Mullion Cove

Coordinates: 50°00′54″N 5°15′29″W / 50.015°N 5.258°W

Mullion Cove and the harbour

Harbour History

In 1868 there was a significant move to build a Harbour of Refuge in Mullion Cove. For many years sailing ships from all over the world, were often unable to complete their journey around the Lizard Peninsula into the English Channel to make for Falmouth for Orders. Some took an incorrect course in adverse weather, storm or fog. Some ships had sheltered from persistent easterly winds along the coastline between Mullion Island and Pedngwynian a mile to the north, being unable to navigate the strong currents of the Lizard. At other times they would attempt to seek shelter here from the worst storms, and many became embayed in the Mounts Bay. It was recorded that in the 18th and 19th centuries there could be well over 200-300 sailing ships at anchor in the "Mullion Roads" for periods of up to two or three weeks at a time, journey delayed, and with limited means of restocking. Plans were submitted to the Board of Trade for approval and consisted of two proposals.

Firstly, a jetty or causeway, was to be built on the northern quayside, parallel to an existing watercourse and in the direction of Ear Rock or Scovern (Scovarn). This quayside or causeway was originally formed adjacent to a Leat for two Grist Mills, from which Mullion Cove or "Porthmellin" took its name. These two Mills, still shown on the Mullion Tithe Map, ceased working around 1840. (The remains of a third, now Grade II Listed Mill still exists some 250 yards east of the Cove at Mullion Mill farm).   At the seaward end of this quay, the jetty was to turn northwards towards Henscath, then west towards the gateway between Henscath and Scovern creating a protective dam, and a "horseshoe" shaped harbour where fishing boats and other sailing boats could load or unload their cargoes. 

Rocks would be removed from the floor of the fishing cove, which was to remain open.

The second, concurrent, proposal was to create a sheltered area for larger sailing ships and smaller Coasting and fishing boats in the Cove by building a breakwater, 630 feet (192m) in length, between Mullion Island and the Vro, a large rock on the mainland to the South East of Mullion Island. (A small gap was to be left between the larger Vro Rock and the smaller "Gull Rock"). This breakwater was some 450 yards (413m) away from the proposed jetty and was designed to create shelter in stormy conditions. However, these plans were not proceeded with, and it took until 1890 before their resurrection. 
With financial support from Lord Robartes at Lanhydrock it was again proposed to create a harbour in the Cove using the original plans. However the second part of the proposal, to create a sheltered "Harbour of Refuge", was dispensed with and the first part of the plan for a "horseshoe" shaped harbour was promoted. Plans for an extension of the northern causeway which included a quay or jetty cut into the mainland cliffs to the north of Ear Rock,with protection of a dam between Scovern, or Ear Rock, and Henscath to the north were presented to the Board of Trade in May 1890 and initially accepted. 

The work to extend the northern causeway began with consolidation and building of a road capable of withstanding the weight of the machinery and stone. However, Penzance born Sir William Matthews KCMG,(1844-1922), a Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and in charge of the construction plans, decided that "heave" created by tidal sea swell (rythmical rising of the sea) in the "horseshoe" would be too dangerous for the boats and harbour users, boats could only lie alongside the quay in moderate weather, and the building cost would be excessive.

As a result, in August 1890, he proposed amended plans for the construction of two stone piers. Firstly, a west pier, 180 foot (55m) in length, beginning in the north west corner of the cove was to extend southwards into the fishing cove from the end of the northern quayside and secondly a similarly built south pier, 130 foot (40m) in length, was to extend seawards from a mainland rock on the south side of the fishing cove. This became known as the 1891 Amendment Order. It also gave Lord Robartes the authority to build a south pier, although the authority to do so was not given by the Board of Trade until much later in 1895. 

A number of skilled stonemasons and other labourers were drafted in to the village, coming from all over the South West, with T.A. Lang and sons of Liskeard, the company in charge of construction, began the removal of bedrock and construction of the pier. Work on the construction of the west pier began in earnest in 1891 but was affected by adverse weather including the Great Blizzard of March 1891. The engineers in charge of the site were Messrs. S.W. Jenkin and son, also of Liskeard. The west pier was completed in December 1892, when it was opened by Lord and Lady Robartes in an official ceremony. Construction of the south pier was delayed to reduce cost.

