reading Artistic licence: misrepresenting (Cornish) history

Old pilchards and Cornish industrial fishing heritage

Industrial heritage in Cornwall is completely dominated by mining, and most of that is heavily focused on tin mining and china clay extraction as opposed to that of other metals and minerals such as copper, arsenic and so on. Even more neglected is Cornwall’s fishing and fish processing heritage. The Cornish Quaysude gallery in the National… Continue reading Old pilchards and Cornish industrial fishing heritage