St Neot Local Historians

04/04/2026

This may be of interest. The living installation will feature the historical craft of willow weaving. St Neot Historians secretary Zac Leon will be reading from his book 'The Nine Legends of St Neot', and we will hear from member Nick Hart's choir, plus other choirs and displays.

01/04/2026

Did you know that St Neot’s village green is actually at Dozmary pool ! This photo was taken in 1920s of a Methodist chapel day out

31/03/2026

Thanks to John O'Neil for dropping by with some his collection of old postcards of St Neot, of which this is just a small sample.

John is something of a village legend, having been chairman of the Village Hall and the Club, a governor of the school, as well as sitting on the council in years gone by.

There are many more gems to be discovered in the St Neot Archive, open Tuesdays and Thursday mornings 10-12.

26/03/2026

The village hall looking resplendent and an older letter headed Church Institute, setting out the terms for the use and replacement of lightbulbs 💡

26/03/2026

23/03/2026

Congratulations to Golden Tree Productions for laying the last stone at Kerdroya by Colliford Lake on the Spring Equinox. It is the largest classical labyrinth in the world.

The project is an engagement with Cornish history, in particular Cornish hedging. It will also one day be history itself, seeing as it will weather for thousands of years!

A great achievement.

15/03/2026

Sharing this fun event coming to Bodmin on Saturday 21st March!
Come and join a family-friendly pop-up theatre event where you can explore some local heritage and join the band of Tempus Fugitives!

Meet on the folly at 5pm and claim your map!
It's free to join in but you need to sign up here
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/timepiece-tempus-fugitives-bodmin-tickets-1983879669496

This project was made possible thanks to Experience Bodmin and is led by Laura Frances-Martin.

14/03/2026

Heroes and heroines don’t always wear capes. They’re not always recognized for their achievements during their lifetimes, and many of their stories fade into history.

Part of the upcoming exhibition in the Rapson Gallery will pay tribute to Emily Hobhouse, a humanitarian, a pacifist and a local lady who became a hero to thousands of people on another continent.

This year marks the centenary of Emily’s death. The installation featured in the exhibition is a beautiful tribute to a woman who, amongst other achievements, left her mark on the South African people she helped during and after the Boer War.

We are delighted to have collaborated with the wonderful team from The Story of Emily in St Ive on this part of the exhibition.

Discover more about Emily Hobhouse when the John Rapson Gallery reopens on Friday, 20th March.

6 days to go!

14/03/2026

Our charity is currently trying to purchase Castilly Henge - one of the South-West’s most important and best-researched late Neolithic sites - to ensure that it is cared for and made accessible to everyone.

We are hoping to raise £50,000 to purchase the site and are hugely grateful to those who have already donated and helped us raise nearly £13,000 so far.

Recently added to the Heritage at Risk Register, invasive vegetation is currently encroaching on the monument - the roots of which can very quickly and seriously damage its structure if not managed regularly. Vegetation such as this also creates a monoculture, which can severely limit biodiversity at the site.

It has come on and off the Heritage at Risk Register a number of times due to a lack of regular management, and our aim in purchasing the site is to stop this cycle of sporadic intervention and ensure it gets the regular care it needs to be protected for the future.

Our ownership of the site would also mean that it can be open to the public, which it currently is not. All of the sites we care for are free for everyone to visit and accessible all year round, and we want to make this possible for Castilly Henge too.

Our charity has been protecting historic landscapes and monuments across Cornwall for the last 40 years. We have a strong track record of giving these special places the archaeological and land management expertise they need and have helped save a number from the Heritage at Risk Register. Help us do the same for Castilly Henge!

Whether you are looking for an alternative belated Christmas gift or want to give back to Cornwall’s communities this New Year, your donation will take us one step closer to purchasing Castilly Henge, securing its future through active management and enabling everyone to visit it for free all year round.

As a small, independent charity, every donation makes a huge difference to this urgent appeal, and we would be hugely grateful for your support.

Support the campaign here https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/support-us/castilly-henge-appeal/

13/03/2026

It’s just 7 days until the John Rapson Gallery is reopening to the public, but who was the gallery named after?

John Rapson was a well-known local photographer, a Cornish bard, as well as long-time friend and supporter of the museum. Liskeard and District Museum is a home to approx. 80 cameras donated by John, and close to 500,000 photographic negatives – Rapson’s lifetime collection.

John photographed many local events, including weddings.

Do you have memories of John Rapson? We would love to hear about them in the comments.

7 days to go!