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Redgate Smithy B&B The little hamlet of Redgate nestles on a shoulder of land between the River Fowey valley, right above Golitha Falls on the north side of us, and the East Looe river valleys to the south of us. Part of the East Looe river has its source just down the lane (which you will find if you walk down our local lane, in the opposite direction from Golitha, down towards Treworrick and St.Cleer). Back in geological history, the courses of the two rivers were much different, for Redgate, whilst nestling and sheltering between hills to the east and west of us, we are also on the top of hills coming from the south and north of us! For the technically minded, we are now right on the watershed between two separate river systems, one of which captured the head-waters of the other - "river capture"! More details of this are on our History page.
The lanes around Redgate are good for exploring, and are all the more pleasant if you do it on foot! The lane we are in leads down to a turning to Treworrick and St.Cleer (a very scenic little walk with two pubs, two shops, and a fine church to distract you). If you go straight on past the Treworrick turn, you will find yourself at the bottom of the valley past Lampretten, by the East Looe stream, and all points south down towards High Wood.
For more extensive images and information about
the hamlet of Redgate and its setting, ~ St.Cleer ~ Our local village of St.Cleer is in easy walking distance, and can be reached via a very pleasant walk down the lane and up through Treworrick and the farm; with fine views down over the upper reaches of the East Looe river valley, and back towards the little hamlet of Redgate St.Cleer has two good pubs (always a good excuse for a walk or a meal!), a Post Office & General Store/Newsagents opposite the fine parish church, and an excellent Farm Shop for local food, the best pasties, and tasty culinary gifts. Down just past the church can also be seen the old St.Cleer's Well. The church itself is dedicated to St.Clarus, and dates back to Norman times, but the majority was built during the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.  The parish church of St.Cleer. For more extensive images and local
information, and more about the colourful history of St.Cleer, ~ Siblyback Lake ~ Siblyback Lake is only about a mile and a half away, and makes for a good circuit walk, or for the more water-spirited, excellent windsurfing, sailing, or trout fishing can be had. There are also some very good facilities, including loos, changing rooms, and a range of hot and cold refreshments available in the tea shop and cafe, with seating inside or out, for walkers and sailors alike! A consistently good windsurfing and sailing wind is promised across Siblyback Lake, being up on the moor, and tuition from qualified instructors is available. You can either self-launch your own boat, or there are dinghies on site available for hire, either by the hour or by the day (including safety equipment, and Safety boat cover). There are also rowing boats, skiffs, and kayaks that can be hired by the hour or day.
For more extensive images and information about
Siblyback Lake, Just up the road from Redgate can be found King Doniert's Stone. Doniert (or Dunrgarth) was one of Cornwall's last Kings, who was drowned while hunting (or fighting!), in the River Fowey at Golitha Falls in the year AD875. There are two granite cross bases, which probably had wooden crosses in them originally, and one (the King Doniert's Stone) has the inscription "Doniert rogavit pro anima" - or "Doniert ordered this [asks you to pray!] for his soul". The second stone is known as "The Other Half-Stone", and originally, both may have been sited at either end of the original grave site nearby.  King Doniert's Stone ~ and "The Other Half-Stone" For more extensive images and information about
the King Doniert Stone and The Other Half-Stone, ~ Trethevy Quoit ~ This is a very old neolithic burial chamber, that dates from somewhere between 4,000 BC and 3,000 BC during the Neolithic Age, and is over 5,000 years old. Trethevy Quoit can be found not far from St.Cleer, and is situated in a field above Tremar Coombe, that can either be approached along a bridleway from Tremar (very muddy if wet!), or more easily from the other end of the bridleway, by the triangle in the road at the little hamlet of Trethevy, near Trethevy Farm. The chamber itself was probably a sacred site, and used as a communal tomb for the bones of the dead in the surrounding area, and would originally have been covered by an earth mound. Trethevy is one of the best preserved chambers of its type.
For more extensive images and information about
the history and origins of Trethevy Quoit, ~ The Hurlers ~ The well preserved "Hurlers" stone circles (there are in fact three circles) are very close to Minions, and the largest is over 40 metres in diameter. The circles date from sometime between 2,500 BC and 1,600 BC during the Bronze age, and are around 4,000 years old. They were no doubt a site for ancient pagan rituals and ceremonies of some kind, but their purpose has now been lost to the mists of time. Some think the Hurlers are sited on old "Ley Lines" across the landscape, lining up with other ancient sites, and many people have tried, not unsuccessfully, to trace these lines.
For more extensive images and information about
the Hurlers stone circles near Minions, ~ The Cheesewring ~ The "Cheesewring" is a very curious and amazingly precarious looking, but very natural, rock formation that makes for an excellent walk from Minions. It is a result of natural erosion and weathering, much like any other granite tor; despite man’s attempts at very unnatural explosions in the old Cheesewring Quarry immediately below! Supporting stones (on the right) were even put in place during blasting!
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the Cheesewring and its setting, [Top] |
"Redgate" is not an obviously Cornish
name, but there have been two very old and established farms here, that the
hamlet gave its name to; Higher Redgate and Lower Redgate Farms. The
name is probably more in keeping with an Anglo Saxon origin, or perhaps a corruption of an original
Cornish name, and is in keeping with several other "reds" found around
this part of Cornwall. For a more "blood curdling" origin, see
our 
