Tamsquite Triangle
Distance: 2.25 miles Duration: approx 45 min
In 1948 the prominent Cornish journalist J.C. Trewin said of Tamsquite, the destination for this walk, “next to the Lizard – for I miss the sound of the sea – Tamsquite is my idea of home in the fullest sense.”
Tamsquite is situated about half a mile from St. Tudy and reached by quiet leafy lanes, making it the ideal all weather route.
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This walk commences by the Post Office situated near the “Cornish Arms” Pub in the Church town area of the village. Looking in a westerly direction from the entrance of the post office you see Garlands House. This is named after Mr. Garland, who for many years was the headmaster at the local school. As the locals would say “We’m be going down Garlands”. It was built as a rectory in the 18th Century, replacing an earlier clergy building us by a poorly paid curate. |
| The route turns to the right of Garlands House and around the Churchyard down a well-hidden pathway and emerges near the entrance to the school. Turn right and walk past School View cottage. The area in front of the school was used as the school playground until the 1960’s because there was little traffic in tillage.There was also an old cattle scratching post in the centre of this area which was later removed to the boundary of the house called Glen View, where it remains today. |  |
At the junction turn left into Redvale Road and see if you can spot the milestone in the hedgerow. Head in a southerly direction down the road noticing the horse mounting blocks outside Butts Parc was so named because hundreds of years ago the young men would practice archery on the hillside behind the house. You pass another horse mounting block outside the house called Chy-an-bron before heading steeply downhill.
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At the bottom of the hill you see the converted Duchy Field barn on your left, which prior to it’s conversion was a haunt for courting couples and also a refuge for a visiting tramp. Turn right at the junction of the hairpin corner heading south west up the steep hill. the lane is very old and is marked on the County Map of Cornwall by Joel Gascoyne in 1699. The views are quite spectacular from gateways to the right, particularly just over the brow of the hill. Looking North you see the estate & house of Tremeer, for many years home of the Lower family. Sir William Lower distinguished himself as a dramatic writer, and Dr Richard Lower was an eminent physician in the reign of Charles II. Keep following the lane until you reach a junction on your left. This leads into the hamlet of Tamsquite. Continue along the lane into the triangle of outbuildings. |
The name Tamsquite means “in the bend of the wood” and was originally part of the same estate as Trevisquite which means “the town below the wood”. On the right you pass Tamsquite House an Impressive granite building which has remained largely unchanged since the late 1940’s. J.C. Trewin described Tamsquite as the “ivied rubble of long shattered cottages” which can still be seen on your left.
As you pass through the tranquil hamlet down the hill note the cottage named Lower Tamsquite. This was the original woodcutter’s cottage. Under the old laws tenants were allowed to cut trees down for building family homes but could not sell wood commercially.
The route continues following the road until it reaches a “T” junction near another stylish barn conversion. Turn left and follow this road uphill back to the Redvale area. As you pass over the brow of the hill there are spectacular views of village and surrounding countryside. This road then heads steeply down hill bringing you back past the Duchy Field Barn and up into the village past the old rectory.
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Tamsquite Triangle |