| St Dennis | |
| Cornish: Tredhinas | |
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St Dennis
St Dennis shown within Cornwall |
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| Population | 2,696 (Civil Parish, 2001) |
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| OS grid reference | SX951577 |
| Unitary authority | Cornwall |
| Ceremonial county | Cornwall |
| Region | South West |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ST AUSTELL |
| Postcode district | PL26 |
| Dialling code | 01726 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | St Austell and Newquay |
| List of places: UK • England • Cornwall | |
St Dennis (Cornish: Tredhinas) is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated on the B3279 between Newquay and St Austell.[1]
St Dennis had a population of 2,696 in the 2001 census.[2] A quarter of the male population is employed in the extraction of china clay.
The village is famous for its church built on the site of an Iron age hillfort. Other major buildings include the Methodist chapel and the Boscawen Hotel.
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St Dennis originated as several smaller settlements: Hendra, Trelavour and Whitepit. The area's population grew rapidly after William Cookworthy discovered China Clay in the area.[3]
The area is characterised by tips and pits of china clay mining but St Dennis village itself is designated an 'island settlement' which prevents encroachment by the china clay industry. Much of the parish is up to 500 feet above sea level, and the countryside is moorland with small fields enclosed by earth-covered granite walls known as 'hedges'. These hedges were constructed centuries ago, when the land was cleared for farming. Part of Trelavour Downs has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Geological Conservation Review site. A small shallow pit of 0.3 ha was once worked for lithium and is the best known locality for biotite mica in Britian.
The church is situated on top of a hill overlooking the village and has views over Goss Moor to the sea at Newquay. It is dedicated to St Denys and stands on the site of an Iron Age fort. The tower is the oldest part of the church, and the newer church was almost destroyed by fire in 1985.[4] Although heartbreaking at the time, it has risen again from the ashes. The new roof timbers were so large that they had to be lifted in by a Royal Navy Seaking helicopter.
The village also has a strong history of Methodism and at one stage there were three Methodist chapels in the village. Two of these, at Carne Hill, and Hendra Road are still open to this day.
The infant school in St Dennis has been amalgamated with the new primary school, and the old building has been refurbished and is now used as an outreach centre called ClayTAWC. The centre teaches computer studies to adults in the area, and also has many other interesting classes.
St Dennis Band is based in the village, and has a history of competing with some of the world's top bands. The Band recently gained Championship Status in 2009.
The village of St Dennis has two public houses, The Commercial Inn and the Boscawen Hotel, and there are also three clubs, the St Dennis Working Men's Club, the St Dennis Band Club, and the St Dennis Association Football Club.
The Land Master all-terrain vehicle was developed here in the late 1970s.
Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre A plan to site an incinerator near St Dennis by French company SITA is currently being opposed by the Parish Council who are worried about the effects of pollution and extra traffic.[5] SITA claim that the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC) will benefit Cornwall by diverting 90 per cent of the county’s residual waste away from landfill and will generate sixteen megawatts of electricity.[6]
The railway station for St Dennis is St Columb Road but there have been mineral railways in the parish, for which see article St Dennis railway station
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