Pentewan

Pentewan Quarry was the source of a fine building stone, a variety of elvan. Many medieval churches in Cornwall, including those at Botusfleming, Duloe, Fowey, Golant, Gorran, Lostwithiel, Mevagissey, St Austell, and St Columb Major, were wholly or partly constructed out of the stone,[5] as were some later buildings such as the eighteenth century Antony House. In 1985 blocks of Pentewan stone were recovered from the beach near the quarry to restore St Austell church.[6]

'Happy-Union', a stream work for tin, was opened near Pentewan in 1780 and was worked down the valley towards the sea. A second working, 'Wheal Virgin', went up the valley. The tin streamers considered both to be places where "the old men had been", since they uncovered charcoal ashes, human remains, and bones of animals "of a different description from any now known in Britain".[7] John William Colenso (father of the bishop of the same name) invested his capital into these workings but the speculation proved to be ruinous when the investment was lost following a sea flood. The Happy-Union closed in 1837, Wheal Virgin around 1874.[2]

Pentewan was originally known as 'Lower Pentewan', 'Higher Pentewan' being a separate and earlier settlement to the south-west of the village, centred on Barton Farm.[2] In 1086, Higher Pentewan was listed in the Domesday Book as the Manor of 'Bentewoin', one of many Cornish manors held by Robert, Comte de Mortain. It was subsequently held by the families of Pentire, Roscarrock, Dart, and Robartes (the Earls of Radnor), then by Sir James La Roche, the MP for Bodmin (1768–80), and (in 1792) by the Rev. Henry Hawkins Tremayne of nearby Heligan.[8]

Pentewan was likely once visited by[9] gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) as 2 of the 7 European gray whale fossils were found here.[10][11] The gray whale prefers shallow seas and the shallow seas over the continental shelf of the South Western Approaches is one of the widest in north-western Europe. The first gray whale to be seen in the Atlantic in centuries was sighted in 2010. The Northwest Passage was then ice-free[12] and so apparently a gray whale from the Pacific Ocean made it to Europe.[13] More whales are likely to follow.[14] In 2005 it was proposed to reintroduce them to Pentewan,[15][16] which would likely attract throngs of tourists to the beaches.

The submerged forests of Pentewan are another interesting part of its past natural history.[17] This forest was submerged so quickly that oysters are now found fastened to its tree stumps.

A pill box was erected in the harbour and the beach mined as part of the dragon's teeth anti-tank defences.[2] Bombs fell near Pentewan in 1941[18] and an air raid on the port in August 1942 destroyed the Methodist chapel[19] and damaged several houses.[20]