The Church
All Saints Church at Bolventor is a lovely little buildng that we all see from the A30 as we head out of Cornwall.
In the 1840s local people were encouraged to "break the Moor" - meaning that they could build homesteads on the common moor and develop farms. The small hamlet of Bolventor with its notorious inn - Jamaica Inn, made famous by Daphne du Maurier in her novel of the same name - was part of the parish of St Neot although it is now linked with the parish of Altarnun.
In 1846 Squire Rodd, of Trebartha, the landowner, built the Church of the Holy Trinity at Bolventor in the sheltered hollow under the New Inn. In the same year the school was built (in the wall facing the road there was a large stone inscribed with ‘National School 1846’). This then became the reading room. In 1851 the vicarage was built next to the church.
One of the Rodd family served in a Government capacity in Jamaica and on his return the name of the New Inn was changed to the Jamaica Inn in his honour.
The original A30 ran alongside the Jamaica Inn and Bolventor Church would have sat in peaceful and tranquil isolation. Now, it is subject to the continuous roar of traffic as the modern A30 is only a matter of metres away.
In spite of strong local opposition the church was sold for conversion to a private dwelling in 2011. (Hence it cannot be an official Church Micro).
Sadly the church looks very sorry for itself - it is more like a building site although clearly it is occupied by a family.
The churchyard is retained by the church authorities and is still used for burials.
The church stands as a tribute to the many people who farmed and mined this area during the last 150 years - what they would say of the modern road that rips the hamlet apart is only to be imagined!!
The Cache
The cache is a small green tube located close to the gate that gives access to the churchyard.
There is room to park a car within a few feet of the cache and the small side road to Bolventor Church is accessible whether you are travelling East or West on the A30 but do take care when re-entering the A30 that you do not end up heading in the wrong direction!!
The cache is in a camo bag and unfortunately, there is no room for swaps or TBs.