Extremely interesting video with marvellous old photographs. Hard to believe Portreath was once a major port with an extensive network of rails, serving many tin and copper mines inland. Thank you!
Another most interesting and, for me, nostalgic wandering. Around 1960 or 1961 my parents brought us on summer holiday to Portreath, travelling by train from Portishead to Redruth and then bus to Portreath harbour. We stayed in a caravan near the dock and right at the foot of the disused railway incline. During our one week holiday, two very small German flag motor coasters, only about 250 tons, arrived with coal from Goole (Yorkshire). This was domestic coal of course, the tin mines being long closed.
Thank you Richard! Yes, I can't ever remember the incline being accesible - I have never understood what the issue is. There are plans to open a footpath going up the incline and onto Illogan Woods - what a fantastic walk that make! If they ever do that, you can be sure there will be a video about it. Portreath harbour would have been quite something in its day - as too would have been that trip on the train from Portishead to Redruth! When I was at RAF Portreath in the early 1980s, you would still get the occasional lighter coming from a coal ship anchored in the Atlantic. I think that all stopped in the mid 1980s. Thanks again, Take care, Paul
Another very informative video Paul , We have lived in Redruth twice in our marriage ( 50 years this February ! ) but I never realised that building used be to a power station for the Tramway , I always assumed it was some thing to do with the Penventon hotel.
Thank you Faith! Glad you enjoyed it. It is an area that I know very well, although it was my daughter that knew about the bridge (it is very hard to find!) . Take care, Paul
A very informative video. Firstly I had never heard of Portreath! And secondly I didn’t realise passenger trams ran in rural areas without a major city or town nearby. I must watch your 1st film on Portreath! I was intrigued to see that Redruth had a shop supposedly a drapers but I guessed it wasn’t! I haven’t seen the word ‘draper’ for a long time!!Thanks for exploring the line!
Thank you Diana! Yes, Portreath, or , rather, RAF Portreath, was the reason I used to live in this area. It was a WWII Airfield for the Polish and Czech Air Forces, but I worked on the surveillance radar systems, which are still there. It was originally a (very large) drapers shop - one of the biggest in the Westcountry. It was restored to its former glory a few years ago. Surprisingly, Camborne-Redruth was, and still is, a big urban area - well over 50,000 population then, and heading to 100,000 now. Not all of Cornwall is rural. A lot of that urbanity was due to the mining of course, and associated industry. There are a lot of factories still in the area, like ones making frame houses, audio equipment and precision medical equipment. Glad you enjoyed this wander. Take care, Paul
A fascinating and interesting video Paul! Thank you! You put so much research into your videos. This is an area I am not familiar with, but this video makes me want to visit. So well put together.
Thank you Louise! I had a few technical issues with this one - not least my mic lead coming adrift without me noticing - and the rain! Glad it was still interesting despite all that. There is a lot of old mining stuff in this area - I will probably go back for a deeper explore. Take care, Paul
Hi Paul. This was an interesting video. Weve been to Portreath on holiday a few times in the past but didnt know about the incline railway. We've walked around the barren wastelands of the mining areas nearby & thats interesting as well. Its a shame that the incline is on private land but it was nice to see the old photos of it. 😊
Thank you Martin! Redruth was my old stomping ground. Way before Woolies, I worked at RAF Portreath (for much of the 1980s) I was also based here when I worked in St. Ives in the 1990s. I have a real soft spot for the town, which does get a lot of flak (Red-rough). It never was a pretty town - it is an industrial hinterland, but I like it - a lot! The people are very friendly and it is still Proper Cornish, like Liskeard. Shame the incline is inaccesible, but there are plans to open it as a footpath to Illogan Woods, which would be fab! Cheers, Paul
Thanks Lionel! It was my daughter that knew about that bridge - it was near to where her grandmother once lived. Surprised it is still there, considering the line closed nearly 100 years ago. Take care, Paul
Hi Paul, That first photo of the tram really surprised me I didn't imagine that there would be one there but on reflection the mining industry would have driven this. It reminded me of the museum at Crich, we would often go there to grab a granny!! Well OK to pick up my gran who lived in Halifax she would be driven down by my Uncle, I think my Dad chose this place because of the museum!! Great spot by your daughter for that bridge, ilusively just out of reach. Be grateful if you could include a link to the video on the incline. Great video, well done to both of you!!
