Exploring Cornwall’s Hidden Gems: Slate Craftsmanship, King Arthur Myths, and Historic Mills
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- In the final part of our West Country series, we take a look around Boscastle, Tintagel, Trevillet Mill, Rocky Valley and the South West Coast Path.
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Trevillet Mill, nestled in the striking natural beauty of Cornwall's Rocky Valley, is a historical corn mill that dates back to the 18th century and enchants visitors with its rustic charm, serene surroundings, and the mesmerizing sounds of the adjacent stream.
Tintagel, a village located on the rugged Atlantic coast of North Cornwall, England, is steeped in Arthurian legend and renowned for its dramatic castle ruins that are said to be the birthplace of King Arthur.
Boscastle, a quaint fishing village, is renowned for its picturesque harbour, charming cottages, and scenic coastal path that offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Rocky Valley, located between Tintagel and Boscastle, is an enchanting, lush area known for its cascading waterfalls, scenic walking trails, and mysterious labyrinth carvings dating back to the Bronze Age.
The South West Coast Path, stretching over 630 miles from Minehead in Somerset, through Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset, is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail, providing walkers with breath-taking views, diverse landscapes, and an unrivalled sense of the country's rich coastal heritage.
FYI - Dylan's strange rant at the end is a parody of Ben Kingsley's character Don Logan from the film Sexy Beast.
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It is top quality productions like this that turn me away from mainstream tv and onto channels like yours; I'm surprised you haven't been commissioned. Many thanks 👏
I have a chapel in cornwall and used the existing slate on the roof. It is random diminished slate, originally when pegged 22,000 I put back 18,000 took me over 9 months, of stripping, cleaning, sizing and nailing back on batters. The last metre the battening was three quarters inch gap between battens which made laying very slippery, roof was capped with original cleaned clay tiles with horse heads at each end . This roof covers 256 square metres, no mean feat for a man on his own.
I think you were hoping for more of a response :)
No just stating facts and the complications of Such a roof. Most roofers won't attempt diminished scantle slate, too time consuming and an art to it.
What precipitates a need to redo a slate roof? I noticed the one roof was quite swayed, I assume that needs to be repaired sooner than later. How much would your roof have cost had you paid someone?
What a monumental task.
I remember my Dad sifting through tons of Westmorland green slate to make up enough to repair the roof on the house. Dressing each slate with a whittle and break that belonged to his father. So I empathise with the task you had on hand.
Nail rot as was one of the main causes for needing to re-slate the roof.
That is good work for a man on his own 👌🏻
This is waaaay better with you being on CZcams than on mainstream TV. You have so much more freedom. The production quality is spot on too. Great stuff !
Soapy
You are so right, television is too controlling and not willing to allow the presenter any freedom. I much prefer being on CZcams
Long time since I designed and built anything in Cornwall . I did write a book on construction techniques for new build and heritage works specifically for that area, but it remains unpublished .Graduated slate roofing . Sizes fro Empress to Lady from 26" down to 14" and varying in width just to make things easy . On the Old Post Office you have graduating length and thickness classed as " Rustic Work " . Gutters in Cornwall are known as " launders " relating to any trough that moves water around . Originally lined timber planks mounted on timbers buried in the wall and led to cisterns to store water . Replaced by half round modern stuff .
Local stone is the " killas " ( pron kill-ass) a heavily metamorphosed rock often randomly coursed as seen here or the granite either freestone random rubblework , coursed and snecked ( through stones) rubblework or coursed cut stone . The other building material in Cornwall is " scoria " , a dark randomly shaped block of cinder produced from foundary waste named after naturally occurring volcanic rock. Killas can be used for roofing as seen requiring heavy roofing timbers but generally the Delabole slate or thatch in some areas where the reed grows like Helford River ( Helston , Manaccan etc ) and other large estuaries . The pitch of the roof is around 45° for slate and stone to 55° for thatch , the steeper pitch shedding water faster to reduce penetration. In some coastal villages , the slate may have a layer of tarred canvas on the roof depending on exposure . The use of slate includes topping off walls and gable ends in mud bonded rubblework to prevent washout and DPCs in modern work of course .
