Cornish Maritime History

Designed to protect one of the most dangerous stretches of sea in the British Isles, Bishop Rock lighthouse is exposed to the awesome power of the unrestrained Atlantic Ocean at the very edge of the dramatic Western Rocks on the Isles of Scilly. It stands as a tribute to an amazing feat of Victorian engineering by three generations of the Douglass family working for Trinity House. The workforce struggled with great skill, courage and tenacity, in often dangerous conditions. Supplies of building materials, the accommodation for the workmen, initially on the remote rocky islet of Rosevear, and communications were challenging in the extreme. The first lighthouse, constructed from iron, fell victim to a violent storm in 1850, and was replaced by a granite tower in 1858. The relentless battering by sea and weather resulted in it being strengthened in the 1880s. This book tells the story of the lighthouse, its construction and steady improvement, the workers who built and maintained it, the lighthouse keepers who ensured it was always available, and of the relief boatmen who provided the vital link. Drawing extensively on original documents, contemporary photographs and plans, the book publishes many here for the first time.

ISBN: 9780906294697

Great heroism by lifeboatmen in the past two centuries has saved many lives. This book recounts how the service developed in Cornwall and the progress in design of lifeboats. All past and present stations are described with many colour illustrations.

ISBN: 9780906294437

The coast of Cornwall has been feared by sailors since seafaring began and nearly one thousand known wrecks has resulted in the greatest concentration of lighthouses anywhere in the world. This title describes the Victorian engineering ingenuity and skill as well as the human aspect of 'living in a lamp-post'.

With so much coastline and so few places very far from the coast it is hardly surprising that the sea has been, and continues to be, a major influence on Cornwall. This fully revised book tells the county's maritime history and the gazetteer lists many fascinating places worth visiting.

ISBN: 9780906294505

Britain's largest natural harbour was once one of the most important ports in the UK. Falmouth, with its sweeping bay and dramatic backdrop, was once the major packet port for England. The first landfall for returning ships, and those of many of the countries that the UK traded with, Falmouth has been a melting pot of maritime culture. There is much evidence today of the part the port once played as a major harbour during Britain's glorious maritime era as well as a thriving modern port still used by cruise ships, as well as cargo vessels of all shapes and sizes. Falmouth has a busy ship repair yard, even today, and is still an important harbour.

ISBN: 9780752442266

The complete story of the men and craft that have served this stretch of the Cornish coast. Lavishly illustrated with many rare and previously unpublished monochrome and colour photographs.

ISBN: 9780752423784

From the 1920s to the 1970s the firm of W. J. Reynolds Ltd was the largest employer of civilian labour in the Cornish town of Torpoint, situated across the River Tamar opposite Plymouth. They have the dubious distinction of operating the last fleet of coal fired steam tugs in Great Britain and were one of the last companies in Devon and Cornwall to use heavy horses on a full commercial basis. In this book author Captain Stephen Carter, a marine pilot and tug master, has unearthed the history of the firm and its subsidiaries from its inception in Victorian England to its final demise in the early 1970s. Included are many previously un-published photographs, and the activities of the company are traced in detail with reminiscences of family members and former employees.

ISBN: 9780906294666