Tamar Valley Tour - Tuesday 2nd September

Tamar Valley Railway Line

One of the day trips out on Tuesday 2nd September, is to The Tamar Valley, the river that forms the far eastern Cornish border with Devon. The day starts with a coach trip to Plymouth where visitors catch the scenic Tamar Valley Line to Calstock accompanied by local historian and train ‘buff’ John Snell. He will tell the story of one of England's loveliest country branch lines, a fourteen mile railway that skirts the edge of the magnificent River Tamar and its estuary before crossing the splendid Calstock viaduct joining Devon and Cornwall.

The journey is full of contrasts taking in views of the Royal Naval Dockyard in Plymouth and Brunel's famous Royal Albert Bridge over the Tamar, before crossing the Tavy viaduct into the quiet countryside of the Bere Peninsula. The line continues towards Gunnislake where remnants of the area's industrial past are visible, together with glimpses of a few slopes and orchards still cultivated by market gardeners.

Industrial Past

The Tamar Valley is probably best known for its recent industrial heritage, dating from the great mining boom in the mid 1800s when rich copper deposits were discovered. Other minerals mined in the Valley included lead, silver, manganese, tin and arsenic. In fact at the height of this boom, the Tamar Valley and Devon Great Consoles was the richest copper mine in Europe with over one hundred mines.

The area is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (Cornish Mining) - declared a World Heritage Site, recognised as having cultural importance on a global level. The Tamar Valley landscape has been shaped by a long history of settlement and industry, and it retains a rich and diverse rural as well as industrial heritage. There is evidence of prehistoric settlement in the Stone and Bronze Age barrows in the Kit Hill and Hingston Down area, as well as a hill fort at Dunterton Castle.

Drawn to the Valley

Alighting from the train in Calstock visitors can visit one of the many art gallerys, Lime Kiln Gallery part the Drawn to the Valley project which brings together artists from across the Tamar Valley area, including Plymouth. Their aims are to promote art within the area for the benefit of both the public and the artists by putting on a series of exhibitions and an Open Studios event. www.drawntothevalley.co.uk

Calstock Village and Quay

There will also be a chance to explore the tangle of narrow lanes and hear about the history of Calstock Quay from it’s hey day as a thriving port, with presentations by Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team.

Calstock Church & Roman Fort

Visitors will also have a chance to seeand hear about a previously unknown Roman fort that has recently been found at Calstock, one of only a handful of sites giving evidence of Roman presence in the county, and the first found close to a silver mine. Chris Smart an archaeologists from the University of Exeter says the site, next to the Church may be evidence the Romans mined tin in the county.
The hill-top site where the first-century fort is in an area known to have been involved with medieval silver mining in the 13th and 14th centuries.
It is thought that the precious metal would then have been transported back to Italy where it would have been minted into coins for use within the empire.

Calstock Archive

There will also be a chance to inspect the castock Parish archive and the stories of the people of the valley. One compelling story is that of the Cornish men that left the Valley for a new life in the new world on the Titanic only to be cruely lost at sea.

Cotehele Quay

After a locally sourced lunch, visitors will be taken to the beautiful and tranquil Cotehele Quay, below the woods that surround the medieval manor house of Cotehele, now owned by The National Trust. Unaltered since the last century, the stone and slate buildings form a fine setting for the restored Tamar barge Shamrock. This 57ft ketch-rigged vessel of 1899 carried various cargoes on the river and worked as a diving tender and salvage barge before being acquired by The National Trust in 1974. She is now co-owned by the National Maritime Museum who supervised her full restoration to sea-going condition. Visitors will be taken on a guided tour of the quayside Discovery Centre museum.

Kit Hill

Before returning to Looe visitors will be transported by coach to Kit Hill, climbing to just under 1000 feet (334m) above sea. Kit Hill is the highest point of Hingston Down Ridge, within the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Kit Hill is situated between Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor. The abundant archaeological remains are a reminder of the metal and stone extractive industries, which once took place on the hill. Formerly owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Kit Hill was given to the people of Cornwall in 1985 to celebrate the birth of Prince William. With its 400 acres (152 hectares) for public enjoyment, Kit Hill is an ideal place for a wide range of activities including bird watching, kite flying and walking. Dramatic views stretch across the Tamar Valley toward Dartmoor in the east and Plymouth and the sea to the south. At the summit, three viewing tables help you identify features as you view the surrounding countryside.

Vistors will be accompanied by experts who will help unlock the stories and history.

Full day tour Departs Looe 10.30am Returns 5.30pm
£20 including lunch, transport and train tickets
Weekly ticket holders free of charge