Dating ruins is difficult, especially with poor quality work as freestone footings and foundation stones have been used for centuries, and without features like stacks and fireplaces etc., can be nigh on impossible without a trip to the local PRO and hunt for estate maps and records . The location can give a clue down there. In a valley off the beaten track means industrial probably mine related and in quarried coursed killas, around 17th C for that one and may have been an earlier mill building .
Mills are typically overshot as constructing launders in timber using the terrain features and watersheds is easier than digging in solid rock for an undershorts wheel . As with all other things there are exceptions to these basic guidelines.
Weekend Druids have been tripping out there for decades . Me ? I enjoy a weekend part time monking with the Brothers.......
Right on.
Thanks so much for these informative and entertaining videos in the West Country trip. Anything you guys produce is excellent of course.
Thanks Nick.
Tradesmen on tour. I see another TV series. Great set of videos. Very informative. Well done Rodger no slating on here. 🤣🤣👍
Seriously I think you should take on this type of show and become the new Fred Dibnah, lovely work
Thanks gentlemen! A really lovely insight! We really live in a beautiful country!
A beautiful piece of work Mr Bisby. Inspirational.
Best video yet. That was a fantastic place you rented, lucky to get that.
The mill wheel you had with the chute above was an overshot mill. The blade looking things around the wheel circumference would be like pockets that fill with water to create weight to force the wheel round. These types of mill are suited to a high head of water, just like where you were.
The other type of mill wheel is an undershot mill, where the wheel has paddles on its circumference, the paddles are placed at the waters surface where the flow of the stream/river push the paddles causing the mill wheel to rotate. Generally the mill building is on the same level as the stream/ river, no head of water required.
There is actually an incredible amount of power created by these wheels, you would not be able to stop an internal wheel rotating if you physically grabbed hold of it.
I worked on an overshot mill back in the 80's where previous owner removed the original overshot wheel and fitted an electric alternator, it looked like a giant snail. We had the job of removing it, it weighed a ton 😅. That was in the good old days when you good take anything down your local landfill site free.
Sad to see the "Holiday With Roger" series has ended. 😢
Great video SB. Certainly looked fun. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Never heard of the bridge awards, the Dartford bridge wins the ‘ slowest crossing’ award every year..
That was a beast of a finish..😉
A maze has dead ends to get you lost in, a labyrinth is a continuous path in and out, those looked styled on the 7 circuit Cretan labyrinth :)
Great series, have enjoyed this and look forward to the next one!!
It is great to know these things. I didn't know anything about them.
We have a turf cut version of this in the next village over, here in North Lincolnshire. It's called Julian's Bower. Oddly, they're referred to as "turf mazes" but have no dead ends or splits, just a single long line that weaves around itself.
Like the hike videos and the pub crawls. You two are good company
A great set of videos , just remember all builders out side of the M25 going south west have a bucket of Tagels on the truck . Handed down from father to son .
This "slate series videos" were just amazing! Hope next time you bring Dan with you! Love from Portugal.
Next time you go down to Cornwall, can you clear that hardcore up someone’s left on the side of the A303 everyone slows down to look at it
Cheers Roger
Neolithic fly tippers
@@SkillBuilder
Built in the 1950s
Absolutely stunning .You don't know what beauty lies on your own door step 👍👍👍👍
We are blessed in this country with such a variety of buildings - mainly built before the 50's and 60's. Now sadly, everything is built pretty much the same as we no longer use locally sourced building materials such as slate, quarried stone and locally fired brick. Sad, but at least we have many old buildings still.
Enjoyed this series especially the slate factory visits ........ wonder if the builders of the past would have thought that 500 years later they could of said ..." see that i built that son" lol keep them comeing please.
And what's happened to Roger's rant? I hope you do them again ❤👍🏴
I'm somewhat surprised at the external paint as it's a listed building and I doubt it was there originally. It doesn't look like limewash but the rest of the building has lime pointing so I'd have thought it'd just been left as-is, it does look nice though I'll give it that. The interior paint looks rather thick :)
Stunning location. I'm surrounded by slate here in Wales, but this is on another level.
