Par
Par maps (2 available)
Map of Cornwall
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
Par books (5 available)
- 18 photos on Par appear in 1 Frith books - View photos of Par
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Par and Cornwall
Par memories
Read and share memories of Par and Cornwall inspired by Frith photos
First Visit to Mr Ley's Caravans
Mr Ley, ex Army Major who along with his family started probably one of the first Holiday Caravan sites at Par Sands. Mr Ley always drove a yellow Rolls Royce when he arrived to clean the vans. On the entrance to the site you entered the road passing on your left the Ship Inn and the little cream and red caravan used as a snack bar. Along the beach stood many Beach Huts well used in those days. Patches of china clay gunge, very slippery, was a feature in those days as was the white powder which covered everything in the harbour region. Even so it still was a very relaxing location then and now, because we continue to visit the ...read more here
Contributed by Frank Lewin
Cornwall memories
First Visit to Mr Ley's Caravans
Mr Ley, ex Army Major who along with his family started probably one of the first Holiday Caravan sites at Par Sands. Mr Ley always drove a yellow Rolls Royce when he arrived to clean the vans. On the entrance to the site you entered the road passing on your left the Ship Inn and the little cream and red caravan used as a snack bar. Along the beach stood many Beach Huts well used in those days. Patches of china clay gunge, very slippery, was a feature in those days as was the white powder which covered everything in the harbour region. Even so it still was a very relaxing location then and now, because we continue to visit the ...read more here
A memory of Par contributed by Frank Lewin
Cornish Arms Hotel St Blazey
I have found from doing family history that my great grandfather George James Andrews died at the Cornish Arms Hotel on 25 Dec 1919. If anyone has any info about the hotel at that time I would love to see it ,or hear from any relatives of the Andrews family.
Gran and Granddad
Granddad helped to build Landreath Place, mum and her family moved into number 55, where both grandparents lived till they died. Also there was other family living in this street, my great grandfather John Renowden, my great Aunt Elsie Renowden, great Uncle Les great Aunty Gladys, great uncle Sid Bishop. all sadly passed away.Landreath today looks almost the same except the speed humps, miss the little sweet shop, loved the smell when we used to go in. And the chip shop was out of this world, remember gran sending me down to buy a bowl full of chips for our tea. Top of Landreath used to be a farm (Now all houses) was a short cut to Spit beach, right next ...read more here
A memory of St Blazey contributed by Dianne Lawrence
Extracts From Par & Cornwall books
This scene is full of industrial interest. The long range of buildings on the left is the Cornwall Minerals Railway locomotive
works, built in 1872-74 by Sir Morton Peto. The Great Western Railway crosses in front of the tidal sands of the bay, and the
very tall chimney belonged to the lead smelting works, which had already closed at this date. Trill Farm is seen among the
fields across the bay (left), and Polkerris too (centre).
An extract from from"St Austell Bay Photographic Memories".
The Great Western Railway cuts across the scene, with the
ribbon development of Par Green on the far side to the right.
The roof of the Wesleyan chapel of 1864 is prominent on the left,
and above it is the well-concealed village of Tywardreath. The
smaller church of the Good Shepherd (1896) can be seen
between the railway embankment and Par Green. The
photograph was taken from the waste tips of Par Consols Mine
on the Mount.
An extract from from"St Austell Bay Photographic Memories".
The station buildings and goods sheds are at the junction between the main line and the Newquay branch. On the left a
wide-arched bridge takes Eastcliffe Road over the main line railway and past The Royal Hotel (now The Royal Inn), the first
of three large buildings along the road.
An extract from from"St Austell Bay Photographic Memories".
The busy port is seen from
almost from the same
viewpoint as No 79886,
above, but looking to the
right. Two steam coasters
and a sailing ship lie
alongside the main quay
loading china clay from
railway trucks, while at the
near end is a tug. Timber
has been imported at
another quay (right), and
the tall Snow King steam
flour mill is a prominent
feature. Polkerris is in the
distance, above the
harbour entrance.
An extract from from"St Austell Bay Photographic Memories".
This is the reverse view
along Par Green, looking
west. It is mostly a
residential street,
illuminated by gas lamps at
this date; but there is a
group of shops on the
right. The tallest building is
still a store (trading as
Costcutter today), but the
combined shop and house
in the foreground has been
demolished to make way
for a car park.
An extract from from"St Austell Bay Photographic Memories".