The Clink  

 

On the north side of the churchyard, in the centre of the village by the horse chestnut tree, stands the rectangular 17th Century building of stone rubble with a rag slate roof, known as the “Clink”.  Originally a church ale house, it was later the local constable’s lock-up in the days when the churchwardens were responsible for such functions, and inside is a notice board formerly on the outside wall, warning vagrants that they are not welcome!

 

 

 

Notice, on right-hand side of Clink entrance

Later it was a Dame School when children had to bring a 1d and a lump of coal.  When the new school was built, the Clink was used as a night school and village meeting room.  The Royal Order of Buffaloes and Art Society have used the upper room, with its attractive barrel ceiling, and the ground floor is regularly used for community functions and coffee mornings when many thousands of pounds have been raised for charitable causes.

                                                                                    Art Exhibition (20-21 July 2002)

Owned by the Rector and Churchwardens it was fully restored in 1986.  The high quality of the restoration work (by builder Gary Keat under the direction of architect John Tanner, both parishioners) earned a Commendation from the Cornish Building Group.  In 1999 the Clink was re-roofed by Gary and Graham Keat.

 

Memories

On the 8th of January 1841 Samuel Cowling was found guilty of stealing a live duck, the property of Mr Joseph Rounseville a Farmer of the Parish. The West Briton reported on the case and stated that "The idenity of the duck was proved by a perculiar deformity; and it having died since it had been given into the constables charge, that very careful officer produced it in court, preserved in a glass case, for the inspection of the jury. The Verdict in the Case was Guilty.

The other thing you must be aware of is the way they keep gunpowder in the village. We normally have a fireworks display but the West Briton reported that "on the evening of the 27th of December 1832 Mr Wright, a shopkeeper of St Tudy, was weighing some gunpowder, from a barrel for a customer, a spark from a candle fell on some loose grains on the counter, which communicated to the barrel, when the whole instantly exploded and blew up the roof and walls of his house. Mr Wright was so dreadfully scorched that his recovery is considered doubtful. His two children were most providently saved by one of the girders falling across the bed in which they were, and protected them.

The following extracts are taken from The Binding Stone - Memories of St Tudy 1900-2000 (available to purchase at St Tudy Post Office).

Bertha Keat says the Clink was a chemist shop, run by Mr Titheridge.

Gerald Wilton recalls the Clink being used as the surgery when patients had to wait outside.

Erica Nicholls can remember having teeth extracted by Mr Whattley, the dentist, at the Clink.  Port Isaac doctors used the Clink for a short time before they moved to the wooden hut which had been the office for Mr Mutton, the auctioneer.