Greensplat
Greensplat was a village in southern Cornwall, which survived until entirely was lost in 1997. It stood immediately west of Carthew and is approximately two miles north of St Austell.
This area is in the china clay area around St Austell and the village's name is believed to be derived from Green's Plat, referring to a mine shaft nearby that was known as "the Plat".
Location
- Location map: 50°21’43"N, 4°49’1"W
History
At the village's height, it was a thriving settlement mainly inhabited by those who worked in the clay mining industry which dominates the landscape to this day. Most of the buildings were Victorian in period, with the exception of a few Georgian and earlier period cottages related to farming and tin streaming that took place prior to clay extraction. It had a Methodist chapel and adjoining Sunday School.
The village was aligned on a north to south axis, and was roughly divided into three segments; north, central, and south, with the central area forming the bulk of the settlement. It was noted for its railway carriage homes which survived to be among those demolished.
In 1997 however the nearby Wheal Martyn china clay quarry expanded and the centre of Greensplat was entirely demolished.[1] The last house to be demolished was "Kenwyn", a double fronted Victorian house—written on the building in red spray paint were the words "Kenwyn Do Not Demolish".
Following the demolition, the only remaining part of Greensplat is a semi-detached cottage at South Greensplat, which is the only inhabited building within quite a large area, surrounded by just under 100 acres of uninhabited and abandoned land. The nearest inhabited settlements now are at Old Pound to the west, Ruddlemoor to the east, and Carthew to the north-east.
The story of Greensplat's demolition is told in The Lost Villages by Henry Buckton published by I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd, London, Feb 2008, ISBN 1-84511-671-2.
References
- ↑ 'Lamenting A Lost Way of Life' - The West Briton
- Buckton, Henry: The Lost Villages (I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd, London, February 2008) ISBN 1-84511-671-2