An application was made to the Board of Trade in July 1895 and permission to build was granted although initial construction did not begin until late 1895 when the construction firm Peacocks brought their machinery and materials to the site. Before construction of the south pier could take place an alteration had to be made to what is the currently Grade II Listed Net Loft, in order to allow free passage for the equipment. 
The Harbour was finally completed late in 1897 with initial estimates of cost having risen from a planned input of £10,000 to a total reported investment by Lord Robartes in September 1890 of £30,000.

It was hoped that the main beneficiaries of the new harbour were to be those employed by the local Pilchard, Crab, Lobster and Crawfish Fishery. However, there was also an intention to form a Mullyon Trading Company based at Mullion, a Commercial organisation to help local farmers, retailers and other occupants of the southern portion of the Lizard Peninsula who had otherwise to travel on very poor roads at the time to the Ports at Gweek and Porthleven. In doing so they could continue to supply ships anchoring in the Mullion Roads when delayed by bad weather or easterly winds.^[1][2] It also allowed for raw materials such as cement,wood and coal to be delivered.^[2]

The harbour, looking out to Mullion Island

Mullion Cove or Porth Mellin is a small harbour and cove on the Lizard peninsula in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated facing west into Mount's Bay approximately six miles (9.7 km) south of the town of Helston and one mile (1.6 km) southwest of Mullion village.^[3] The harbour was completed in 1897 and financed by Lord Robartes of Lanhydrock as a recompense to the fishermen for several disastrous pilchard seasons. It is protected from southerly winter gales by two sea walls and Mullion Island, half a mile (0.8 km) offshore. The old pilchard cellar and net store are preserved. Mullion Cove lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Almost a third of Cornwall has AONB designation, with the same status and protection as a National Park. Mullion Harbour, along with Mullion Island, was donated to the National Trust in 1945 by the Meyer family.^[4]

Geography and geology

The cove is situated on the eastern side of Mount's Bay and on the western coast of the Lizard peninsula. The harbour entrance is open to the south-west but is protected by the natural breakwater of Mullion Island half a mile (0.8 km) offshore. The village of Mullion and the parish church is to the north-east, approximately one mile (1.6 km) inland. There are cliffs on either side of the cove and to the south is Mullion Cliff which is part of The Lizard National Nature Reserve and is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.^[3] The rocks are hornblende schist originally thought to be a basalt or a gabbro which has been changed by the heat and pressure, produced by the intrusions of peridotite.^[5][6]

The high cliffs forming the south side of Mullion Cove are composed of Serpentine. In 1752 the serpentine forming Mullion Cliffs was a quarry site from which the mineral Soapstone, a Talc, also known then as Soaprock, was extracted. Remains of the mineral are still visible in the form of veins of a white or light coloured mineral running at an angle along the Serpentine cliff face. 

The mineral, initially extracted from a number of sites along the west coast of the Lizard peninsula for a period of approximately 80 years, was used by the earliest english porcelain factories to produce thousands of pieces of soft paste porcelain (Tea and Coffee pots, dinner services, tableware, vases etc). For the first time the country`s potters were able to produce a product which could withstand boiling water, allowing competition with porcelain imported from China.

Given the name of "Soapeyrock", and identified as such in the 1720s by Dr John Woodward, it had first been located from cliff sites in the Serpentine of Kynance Cove as a mineral with potential economic properties. The first studies were conducted as early as the 1670s and 1680s by Scientists of the Royal Society. During the 1720s Woodwards records show that it was used to make experimental porcelain. Progress was slow and very costly.  Its high Magnesium content, white colour and very fine powdery texture which turned  into a very fine clay when wet, helped give it a property of being resistant to heat, and therefore suitable as an ingredient in the  production of early ceramics. 
Once extracted it was weighed and taken in wooden casks by sea, including from Mullion Cove, to the primary early factories being those set up at Bristol (Benjamin Lund), Vauxhall, Worcester (Dr John Wall,William Davis, Richard Holdship and others) Liverpool (Richard Chaffers and Phillip Christian), Caughley(Thomas Turner). The first Porcelain Factory to use Mullion Cliffs to source Soaprock was Vauxhall in London. It was run by Nicholas Crisp and John Sanders.(Sanders died in 1758 and the factory closed in 1763. Crisp then went to Bovey Tracey where he worked for William Cookworthy on the experimental production of hard paste porcelain))
After Kynance Cove, other sites gradually came into use as more of the mineral was discovered and the demand increased. The sites included at Gew Graze ("Soapy Cove") in 1748, a mile to the north, and in 1751 the cliffs of Pentreath Beach, just north of Caerthillian. The old quarry sites are still visible. The Mullion Cliff site was quickly followed by other sites inland on the Serpentine of the Lizard Peninsula.These included Penruddock, half a mile inland of the Vro and the largest of all the soaprock quarries, that of Daroose, situated close to Teneriffe Farm which was leased from Viscount Falmouth by the Worcester Porcelain Potters from 1760.