Nice one Roger, lovely video, mind not to upset those druids! Thanks for posting
They put a curse on me years ago. "You will work until you drop"
GOOD JOB CAMERA GUY, YOU GET SOME CINEMATIC SHOTS :)
Great video
I'm irish ☘ ... but the green landscape is beautiful.. 🙂
😎👍☘🍻
Authentic, professional and entertaining, a great watch! Beautiful camera work, editing and of course fluid and articulate presentation by marvellous Roger. Would really like to visit this place sometime, would be a four hour drive though from the North.
Thank you for your kind comments. There are so many good places to visit and a lot of them are in the North. Hopefully we will get to do more visits.
Wow really enjoyed watching this - it put a smile on my face
Lovely slate roofs. In the north of Scotland having small slates near the ridge and larger ones down the bottom used to be normal. I would say " Look at those Ballachulish slates" and everyone seemed to know what I meant.
You should try a wee trip to the North of Scotland. Caithness Slab is everywhere, roofs, walls, floors, fencing. Look up Lybster for example, it’s near Wick. The Harbour area and Pultneytown area of Wick were designed by Thomas Telford.
Bridge award . Architects actually invent awards to give to themselves.
Great series. Let hope, you get to do, some more.
Only just discovered this, brilliant video!
Have enjoyed many of Roger's entertaining and instructive videos but never seen a feature like this. What a beautiful place and a lovely area, look forward to seeing more. 👍👍👍
Cornish pasty in tackytingel. Propper job!
Back in the day there were mills all over the show. Two next door to each other is nothing. They all had their things they did, even saw mills. I just was in Spain where we saw one that operated an olive press. The river was still irrigating the allotments down there, that appeared to be part of the same system. Water was in channels everywhere and I must admit I couldn't quite grasp how they were getting it up higher than the river to come back over the wheel at the mill. One day I saw one of the gardeners open a metal slat to let the water in for his crops. These channels went all round the back of the allotments and up to the mill, and even along the footpath. Just brilliant. It was a very fast flowing river, the Cidacos. But even on a day of 40 degrees it was icy cold to dip your feet in. I quite agree why not return to using the form of power that even the Romans were using in an industrial setting.
I also think we should use the canals again for transporting things that are not time critical.
One of my uncles was a slate dealer. So you could say I've had enough of slate. It is usually grey. I know its a hard stone, usually I prefer the colour of softer stuff like sandstone.
I was just writing, you should go to the Scilly Isles and guess what you mentioned it right at the end , 15th-century Star castle on St Mary's, or visit the surrounding islands , Tresco etc beautiful place . Also, take a walk up the River Almond in Edinburgh , ruins, waterfall and stone bridge start from Cramond Island and make your way up, plus Dean village on the water of leith.
Really enjoyed this vid , keep it up, fellas.
Rog, you wanted the name of a bridge , try this for size you fella
"Gjallarbru " .
All the best 👍
Should win awards this episode!
Lovely...and a superb location....and there's loads in the UK for future holidays....Derbyshire Dales is one of my favourites.
When I was a kid we used to do a day trip to Miller's Dale from London. Six kids on the train, nobody ever wanted to share our carriage.
@17:35 "Just rocked up". That made me chuckle :)
I live on the Isle Of Man, I bet you show would get a massive audience doing one hear, just a thought.
Keep up the great work all, this one was brilliant and do loads more like it gents.
A great series, a lot of mileage in productions like this Roger, so many pretty villages in this country with beautiful buildings and architecture , I'd recommend a visit to Dollgellu (check spelling ) in North Wales, I was in a street with house made of huge blocks ,was a total mystery how the brickies would have moved them in to place , street has a pub on it is a clue . And what about churches and cathedrals , impressive and inspiring , come on lads , get away from chucking up lego houses and build something you're proud of and great grand children will marvel at.
Fantastic content! Felt like I was on holiday, keep it up!!!
I love this teavaling and building format.
