The History & Heritage of

Chypraze Farm

Introduction:

Chypraze Farm sits beside the Rose Stream that tumbles 300ft down to the pristine beach of Portheras Cove.

Half of the acreage is rough grazing amongst gorse and heather on the adjacent Chypraze Cliff headland. The rest is a mosaic of ancient field patterns that are now set to pasture for a dairy herd that is shared with the neighbouring farm. The origins of the listed farm buildings in traditional granite and slate are lost in the mists of time but their various forms give evidence the evolution of farming in West Penwith.

The whole area is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The cliff land, habitat of nightjars, stonechats and, fingers crossed, choughs, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The farm itself is designated an Environmentally Sensitive Area complete with an Environmental Management Plan.

In 2006 Chypraze became part of the Cornish Mining Area, achieving World Heritage Status in recognition of its associations with early tin mining and ore processing. It is startling to discover that the Rose and Portheras Streams provided most of the motive power in the area at one time and there were at least fifteen water powered mills, ore stamps and separating buddles that enabled Cornish tin to be extracted from the rich black veins, or lodes, within the granite.

To read more about the heritage of the farm and the surrounding area please use the following links: