Delabole

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Delabole

Coordinates: 50.4664° N 4.7177° W
Population	2,500 (2001 Estimate)
OS grid reference	SX070840
Parish	St Teath
District	North Cornwall
Shire county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BODMIN
Postcode district	PL33
Dial code	01840
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	North Cornwall
European Parliament	South West England
List of places: UK • England • Cornwall

Delabole, a village in North Cornwall, England, UK. It is the third highest village in Cornwall, the two highest are also in the North Cornwall district. Delabole was the birth place of Cornwall Air Ambulance- The First in the UK. Delabole has a few businesses including Delabole Quarry.

The village is named after the Delabole Quarry, the village of Delabole came into existence in the 20th century. There were three hamlets: Pengelly, Medrose and Rockhead. When the railway arrived, the Station was named Delabole, after the quarry, and the three hamlets merged in order to keep the name continuous and to prevent confusion.

[edit] The quarry

The Delabole slate quarry is one of the largest of its type in England and has run continuously since the 15th century. In the reign of Elizabeth I the five quarries in the site of the now larger pit assumed considerable importance delivering slate to Brittany and The Netherlands. In 1841 the five quarries combined to make the Old Delabole Slate Quarry. The Old Delabole Slate Quarry was liquidated in 1977 by the companies bankers. It ran under receivership until 1999 when a local management team bought it out. In 1910, 500 people were employed at the quarry but has since reduced to 80, the decline due to the availability of cheaper roofing materials. Despite decline of workers, Delabole Quarry remains the oldest working Slate Quarry in England.

Delabole Quarry was once the Deepest man made pit in the world, but this is no longer the case due to massive open cast mines and quarries in America and Australia.

More recently the village has become renowned for it's annual carnival, one of the biggest in Cornwall. It was revived in 2001 after a break of nearly forty years. The week of events takes place in July each year, see www.delabolecarnival.co.uk for more details.

The village has a King George V Playing Field.