Downderry
"Downdery! Downderry! The very name of this small Cornish seaside village has a rythmic, lyrical quality... Downderry down, Downderry down... it rings of lymeric, folk song and rhyme. Snug between the bay of Whitsand and the promontory of Looe, Downderry with its spouse Seaton, bathes in the constant ebb and flow of the English Channel. Their gentle cliffs roll and tumble towards the sea."
Sir John Betjeman
Overview
Downderry (Cornish: Downderri) is a coastal village in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated 18 miles (29 km) west of Plymouth and one mile east of Seaton.[1]
Downderry has a long beach of light shingle. There is road access down to the beach via a slipway although this is blocked by a locked gate, pedestrian access is still possible. Dogs are allowed on the beach. The east beach has a reputation as a nudist beach.[citation needed]
The village and beach offer views of Looe Island to the west and Rame Head to the east and on clear days sight of the Eddystone Lighthouse 8 miles (13 km) to the south.
The village has a Church of England church, a Methodist chapel, a shop with a Post Office, a pub, a restaurant, a coffee shop and a primary school.
The Church of St Nicolas Downderry began as a mission church to service the growing population of the village. The building dates from the late 19th century.
Points of interest
Bass rock
Approximately 700M east of the village center is a rocky outcrop known locally as "Bass Rock", this is a popular fishing spot as it affords access to deeper water.
Coleadon
300M further on from Bass Rock are the cliffs of Coleadon, the promontory past these cliffs means access to the beach past this point is cut off at high tide.
The Brawn (Shag rock)
Past Coleadon is a 600M stretch of beach which ends in a rocky outcrop known locally as "Shag rock" after the seabirds of the same name who can be seen sitting on the rock drying their wings after diving for fish. This marks the end of easy foot access to the coastline. There is a path up the cliff which leads to the road above this beach, the climb is pleasant but reasonably strenuous. The ruins of an old Victorian lodge, known as "St Germans hut", can be found half way up this cliff path.
Television transmitter
On one of the hills above the village is a television transmitter which serves as a repeater for the local area. More info available at the following sites:
http://www.ukfree.tv/shutdowndetail.php?tx=SX313542 http://fmscan.org/ml.php?r=t&t=9923042
'Chain Home' bunkers
During the 2nd World War Downderry was the site of a Chain Home radar installation. The remains of this installation are present and can be found on the East side of the village. One of the bunkers has been converted into a residential garage, the other is accessible from the road but is hard to find in summer since the path is extremely overgrown. More info about the Chain Home here: http://www.historic-cornwall.org.uk/flyingpast/ground.html
Neolithic earthworks
The only known example of a 'Cursus' earthwork in Cornwall is situated behind the village in the fields near Triffle farm:
http://www.historic-cornwall.org.uk/flyingpast/heaven.html
Wreck of the Gypsy
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The wreck of the Gypsy can be found just off of Downderry in about 7M of water 90M west of the slipway. Originally named 'The Rodney' she was an iron full-rigged ship built in 1874 by W. Pile & Co., Sunderland.
In Nov. 1895, Rodney lost her figurehead in a gale in the English Channel, while en route from Gravesend to Sydney. The figurehead washed ashore at Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, 6 months later.
In 1897, the ship was sold to F. Boissière, of Nantes, France, & renamed Gipsy (the cross-over year, per Lloyd's, is 1896/97). Re-rigged then as a barque. On Dec. 7, 1901, the vessel was wrecked, a total loss, at Downderry on the return voyage from Iquique (Chile) to France with a cargo of nitrate. The 1447 tonne ship lost her bearings and became stranded on the reef. She was blown apart by explosives as she had become a hazard to local fishing vessels. Parts of the wreck are strewn over a large area in about 7-8M of water.
- http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland095.html
- http://www.shipmodelersassociation.org/research/fam9811.htm?id_sma=1019SMA922390
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/StateLibQld_1_169087_Rodney_%28ship%29.jpg
- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/StateLibQld_1_173683_Rodney_%28ship%29.jpg
Alumni
=== Dan Joyce ---
Dan Joyce of Dirty Sanchez attended St Nicholas C of E School in the 80s.
References
- ^ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 Plymouth & Launceston ISBN 978-0-319-23146-3
External links
Media related to Downderry at Wikimedia Commons
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