Travel St Buryan Map

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St Buryan tourist guide map of landmarks & destinations by Walkfo

St Buryan history

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St Buryan and the surrounding area is rich in history and has been a centre of human activity for several thousand years. The surrounding area has a rich history of its human activity.

Early Neolithic Period

The area surrounding St Buryan was in use by humans in Neolithic times, as is evident from surviving monuments. Boscawen-Un, a neolithic stone circle containing 19 stones around a leaning central pillar, is thought to be complete. A more accessible stone circle, The Merry Maidens, lies 2 miles (3.2 km) to the south of the village in a field along the B3315 toward Land’s End.

Bronze and Iron Ages

Only a few hundred yards from the site of the Merry Maidens lies a Bronze Age burial chamber, Cruk Tregyffian, that was discovered (and unfortunately damaged) during widening of the adjacent B3315 road. The Boleigh Fogou is considered to be one of the best remaining monuments of its kind in Cornwall. Built in the Iron Age, the purpose of fogous (derived from Cornish word for cave) is not known.

Middle Ages

A revolt against the Anglo-Saxon English in 931 AD by the Cornish Celts (supported by the Danes) led to a battle southeast of the village at Boleigh where a farm and hamlet now stands. The establishment of a church and monastery in the village by Athelstan contributed to the rising importance of the parish. In 1328 St Buryan was excommunicated from the church over a row about control of religious matters.

Tudor and Stuart period

William Noy was an MP and member of the court of King Charles I. He was created Attorney-General to the king in October 1631 and specialised in reviving long forgotten taxes to raise money to fund the King’s lifestyle. His advice controversially led to the imposition of ship money which is thought by many to have helped trigger the English Civil War. Cornwall was a haven for smugglers at this time, with its many secluded coves ideally suited for evasion of duty.

Industrial revolution

St Buryan was an important regional religious centre during the Middle Ages due to its monastery and Royal Peculiar status. The importance of the parish faded with the onset of the industrial revolution. Unlike other parishes in Penwith, the parish was not a major focus of tin mining activity during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, having a mainly agrarian economy.

Twentieth century

After a period of decline during the twentieth century, St Buryan has been enjoying a renaissance. In common with other settlements in the district such as Newlyn and Penzance, the post-war period saw the building of a council estate to the west of the village on land formerly part of Parcancady farm. The estate subsequently expanded westward in the nineteen eighties and nineties.

  

St Buryan map & travel guide with history & landmarks to explore

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Tourist Guide to St Buryan Map

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Walkfo St Buryan travel map key: visit National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top travel destinations in St Buryan