Goonamarris

Settlement in Cornwall

England

Goonamarris

Crossroads on the B3279 Behind the signs are part of an old clay pit and tip. — Crossroads on the B3279 Credit: roger geach

Goonamarris is a small coastal village located in Cornwall, England. Nestled along the eastern coast, it sits between the larger towns of Looe and Polperro. With a population of just under 500 residents, Goonamarris offers a tranquil and picturesque setting for those seeking a peaceful retreat.

The village is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, characterized by rugged cliffs, pristine sandy beaches, and crystal-clear waters. Visitors can enjoy long walks along the coastal path, taking in breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding countryside. The area is also home to a diverse range of wildlife, making it popular among nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers.

Goonamarris boasts a rich history, dating back to ancient times. The remains of an Iron Age hillfort, known as Goonamarris Camp, can still be seen today atop the cliffs, offering a glimpse into the village's past. The nearby Polperro Heritage Coast Centre provides a fascinating insight into the area's maritime history, with exhibits detailing the village's fishing and smuggling heritage.

Despite its small size, Goonamarris offers a range of amenities for both residents and visitors. The village is home to a charming pub, serving up traditional Cornish dishes and locally brewed ales. There are also a handful of quaint bed and breakfast establishments, providing comfortable accommodation for those wishing to stay in the area.

Overall, Goonamarris provides a idyllic coastal escape, offering natural beauty, historical intrigue, and a sense of tranquility that is hard to find elsewhere.

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Goonamarris Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 50.359563/-4.8776303 or Grid Reference SW9555. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Crossroads on the B3279

Behind the signs are part of an old clay pit and tip.

roger geach

Junction on the corner on the B3279

Nanpean a clay village , sadly many of the claypits have shut so there is less employment in the clay industry then years ago.

roger geach

Road from Nanpean

It looks more rural looking away from Nanpean village down this lane. years ago there were far more clay driers and pits open then nowadays.

roger geach

Foxhole ahead

The approach to Foxhole village from Goonabarn , the narrow road crosses the freight only railway here.

roger geach

Parkandillick Cornish engine - the cockpit

This is the area below the driving position of this 1852 built 50" Cornish beam pump. In the background is one of the cataracts that uses water being forced through an adjustable orifice to time the pauses between strokes. In the centre is the bottom of the plug rod that operates the valves and sets the cataracts between strokes. On the right is a weight box that will operate to open one of the engine's three valves under the influence of gravity. Cock is an older term for a valve and this is the origin of the modern word cockpit (true or bluff). There are not too many pictures of this area on a Cornish engine to be found.

Chris Allen

Parkandillick beam engine - St Austell governor

An 1852 built Cornish beam pumping engine at a clay pit. It was moved here in 1912 and stopped work about 1955. It is preserved and can be operated with low pressure compressed air produced by a large fan exhausting into the boiler. Because Cornish engines are non-rotative and do not have a crank and connecting rod to mechanically constrain the stroke length, they rely on exactly the right amount of steam being admitted that matches the load and keeps the stroke to the correct length. Most engines of this type relied entirely on the engine driver adjusting the governor valve by hand but in the St Austell clay district there was a development of this automatic governor (the engine driver still needed to be close at hand with his wits about him). This detected an increase or decrease in the stroke length and automatically decreased or increased the quantity of steam admitted by adjusting the length of the governor valve rod. You can forget the mogadon tonight if you've read this far!

Chris Allen

Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine

50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This was a picture of the top chamber with the indoor end of the beam before the stairs became even softer and the roof was damaged by high winds. The beam was a replacement by Holman Bros of camborne in 1928. The engine ceased work in about 1955. Its removal was just in time, as the air pump and condenser had already fallen down the unstable shaft and part of the engine house followed not long after the engine's safe removal. The remainder of the house was then quickly demolished. There is now only one engine in situ 'in the clay' - that at Parkandillick.

Chris Allen

Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam engine

50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is a view of the bottom chamber with the driver's position and the cylinder behind on the right. The 'gearwork' is typical three arbor gearwork with a double plug rod and cataracts for pauses on the indoor and outdoor strokes. The engine has a single perpendicular pipe connecting the two ends of the cylinder.

Chris Allen

Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine.