Thank you David I have left a link at the end of the video and below your comment too to the first Portreath video - back in 2021! Yes, I think a lot of people are surprised how big an urban area this was, and very much still is. Could really do with those trams now!! I lived here when I was at RAF Portreath so lived nearby. Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you have a good week! Take care, Paul
Hello Paul - greetings from Poland A very interesting video. It's nice to see the other end of this old branch line. As usual, all that is ever left to see are the bridges or culverts that went either over or under the railway. I'm surprised to see that the two bridges you investigated were still standing bearing in mind the line closed in 1930. The collarge you showed at the end of the video clearly showed that jam first goes on scones!
Thanks Michael! Yes, it was sometime ago that I did the other end of this branch - 2021! My daughter said something about this bridge, as her grandmother lived nearby. It isn't at all easy to find - and I doubt I would have done without her help. Yes! I loved that tapestry in the Market Hall in Redruth - always jam first in Kernow! Take care, Paul
Wow! That was an interesting one, Paul. I dont know how I missed this one, I'm not getting notifications for your videos at present for some reason! I like the idea of life after death for the tramway, reverting to goods use! I've never come across that before!
Thank you Michael! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, sometimes the notification bell drops out and you have to reselect again - that has happened on a few of the UA-cam Channels that I subscribe to. I haven't come across that freight use for a tramway after it had closed either - it very probably is unique. Giving all the traffic in the area, they could really do with this tramway being open again. Cheers, Paul
Extremely interesting video with marvellous old photographs. Hard to believe Portreath was once a major port with an extensive network of rails, serving many tin and copper mines inland. Thank you!
Thank you Malcolm!
Yes, Portreath was quite something in its day, and major hub for the local mining industry.
Take care,
Paul
Another most interesting and, for me, nostalgic wandering. Around 1960 or 1961 my parents brought us on summer holiday to Portreath, travelling by train from Portishead to Redruth and then bus to Portreath harbour. We stayed in a caravan near the dock and right at the foot of the disused railway incline. During our one week holiday, two very small German flag motor coasters, only about 250 tons, arrived with coal from Goole (Yorkshire). This was domestic coal of course, the tin mines being long closed.
Thank you Richard!
Yes, I can't ever remember the incline being accesible - I have never understood what the issue is. There are plans to open a footpath going up the incline and onto Illogan Woods - what a fantastic walk that make! If they ever do that, you can be sure there will be a video about it.
Portreath harbour would have been quite something in its day - as too would have been that trip on the train from Portishead to Redruth!
When I was at RAF Portreath in the early 1980s, you would still get the occasional lighter coming from a coal ship anchored in the Atlantic. I think that all stopped in the mid 1980s.
Thanks again,
Take care,
Paul
Another very informative video Paul , We have lived in Redruth twice in our marriage ( 50 years this February ! ) but I never realised that building used be to a power station for the Tramway , I always assumed it was some thing to do with the Penventon hotel.
Thank you Bernard!
For a number of years, that was exactly what I thought too!
Glad you found it informative.
Take care,
Paul
What amazing research, loved the old photos, they really bring everything to life.
Thank you Faith!
Glad you enjoyed it.
It is an area that I know very well, although it was my daughter that knew about the bridge (it is very hard to find!) .
Take care,
Paul
A very informative video.
Firstly I had never heard of Portreath! And secondly I didn’t realise passenger trams ran in rural areas without a major city or town nearby.
I must watch your 1st film on Portreath!
I was intrigued to see that Redruth had a shop supposedly a drapers but I guessed it wasn’t! I haven’t seen the word ‘draper’ for a long time!!Thanks for exploring the line!
Thank you Diana!
Yes, Portreath, or , rather, RAF Portreath, was the reason I used to live in this area. It was a WWII Airfield for the Polish and Czech Air Forces, but I worked on the surveillance radar systems, which are still there.
It was originally a (very large) drapers shop - one of the biggest in the Westcountry. It was restored to its former glory a few years ago.
