# roche rock - cornwall



## blighty (Nov 30, 2008)

this place is only small, free to anyone to look around with various public footpaths around the area etc. and its near some of my family so thought i would go and have a look around and have a go at some manual setting shots. im hoping they came out alright. but all comments and tips are welcome, good and bad 

so a little history...

The settlement of Roche sits on a prominent ridge on the northern edge of the St Austell Downs, close to the headwaters of the Fal River, Cornwall’s longest river. The area appears to contain a large number of local springs, river sources and holy wells, as well as a supposedly magical pool near Roche Rock, itself a striking rocky pinnacle of tourmalinised granite, and a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The ruined chapel on the summit of the Rock's centre crag was dedicated to St Michael in 1409, but you can't help thinking that the Rock would have had religious or sacred connections from more ancient times, even though, unlike Cornwall's many megaliths, this blob-like structure is an entirely natural phenomenon.

According to geologists, Roche Rock has been in the lee of the mountainous clay waste heaps, and overlooking the plateau of northern coastal Cornwall, for over 270 million years, formed by a geological process every bit as fascin-ating as the results look today. Big movements underground in the late Carboniferous period caused boro-silicates in the local granite to 'boil'. This fluid separated from the other molten rock, then bubbled up towards the surface on its own, much like the globules in a lava lamp, and finally cooled to its present state. The unique look of the Rock – its texture, its shape, and its position in the locality – must have had a great impact on the first inhabitants of this area.

The chapel, built on the precipitous outcrop, ingeniously incorporates the bedrock in its structure. Built of large squared blocks of granite, probably quarried from the surrounding moor, its construction in this position must have been a masterpiece of mediæval engineering. It stands two storeys high with a lower room in which, according to tradition, lived a hermit attended by his daughter who fetched water for him from a hole in the rocks known as Gonetta’s Well. The room above served as the chapel. Although the west wall has all but disappeared, the east wall survives to almost its full original height, with a large arched window now missing its tracery. Old drawings of the rock hint at further buildings on top of the rock, but these have long disappeared, as has the chapel’s roof. Access to the chapel was originally by rock-cut steps but is now by an iron ladder (take care!).

in the 6th photo down, there is a man climbing the rocks on the left (he's wearing dark clothes) i got some funny looks off of him, then next thing i know, hes gone, not even to be seen when i got to the top lol)


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## Pseudonym (Nov 30, 2008)

Wow, that's a funky chapel. You've caught it really well in those pics.

I'm surprised that the ladders are there though. I'd have thought health and safty would have had a hissy fit.


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## blighty (Nov 30, 2008)

well there used to be concrete steps there but they have been gone for some time and they put the metal ladders there so people could still enjoy it. there is also a metal grab handle at the top of each set of ladders and theyre really quite sturdy


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## Foxylady (Nov 30, 2008)

What a fabulous site! It really does look as if it's growing out of the rock. Great write-up and pics, Blighty. Nice one!


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## blighty (Nov 30, 2008)

thanks for the comments


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## Cornishpete (Dec 1, 2008)

I'm a newbie to this site and an ex-pat St Austell guy now living in central Illinois. Nice set of images Blighty. Just a small point- I have been climbing that ladder for nearly 60 of my 70 years both when I lived there as a kid and when I have taken my own children there when on vacation. I have no memory of concrete steps and if you take a look at the iron rungs of the ladder you will see that some are extremely worn which indicates they have been there a very long time. I take Pseudonym's point about the health and safety agency. Here in the USA there is no way this would be allowed! 
There is one item that someone might be able to help us with; on one of the walls in the topmost room there are the rusty remains of metal bolted clamps that I would guess supported some sort of pole. I have no memory of a flag flying there and hope as you have family nearby they might know some elderly person who could throw light on it. 
Pete


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## blighty (Dec 1, 2008)

hi, thanks for the reply. if you look at picture 10, the one with the bent ladder next to the ladder you can see something regarding steps and i believe that is the old steps which have gradually worn away (even though they are inside the chapel) the ladders are worn yes, some are very slightly bent, but as i said, they are still very very sturdy. i even tried to shake them as i was going up and there was no movement at all, from the runs of the ladders or from the fixings. 

i dont understand where you mean about the metal clamps? are they inside on the big wall that is left? or one that has sadly gone? i dont recall seeing any metal clamps, so i might have to go back and take another look for some and grab a picture.