The history and architecture of buildings is fascinating. Thanks for a great video
The waterwheel and overhead sluice you show is a set up often called 'breast shot' meaning that the water flow enters the buckets on the wheel at a point just below the top apex of the wheel. These top filled (overshot) types of waterwheels have buckets whereas the type where the river runs underneath has more simple slat paddles.
The top filled breast shot wheel produces vastly greater torque and driving power than the more simple underfed paddle wheel.
I am learning so much about water mills. I want to go and look at more now
Brilliant series really interesting much better than those Hilti promos for gear non of us can afford. It would be great if you could go around the UK to different regions doing series like this.
Paul
The problem is dosh. The Hilti series helped us afford this trip but it seems a lot of people expect us to travel around the country making entertaining videos for no money.
Just to give you and idea, we need something like 1 million views on this Cornish trip to break even. I don't think it will happen. The juice has to be worth the squueze.
Loving these new travel ones
Love watching you guys.
Absolutely loved watching this one 👏👏👏
Cant wait for the next series
And my friends have a delightful B&B in Tintagel. 🙏🏻👌👌👌👌
Am
Nd they are just across from that post office 👌👌
I saw that B&B blue plaque on the wall 'King Arthur Slept Here'
@@SkillBuilder Actually the Chap was called Arthur King but the book means you have to write surname first.
Sword in a stone,that was t two part mould for bronze sword making , it would have seemed magic at the time.
According to some archiologist "The sword in the stone" is a way of saying, that when the ground up stone was heated into a liquid and moulded it was literally the sword that was in the stone.
For homes that can't be modified and cold kitchens bedrooms etc., thermal pads could be strategically paced around a kitchen or room.
You get better all the time. Inspiration
The Lake District from Windermere northwards has many historic slate built buildings too. Someone once asked me why they don't have any mortar visible from the exterior like other stone or brick buildings. After a little thought I came up with the suggestion that lime mortar has two functions 1. to bond the building materials together and 2. to absorb and conduct water to the outside of the walls. In the case of slate, which is waterproof, then the latter function is not required. In fact in a generally wet climate exposed mortar would be more likely to absorb water and transfer it into the walls. I say lime mortar because most of the buildings precede the introduction of cement mortars. I notice that the Cornish buildings in this video does have exposed mortar so is it just a regional practice that leads to the difference or maybe the climate is drier?
It is certainly not dry in Cornwall. Does it depend if internal surfaces are plastered / rendered of left exposed slatework ?
The Lake District buildings from the 19th Century onwards are internally plastered in the vast majority (I can't recall seeing any that were not so) but there may be some barns and outhouses left without. Whenever I have used slate for copings I've had to use SBR to improve the bond with cement mortar - could it be that they avoided exposed lime mortar because they also found that it washed out easily? The buildings in Corwall with exposed pointing differ markedly from those in the Lake District in that way. Is it possible that the Cornish builders were using an additive that "improved" the mortar adhesion and weathering?
Beautiful place beautiful architecture 😍😍👍🏼🧱
Superb as usual. Really enjoyed this series. Looking forward to more from the skill builder team. 👍🏻
When the numpties in local authorities bang on about sustainable building methods and materials they really havent a clue!
I love the edit for ‘Mark’ at the slate quarry 😂
yes I called him Ian
Living in Cornwall I really enjoyed this, never seen Tintagel so quiet. Haha, its always jam first, at least it is in Cornwall anyway.
These videos are exceptional
Thank you, it is a pity they don't get many views
Sometimes the heritage listing rules can be a pain, but the UK is one of the best at respecting and preserving its built heritage in the world.
That is not true, we have done a great deal of harm. Go to France and see how much they have saved from the bulldozer.
We demolished stately homes at the rate of one a month for years because the government imposed death duties on the new owners.
@@SkillBuilder I've not witnessed that rate of demolished heritage listed stately homes in the UK, but it would be interesting to see the statistics on this. I studied medieval timber framing and buildings at the Weald and Downland Museum near Chichester and was very impressed with the efforts to salvage old buildings and rebuild them on the museum grounds. To date have not found anything to compare in my travels around the globe. I live in Australia now and volunteer in the National Trust here and the heritage buildings that have been demolished/lost here is too high. Man's greed will always ensure that our heritage buildings are not always respected and preserved, but I do believe (based on my own observations and experience) that the UK is of the best at respecting and preserving its built heritage in the world.