Surprisingly, Camborne-Redruth was, and still is, a big urban area - well over 50,000 population then, and heading to 100,000 now. Not all of Cornwall is rural. A lot of that urbanity was due to the mining of course, and associated industry. There are a lot of factories still in the area, like ones making frame houses, audio equipment and precision medical equipment.
Glad you enjoyed this wander.
Take care,
Paul
A fascinating and interesting video Paul! Thank you! You put so much research into your videos. This is an area I am not familiar with, but this video makes me want to visit. So well put together.
Thank you Louise! I had a few technical issues with this one - not least my mic lead coming adrift without me noticing - and the rain!
Glad it was still interesting despite all that.
There is a lot of old mining stuff in this area - I will probably go back for a deeper explore.
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul. This was an interesting video. Weve been to Portreath on holiday a few times in the past but didnt know about the incline railway. We've walked around the barren wastelands of the mining areas nearby & thats interesting as well. Its a shame that the incline is on private land but it was nice to see the old photos of it. 😊
Thank you Martin!
Redruth was my old stomping ground. Way before Woolies, I worked at RAF Portreath (for much of the 1980s) I was also based here when I worked in St. Ives in the 1990s. I have a real soft spot for the town, which does get a lot of flak (Red-rough). It never was a pretty town - it is an industrial hinterland, but I like it - a lot! The people are very friendly and it is still Proper Cornish, like Liskeard.
Shame the incline is inaccesible, but there are plans to open it as a footpath to Illogan Woods, which would be fab!
Cheers,
Paul
Highly interesting Paul. I didn’t know that branch line ever existed, but then it did close long before I was born.
Thanks Lionel!
It was my daughter that knew about that bridge - it was near to where her grandmother once lived.
Surprised it is still there, considering the line closed nearly 100 years ago.
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul, That first photo of the tram really surprised me I didn't imagine that there would be one there but on reflection the mining industry would have driven this.
It reminded me of the museum at Crich, we would often go there to grab a granny!! Well OK to pick up my gran who lived in Halifax she would be driven down by my Uncle, I think my Dad chose this place because of the museum!!
Great spot by your daughter for that bridge, ilusively just out of reach. Be grateful if you could include a link to the video on the incline.
Great video, well done to both of you!!
ua-cam.com/video/I16ITXWCerw/v-deo.htmlsi=5LAH0tUZ5iNgOSJS
Thank you David
I have left a link at the end of the video and below your comment too to the first Portreath video - back in 2021!
Yes, I think a lot of people are surprised how big an urban area this was, and very much still is. Could really do with those trams now!!
I lived here when I was at RAF Portreath so lived nearby.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Hope you have a good week!
Take care,
Paul
Hello Paul - greetings from Poland
A very interesting video. It's nice to see the other end of this old branch line. As usual, all that is ever left to see are the bridges or culverts that went either over or under the railway. I'm surprised to see that the two bridges you investigated were still standing bearing in mind the line closed in 1930.
The collarge you showed at the end of the video clearly showed that jam first goes on scones!
Thanks Michael!
Yes, it was sometime ago that I did the other end of this branch - 2021! My daughter said something about this bridge, as her grandmother lived nearby. It isn't at all easy to find - and I doubt I would have done without her help.
Yes! I loved that tapestry in the Market Hall in Redruth - always jam first in Kernow!
Take care,
Paul
Hi Paul enjoyed the video ,👌👌👌👌
Thank you Roy!
Hope you are having a nice weekend.
Take care,
Paul
Very interesting video Paul.
Cheers Ron!
Wow! That was an interesting one, Paul. I dont know how I missed this one, I'm not getting notifications for your videos at present for some reason! I like the idea of life after death for the tramway, reverting to goods use! I've never come across that before!
Thank you Michael!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Yes, sometimes the notification bell drops out and you have to reselect again - that has happened on a few of the UA-cam Channels that I subscribe to.
I haven't come across that freight use for a tramway after it had closed either - it very probably is unique. Giving all the traffic in the area, they could really do with this tramway being open again.
Cheers,
Paul
Great video, just subbed. (Fellow cornwall vlogger) 👍😊
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Cheers!
Paul
fascinating
Cheers Colin!