The Roseland Peninsula

More than halfway along the south coast of Cornwall lies the Roseland. Its name derives from the Cornish word ros, meaning promontory. It is in fact much larger than what is usually thought of as a promontory, being between 6 and 10 miles north-south, and between 3 and 8 miles east-west. It has only recently been labelled by the Ordnance Survey as ‘Roseland Peninsula’, but with no defined boundary. It is taken here, and it is believed usually acknowledged, to include the six civil parishes of St Just in Roseland, Gerrans (containing the former parish of St Anthony), Philleigh, Veryan, Ruanlanihorne and Tregony with Cuby. To the east and sometimes loosely associated with the Roseland are the civil parishes of Mevagissey, St Gorran, St Ewe and St Michael Caerhays. To the north, also loosely associated, is St Michael Penkevil.

To the east of the peninsula lies Gerrans Bay and Veryan Bay, and to the west is Carrick Roads (Fal estuary) and the River Fal upper reaches. The southern part of the Roseland is bisected by the tidal and mainly deep water Percuil River. Carrick Roads is about 5 x 1.5 miles of deep water which continues up the River Fal. It is a ria, or drowned river valley, and is the third largest natural harbour in the world. There are a few small beaches along Carrick Roads, but the main beaches are found on Gerrans Bay. They are Pendower, Carne, Porthcurnick, Towan and Porthbeor Beaches plus some smaller beaches. The first four have good refreshment facilities (some seasonal), and Porthbeor Beach is now only accessible from the sea.

The Roseland is connected to the rest of Cornwall mainly via the A3078 which runs down its spine terminating at St Mawes. The B3087 exits the Roseland via Tregony to the east, and the B3089 via St Just to the west. This leads to the King Harry Ferry in the parish of Philleigh, where there has been a vehicle (originally horse-drawn) ferry for centuries across the River Fal to Feock. Originally manually propelled, it became steam engine driven in 1888, since when there have been seven ever larger versions. The ferry hauls itself across the river on chains and is one of only seven such vehicle ferries in the UK. There is also a foot ferry from St Mawes to Falmouth, and an internal to the Roseland seasonal ferry from St Mawes to Place. There is a legend that one arrival by sea was Jesus of Nazareth, travelling with his great uncle Joseph of Arimethea. He is said to have landed at St Anthony and St Just.

Major Roseland villages are St Mawes, St Just in Roseland, Portscatho, Gerrans, Veryan & Veryan Green, Portloe, and Tregony. Smaller villages and hamlets are Ruan Lanihorne, Ruan High Lanes, Philleigh, Reskivers, Bessy Beneath, Percuil, Curgurrell, Rosevine, Carne, Camels, Bohortha, Lanhoose, Lanhay, Crohans, Calendra, Tregassick, Trethem, Treviskey, Trewortha, Treworga, Treworlas, Treworthal, Trethewel and Trewithian. The common Cornish prefix of ‘tre’, meaning homestead/settlement is seen in many of these names. Astonishingly, when voting was very restricted before the 1832 Reform Act and with a handful of voters in each, St Mawes and Tregony both returned two members of Parliament!

For centuries farming and fishing were the main occupations of the Roseland. A handful of fishermen still operate from St Mawes, Portscatho and Portloe, and oyster dredging occurs in Carrick Roads between October and March. Farming remains important, although with only a fraction of its former workers due to mechanisation. There were three tide mills on the Roseland dating back to medieval times, the best preserved of which is at the head of Froe Creek. A lighthouse at St Anthony Head, built in 1834, still alerts mariners to the dangers of the headland and the Manacles reef in Falmouth Bay. Also at St Anthony Head, are the remains of gun batteries, the first of which was installed before 1805.

There are many service businesses catering for the needs of retirement residents and tourism, with these two groups driving the local economy today. Information on what they have to offer can be found in the Roseland Magazine, a free monthly publication distributed to all dwellings.

The Roseland’s outstanding natural beauty is of course the reason for its popularity, with a multitude of facilities available both on the water and the land. Some of Cornwall’s best walks can be found on the Roseland, along cliff tops, across beaches, beside creeks, and through woods and fields. There is plenty of wildlife, with sea birds, waders, hawks, and smaller birds, while sightings of dolphins, seals and roe deer are not uncommon. Water related recreational activities include wind surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking and of course sailing. The latter supports boatyards at St Mawes, St Just and Percuil. Sailing is a major feature of the area with the largest sailing club in the southwest located at St Mawes. In addition to all this there are many cultural events including the Roseland Festival, Roseland Music Society, Heritage groups and more.

To learn more about the history of the Roseland, the best and most inspirational book, unfortunately now out of print, is Lawrence O’Toole’s ‘The ROSELAND between River and Sea’. There are also a few dozen other publications by local authors well worth hunting out, mostly dealing with a specific location or topic. There are also informative National Trust publications.