@@SkillBuilder Also listing does not compel maintenance (and argueably encourages disrepair).
What's going to happen to our culture and heritage when the invaders form the government.
@@SkillBuilderI fully agree. I remember back in the 60s and 70s some magnificent old places sat in their own grounds being torn down to make room for a small estate of “modern” rabbit hutches … so sad to see. Yet, today, local authorities seem to want to place every conceivable obstruction in the path of those of us that have made the mistake of falling in love with an old building and our simple desire to try and keep the wind and rain at bay. We appear to be condemned to preserve the barely habitable form of an old building in aspic for eternity, including enforced hyperthermia and death by other various historic diseases, such that they would rather see collapse rather than encourage appropriate repair/renovation. I have friends that actually had to really fight to be permitted to punch a hole through the wall to take a 4” soil pipe to allow them to have an indoor toilet. In the 2000s and you’re only allowed an indoor toilet if you can prove there was already one before the date of listing … otherwise you have to keep using a bucket … really? (Apparently).
Apologies … I suffer from a mental affliction associated with ownership of a listed building and am susceptible to rant triggers 🤐
I think you are also correct in that the French seem to have a much more positive and helpful approach … they would far rather see an old building adapted and put to use than see it fall to ruin.
Really enjoyed this one Rodger and the team... quality guys
I wish it did pay. This series has put a big hole in our pocket. I don't think we will be going back out for a while.
Awesome use of the river's water.
One of the most rewarding sites i have ever watched. Roger and his team, promote no garbage. If you ever want good advice on anything to do with dwellings, this is the only one worth watching. Who ever axed this team of true professionals, has to be out of their skull! Right now, immediately after the latest episodes regarding the expensive and laughable Heat Pumps. Sunak has suddenly hit the Heat Pump freaks for six. They will suddenly be rushing for the bankruptcy courts.
Hang on Roger and team, you may be hauled back into the action, where you truly belong. Beat Wishes. DaiBigBoots.
Some good cinematography 👏
Neat bump in production. I like it.
These videos are excellent . Well done for these better than main stream TV
Much appreciated! We worked hard on these videos and it is just a shame they don't have more views. We would love to do more but we can't justify the travel cost etc.
Such a shame I think you have done a brilliant job with these. It might take time to get a following . I will certainly be showing people. @@SkillBuilder
I have stayed at the Mill great location and lovely building. Gets my recomendation
With the gearing / drive in the Mill wheels I would suggest Applewood was used ( see John Harrison early clock gears ) with its dense grain but lightish weight ideal for the humidity conditions.
Over-shot wheels are not only more efficient than under-shot/chute. But they can wind up to working speed with less of a flow and stay working with even a slowing flow.
Indeed for grinding less speed, more power needed.
Stayed in boscastle last year,lovely place. Wish I was with yous now,just jealous 😂
love this video, very different, very personal. Like it a lot
Looks like you had fun, nice to see, thanks
I live one minute away from where you were staying. You could have come and looked at my heat pump 😆👍
Great stuff 👍
Very interesting tour. It could be interesting if you did a tour of a country in (mainland) Europe, where building traditions may be quite different from yours. Norway/Sweden, Germany, south France, Greece,...
Yeah great, give Bodge a nice Greek holiday, sure he'll moan even about that !
0:41 Love doing these random width and diminishing slate roofs, they are not that hard actually but do look nice when done 👍
I suppose it all depends on the angle of creep. Some of those bonds wouldn't work on a 30 degree pitch.
@@SkillBuilder it’s ok as long as you have a minimum of 50/75mm from nail to edge of slate above depending on pitch.
Good stuff, thanks fellas, would be good to do another of these, perhaps Derbyshire with a short diversion to Sheffield, still some great tool companies there to visit !
Btw, Rog was having far to food a time at 1:40 twiddling his nuts ! 🤣
Andy
Who is good to visit in Sheffiled? I used to go there a lot back in the day but a lot of the companies I knew have gone.