50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is the middle chamber showing the top of the steam cylinder with the false cover and the metallic packing for the piston rod. Beyond that is the top nozzle box with the governor, steam inlet and equilibrium valves. Above, one can see parts of the parallel motion with the plug rod descending beyond the top nozzles to operate the valve gear. This was in the days when the staircase was just strong enough to allow access to the higher levels. On a later visit I was restricted to the lower chamber.

Chris Allen

Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine

50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is a close up of the middle chamber with the valve box to the right and the plug rods operating the valve gear to the left. Between are the rods and operating levers for the governor, steam and equilibrium valves. The device with the ratchet and bevel gears is the St Austell governor. This is a safety feature that closes the governor valve if the engine stroke length begins to increase. It is, however, defenceless in the face of a catastrophic failure - eg the main pump rod parting.

Chris Allen

Goonvean China Clayworks - Cornish beam engine

50" Cornish beam engine of 1863 by Harvey & Co of Hayle. Installed 4th hand in 1910. Dismantled by Century millwrights in September 2008 and placed in store. It is hoped that it may be re-erected in a proposed project in Hayle. This is outside the front of the engine house over the shaft leading to the bottom of the claypit. On the right is the large timber main pump rod. To its left is a disconnected auxiliary pump. Then further left is the rotten wooden cistern holding the condenser (hidden) and the air pump that is worked off the beam. Above and behind the airpump is the boiler feed pump and then above and behind that is the 'plug door' into the lower chamber of the engine house. Some years later the condenser cistern and its contents slipped down the shaft. Following removal of the engine, part of the house went the same way (the people who removed this engine were dicing with death) and the remainder was demolished immediately after. This is an overall view of the front of the house - SW9455 : Goonvean China Clay works SW9455 : Cornish engine, Goonvean

Chris Allen

Parkandillick Clayworks - Cornish beam engine

An 1852 built Cornish beam pumping engine at a clay pit. It was moved here in 1912 and stopped work about 1955. It is preserved and can be operated with low pressure compressed air produced by a large fan exhausting into the boiler. This is the top chamber with the indoor end of the cast iron beam and the parallel motion. The main bearing for the beam is at bottom right and lacks a top cap as all the forces are downwards. The beam carries the maker's name - Sandys, Vivian & Co, Hayle.

Chris Allen

Parkandillick Clayworks - Cornish beam engine

An 1852 built Cornish beam pumping engine at a clay pit. It was moved here in 1912 and stopped work about 1955. It is preserved and can be operated with low pressure compressed air produced by a large fan exhausting into the boiler. This view is from the bob-plat looking straight down between the two cast iron sides of the beam. On the right is the main pump rod actuated by the engine and raising china clay slurry from the bottom of the clay pit. To its left is the wooden cistern that holds the air pump. To the left of the air pump is the smaller feed pump that sits on top of the condenser. The door is the 'plug door' and gives access to the condenser area from the bottom chamber of the engine house.

Chris Allen

Parkandillick clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine

An 1852 built Cornish beam pumping engine at a clay pit. It was moved here in 1912 and stopped work about 1955. It is preserved and can be operated with low pressure compressed air produced by a large fan exhausting into the boiler. This is the middle chamber with the 50" cylinder in the middle and the piston rod ascending to the beam above. Beyond the cylinder is the top nozzle box with the governor, steam and equilibrium valves. The big round beam at the top of the frame is the anchor point for the parallel motion radius rods. This is also braced to the bob wall.

Chris Allen

Parkandillick Clayworks - Cornish beam pumping engine

An 1852 built Cornish beam pumping engine at a clay pit. It was moved here in 1912 and stopped work about 1955. It is preserved and can be operated with low pressure compressed air produced by a large fan exhausting into the boiler. This is a view of the bottom chamber with the driver's position and the cylinder behind on the left. The 'gearwork' is typical three arbor gearwork with a double plug rod and cataracts for pauses on the indoor and outdoor strokes. The engine has a single perpendicular pipe connecting the two ends of the cylinder. There is a delicate chain holding the bottom (exhaust) handle down and this would be released to start the engine. The engine is worked by hand for several strokes until the vacuum is stable and the stroke length has settled down. It is then put on the cataracts and becomes self-acting, although the driver is never far away.

Chris Allen