Mitchell, Cornwall

Mitchell
Mitchell village is on the former course of the A30 trunk road
Mitchell  Mitchell shown within Cornwall
OS grid reference	SW861546
Civil parish	St Newlyn East
Unitary authority	Cornwall
Ceremonial county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWQUAY
Postcode district	TR8
Dialling code	01872
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Cornwall
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Truro and Falmouth
List of places UK England Cornwall

Coordinates: 50°21′09″N 5°00′26″W / 50.3524°N 5.0073°W / 50.3524; -5.0073

The old course of the A30 (now bypassed) at the west end of Mitchell village

Former Methodist chapel

Mitchell (sometimes known as Michael or St Michael's) is a village in mid Cornwall, England. It is situated 14 miles (22 km) northeast of Redruth and 17 miles (27 km) west-southwest of Bodmin on the A30 trunk road.^[1]

Mitchell straddles the old course of the A30 road but a dual carriageway bypass now carries the traffic north of the village. A 16th-century coaching inn called the Plume of Feathers stands in the main street.

The original name was La Medeshole^[2] and the first recorded mention of the village was in a court case in 1234 establishing the legal status of an annual market on St Francis's Day. A chapel of St Francis for the use of wayfarers existed from 1239 until its destruction at the Reformation.^[3]

From the Middle Ages on, the borough of Mitchell elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons but was disenfranchised by the Reform Act 1832.^[4] Walter Raleigh and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington were both MPs representing Mitchell.

At Carland Cross, a mile west of Mitchell, there are Iron Age burial mounds and flint arrow heads have been found in local fields.

The Folk Cottage

Mitchell's fame spread during the British folk music revival in the mid-1960s when a folk club opened in the village. Named called 'The Folk Cottage'^[5] (because it was housed in a semi-derelict farm cottage) it staged both evening concerts and thrice-weekly 'after midnight' sessions.^[6] The Folk Cottage became known throughout the UK and played a key part in the burgeoning 1960s folk music and beatnik scene in Cornwall.

The Folk Cottage provided a springboard for many performers who would later become nationally known including Wizz Jones, Jacqui McShee, Clive Palmer (co-founder of The Incredible String Band), and Ralph McTell.^[7][8]

See also

• Mitchell (UK Parliament constituency)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mitchell, Cornwall.

Ceremonial county of Cornwall Cornwall Portal Unitary authorities Cornwall Council Isles of Scilly Major settlements Bodmin Bude Callington Camborne Camelford Falmouth Fowey Hayle Helston Launceston Liskeard Looe Lostwithiel Marazion Newlyn Newquay Padstow Penryn Penzance Porthleven Redruth Saltash St Austell St Blazey St Columb Major St Ives St Just in Penwith St Mawes Stratton Torpoint Truro Wadebridge See also: List of civil parishes in Cornwall Rivers Allen Camel Cober De Lank Fal Fowey Gannel Gover Hayle Helford Inny Kensey Looe Lynher Menalhyl Ottery Par Pont Pill Port Navas Red Seaton St Austell Tamar Tiddy Truro Valency Topics History Status debate Flag Culture Economy Places Demography Notable people The Duchy Diocese Politics Schools Hundreds/shires Places of interest full list... Penwith North Cornwall