@@SkillBuilder
Footprint Tools - Brick Bolsters, Pipe Wrenches, Club Hammers etc.
Crown Tools - various woodworking tools.
Robert Sorby - Edge Tools - Chisels etc
Thomas Flinn & Co - Fine Saws
Clifton Hand planes
Burgon & Ball - Sheep shears & garden tools
Spear & Jackson, including Eclipse, WHS, Tyzack, Moore & Wright - still based there but not sure how much is still manufactured there !
@@andyc972 Thanks for that Andy, we will see if we can get a tour together plus a bit of climbng at Stanage Edge.
I know Spear and Jackson is mostly Chinese, bloody shame.
@@SkillBuilder It certainly is, I'm sure they could attract higher prices for proper UK craftsmanship if they could be bothered, however there is a place for well managed quality overseas production at an affordable price !
Love your sense of humor and the chicken bleeping sound…bravo and the places you showed are wonderful
3:16 If you investigate the legend of King Arthur, you will discover that it's just a load of "Insert Chicken sound". That's beautifully done.
You draw the sword from the stone by heating it in a furnace. Thought you'd have figured that one out Roger
brilliant series, Scottsh isles.
I live just up at the top of the valley from Boscastle, should have popped in for cake :) Even our 1980's bungalow has a slate garden wall and fireplace, no escaping it around these parts. Our local pub has a slate floor but a couple of them are old slate grave markers installed writing-side down.
If you get a drink in your local pub will they put it on the slate.
@@SkillBuilder I see what you did there 😉 Answer is yes...the landlord knows where everyone lives if he needs to wipe the slate clean!
nice one Roger! working and taking in the sights, can't be that bad in darkest devon! 😂
Great new content. Happy holibobs! Greetings from Spain, home of Unskill Builder😂
Beautiful quality video!
That mill with the sluice and channel is an overshot mill. I actually thought they were more common than undershot.
They use less water, turn faster, and are easier to control, but require dam, sluice, and suitable terrain.
Interestingly, they turn in the opposite direction to overshot, relative to water flow.
Not exactly Judith Chalmers and the Wish You Were Here holiday programme, but nevertheless, very entertaining. Twiddling the nuts on the gutter brackets? Ooh, missus! Roger should ask if he can see the building types of the French Riviera (Monte Carlo would be rather nice), the Seychelles and the Bahamas in his next forays into different styles of building, following his recent Dutch adventures. Chez moi in Whitefield, near Bury, Greater Manchester, is now 92 years old, built from the hard red Accrington Brick, a typical 1930's style bay windowed semi, re-roofed and double glazed in 1998, still pretty well intact. I reckon fame awaits Roger here on Homes under the Hammer, now Tommy Walsh has retired.
Very nice 👍
great insights once again!!
Cornwall is lovely
Our favourite campsite is just up the hill from Rocky valley
And notice no concrete blocks used in the buildings and no Insulation used yet the buildings look rock steady and will be good for another 200 years
Everywhere beautiful stone work
The Floral Street Bridge … ( Covent Garden ; sure that won an award ! )
You are not wrong
@@SkillBuilder I worked in the ROH there for 25 years … when they did the rebuild in ‘98 -2000 , most of the external architectural elements were moulded in a heavy duty polystyrene ….while on the inside , we were building sets of heavy duty steel … the stage sets being more sturdy than the building itself !! Interesting anomaly . You might want to do a video on how they rebuilt Floral Hall , stripped bolt by bolt and sent to Milan ( from memory ) to be refurbished )
Nice to see a decent aspect ratio on your video especially as phones and tablets are heading away from 16:9 i believe my phone is 20:10 and fits the screen pretty much perfect. Most people are still on 16:9 so leaves two black bars either side.
A rugged beautiful part of the country Roger. Thanks and see you soon.
'Everything made of slate' , yeah well if you go to Skara Brae in Orkney you can see stone age beds, and cupboards made of it!
1:38 now this is what we all came for
Loving these vids Roger!
I think that my mate made that slate bench!
Well that was an unexpected joy.
Great episode, guys