St. Dennis

The Parish of St Dennis is situated in the centre of the Cornish peninsula approximately ten miles from the English Channel and theAtlantic Ocean coastlines, positioned some 500ft above sea level. It is surrounded by the parishes of Roche to the north east, St Stephen-in-Brannel to the south west, St Enoder and St Columb Major to the west. St Dennis is believed to be named after St Denys the Martyr, although as the Parish Church is located on top of a hill, the name may have originated from the Cornish word “dinas” meaning a hill fort. The church was dedicated to St Dionysius (Denys or Dennis) in 1327. A church has stood on this site since the 11^th century, although the present tower dates from the 13^th century and much of the church was rebuilt in 1985 following extensive fire damage.

Originally the parish consisted of the hamlets of Hendra, Whitepit, Trelavour and Enniscaven. To the north lies the Goss Moor which is bisected by the River Fal. As one of the largest upland basins in Cornwall the Goss Moor has been extensively worked for tin up until the 1920s. The tin industry being so important as a source of revenue for the Crown that in 1201 tinners were given their own charter. Laws were drawn up so that tinners had their own courts to deal with stannary affairs. Sand extraction commenced on the Goss Moor in the 1920s in a small way but by 1939 there was a greater demand for concrete blocks and the block and sand works increased in production.

The china clay industry was born in the early 19^th century and by 1807 there were seven clay works in the St Dennis and St Stephen parishes. This number increased over the years bringing wealth and employment to the area, though for many people the standard of living was hard and the wages were low. The village thrived during the 60s, 70s and 80s during a boom in the china clay industry. During the late 80s and 90s however, the industry began to decline. In its heyday the village enjoyed many different shops including a Co-op store, several hairdressers (both men and ladies), four petrol filling stations and car repair workshops, two schools, two GP surgeries, chemist, fire station, blacksmiths, coalyard, two pubs, cobblers, two fish and chip shops, two bakeries, two chapels, post office, undertaker, launderette, furniture showroom, working men’s club, band club, football club and the Plaza Cinema. Sadly many of these have now closed, the Plaza closing its doors and being demolished in 1964. The village does, however, still boast many of these facilities including the Post Office, something which many villages have lost in recent times. The village boasts many voluntary organizations and clubs, too numerous to mention here, but one of the clubs of which we are most proud is the band which traces its history back to 1836. The band has won many competitions, including The West of England Champions no less than 11 times, and have been Royal Trophy winners on 29 occasions.

Thankyou to Mr Ken Rickard for much of this information, taken from his book "The book of St Dennis and the Goss Moor"