About Calstock Parish
Calstock Parish is situated in south east Cornwall (UK), close to the Devon border. With a population of over 6000 and in excess of 3000 households, it comprises of several villages, the larger ones being St Ann’s Chapel, Gunnislake and Calstock.
Much of the Parish is within the Tamar Valley National Landscape and is also part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The fine landscape includes granite ridges, woodlands and rolling farm land. The River Tamar, with its attractive waterfront areas, forms the eastern border of the Parish. Within the Parish are many impressive remains of mine workings. The Parish has miles of footpaths and other public rights of way.
A brief history of the Parish can be found on the Calstock Parish Archive website.
In the past, the parish has supported many forms of employment including market gardening, farming, wool trade (a mill was in use at Calstock), quarrying (Hingston Down quarry), mining (Drakewalls Mine), boat building, retail etc.
Automation, development (e.g.railway) and other factors have resulted (as in other areas) in the decline of many industries that did exist within the parish. Although employment can be found in the quarry, shops, boatyard and tourism. These ventures are operating to a lesser extent than they did and there is an ever increasing need for residents to travel to main towns that lie outside of the parish boundaries.
The parish does still retain much of its natural beauty, environment and charm.