Steve begins the walk outside the Museum |
It was a gloriously hot April day, and the group of eleven
was led by folklorist and writer Steve Patterson. Steve started by introducing the Museum's
founder, Cecil Williamson, his reasons for settling in Boscastle - 'pigs,
witches and boats'! - and his work with the British Secret Services as occult
researcher extraordinaire.
After a brief look at the geology and maritime history of
the harbour - including the work of local cunning-folk who 'sold the wind' to
the sailors - we headed up to the Blowhole which was in good form (there being
a lowish tide), and then up to Blackpit (with its nesting fulmars) and the Iron
Age promotory 'fort' of Willapark.
Steve suggested that the site itself was an unusual place to
defend; perhaps it could instead be called a ritual site, its use and
significance as yet unknown. There seems
to be a natural ridge augmented by an Iron Age earthwork rampart - a defensive
or protective wall definitely was built....but why?
There were lots of tales of salty sea-dogs and privateers;
and from Willapark we could see Morwenstowe, home of the great folklorist and eccentric,
the Rev. Robert Stephen Hawker. (His
visit to Boscastle in the nineteenth century was legendary: he and a friend loosed all the village pigs).
The phallic carving at Willapark |
After the mysterious phallic carving, we headed past
one inquisitive and four unimpressed ponies and then up to Forrabury Common
with its impressive 'Stitches' - 42 'stitchmeal' plots of farmland, favoured by
egalitarian medieval folk; the system itself probably goes back to Celtic
times.
Forrabury Church |
We turned back towards Boscastle and headed towards Bottreaux
Castle , built in the 1100s and the focal
point for the upper and earliest part of the village. The harbour was settled properly later, from
the 16th century onwards. Nothing
remains of the castle apart from its grand setting, and it is easy to see why a
castle would be built here - it commands views in all directions and the Jordan
valley.
The site of Bottreaux Castle |
We then headed back to the Museum where the group visited the museum to see Williamson's collection first-hand. It was a great day, and a fantastic way of
connecting old tales of folklore and magic to the landscape which inspired
them. Watch this space for further walks and events!
http://www.visitboscastleandtintagel.com/events/boscastle-walking-week
No comments:
Post a Comment