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## smiffy (Dec 1, 2008)

Cornishpete said:


> I take Pseudonym's point about the health and safety agency. Here in the USA there is no way this would be allowed!
> 
> Pete



Hey welcome to the site Pete!.........
It's good to hear that climbing an old iron ladder and possibly falling off it is considered far too dangerous a hobby for folks to get up to in the good ol' USA ..............however owning a heavy duty shotgun / pistol / assualt rifle etc and filling yer pockets with as much ammo as you can possibly carry is still considered quite harmless fun..........heh heh!


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## Cornishpete (Dec 1, 2008)

*Roche Rock*

Hi Blighty. I last climbed up there in 2005 and hey, I'm 70 next month and the memory's going! As far as I do remember, the clamps were on the side facing Roche village and were mounted on the inside of the wall. I did have digital images of them but I think I lost those when my old computer got fried.

And Smiiffy, I am still a Brit so moderation in everything so I only own a .50 caliber blackpowder Hawkens rifle for deer hunting and a 1942 SMLE Mk 4, .303 ex military rifle for no better reason than nostalgia and to remind my Yank friends that we fought WW2 for a couple of years while they made up their minds which side was going to win!
Have a great week. Pete


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## blighty (Dec 1, 2008)

ahhh i think i understand now. typically thats the only pictures i didnt get as i could fit the whole wall in from down below properly without it looking a bit cack, so didnt bother. and at the top it was stupidly windy and cold. so i climbed back down lol. i'll try and go back and get some pictures of them if theyre still there and see what i can find out.


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## Scrub2000 (Dec 1, 2008)

Cracking and interesting report dude! Good pics too!


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## smiffy (Dec 1, 2008)

Cornishpete said:


> And Smiiffy, I am still a Brit so moderation in everything so I only own a .50 caliber blackpowder Hawkens rifle for deer hunting and a 1942 SMLE Mk 4, .303 ex military rifle for no better reason than nostalgia and to remind my Yank friends that we fought WW2 for a couple of years while they made up their minds which side was going to win!
> Have a great week. Pete



Heh heh! With ya all the way there mate....I lived over there for a while myself and yer right......... them Colonials do need a reminder now and then that both 'events' started at least a year or so before they decided to join in !!!


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## Seahorse (Dec 1, 2008)

Cornishpete said:


> a 1942 SMLE Mk 4, .303 ex military rifle for no better reason than nostalgia



If you're ever in the mood to sell it, I'm yer man. 

They make me quite nostalgic too.


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## jhluxton (Dec 5, 2008)

As a point of interest Roche Rock Chapel, as with several other Cornish locations appeared in the the third of the Damien - Omen films - the one starring Sam Neil.

John


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## Cornishpete (Dec 5, 2008)

blighty- I have found the image of the iron clamp on Roche Rock. Apparantly, back in 2005 I was a bit more careful about saving backups and found this on a disc. I am not sure how to upload images to a thread but will give it a shot. Note the way the granite has been chiselled out to support the pole or whatever it was.

Seahorse- now you know that if I sold you my Enfield you would have the SAS and SWAT teams breaking down your doors before you slid the first clip in! 

jhluxton= thanks, I must get hold of the DVD


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## Neosea (Dec 5, 2008)

Cornishpete said:


> I'm a newbie to this site and an ex-pat St Austell guy now living in central Illinois. Nice set of images Blighty. Just a small point- I have been climbing that ladder for nearly 60 of my 70 years both when I lived there as a kid and when I have taken my own children there when on vacation. I have no memory of concrete steps and if you take a look at the iron rungs of the ladder you will see that some are extremely worn which indicates they have been there a very long time. I take Pseudonym's point about the health and safety agency. Here in the USA there is no way this would be allowed!
> 
> Pete



I guess Illinois have a much more strict H&S policy than NY and NJ.


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## blighty (Dec 6, 2008)

ahh yes! i see what you mean. i definately did not notice that no, thats a bit of a wierd one. i have no idea what that could be  unless it was to support a cross or something?


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## gaara (Jan 3, 2009)

These images really inspire my writing..I could sit around there all day and churn out a good few chapters


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