Land owners such as Colonel John West of Erisay, Viscount Falmouth, Mary and John Hunt of Lanhydrock, Thomas Fonnereau of Bochym, and Sir Christopher Hawkins insisted on Leases being drawn up and charged the potters for the mineral extraction. Many original handwritten Leases still exist today and have provided useful information in the interpretation of this industry. The manufacture of porcelain, in particular by Worcester, Liverpool and Caughley Factories quickly became an important and evolving industry and its first use in the production of early english porcelain predated the use of China Clay in the commercial manufacture of hard paste porcelain by William Cookworthy in 1768, by well over a quarter of a century.^[7]

The Serpentine Cliffs on the south side of Mullion Cove hold a rich history. Serpentine in the area has often undergone extensive geological faulting, and it is these faults which hold the key to the formation of minerals. There were two minerals of economic importance and both were sought in the 1700s. The first was Copper in the form of Native or Virgin Copper, a rich deposit which had a 94% purity, found in relatively uneconomic small amounts in the Cove,(but was economically mined less than one mile inland in the 1720s as Wheal Ghostcroft, again in the 1740s as Wheal Providence, between 1807 and 1811 as Wheal Unity or South Wheal Unity), and between 1845 and 1852 as Wheal Trenance or Trenance Mine.[8] and Soaprock (Talc) which was more important. The faults and the prospecting provided the Cove with some of the largest caves on the Lizard. In fact the Victorian visitors and holidaymakers made special visits there at low tide just to see them and try and explore them. The main cave is today known as Torchlight Cave. It forms an impressive sight. The extraordinary thing about this cave is that it lies on a fault line running south west underneath and into the cliffside from a location which is only visible by rounding a low promontory on the south side of the cove, or directly from the sea. Once inside it is apparent that it is only partially natural. The Victorians carried no Torches and had to resort to burning Furze (gorse) Torches in order to find their way. Even with these they could hardly see the roof. On the westen side is a rock wall which rises at an angle to the roof and has the  appearance of being a footwall of an old mine. A chamber has been cut at the highest point over a distance of about 20 foot. To the left is a wall of serpentine which has the appearance of being a hanging wall. The floor is about 12 feet in width and rises slightly to the end which is 150 foot further on. At the top of the footwall is a 3-4 foot wide vein of pale green Soaprock, and at the end is an obvious man made chamber guarded by a partially open passage. Behind it is a mass of pale green soaprock narrowing to a dead end. This is undoubtedly one of the sites of underground soaprock mining, referred to in the 19th Century and remaining 18th century records, but it also a site of storage for contraband and smuggled goods such as brandy, commonly brought over from France by local smugglers. 
Anecdotally for many years it was suggested that this large cave and smaller Drifts, (man made tunnels connected to mining) visible from the Harbour were in fact underground Adits taking water away from the Copper Mine on higher ground, but these are only short man made interventions into the cliff side and totally unconnected. The two documented and recorded Copper Mine adits fed northwards from the mine below a shallow valley, into the river course directly below the Listed Mill on Mullion Mill Farm.[9] From there the water flows into the Cove some 400 yards (370m) away. [10]

History

A Fishing industry based in Mullion Cove has been carried on for hundreds of years. There is reference to fishing boats on the Lizard Peninsula as early as the 1600s with Domestic State Papers from the time of Charles I recording details of fishing boats and their crews often being captured by North African Barbary and Turkish Pirates. A record of the Calendar of State Papers for 1636-1637 shows that "At St. Keverne and Helford Creek seven more fisher boats were taken by the Turks... three were fisher boats belonging to St. Keverne, three others of Helston, and one more of Mollan (Mullion) and about 50 men in them.^{[11] [12]}

A pilchard fishery started in the 18th century with seining controlled by seining companies whose main interest was at the busier fishing ports. The pilchards were cured at Newlyn and exported to Mediterranean countries. Mullion had a unique payment system. In the 1870s the two net shooters were paid 10/6d a week, plus one and a quarter shares each of 25% of the catch, plus 2d each on every hogshead (3,000 fish) of the seine owners' share of the catch; each huer was paid 17 shillings a week plus every twentieth dozen of the caught fish and the master of the cock boat; the bowman each receive 9 shillings a week, plus one and a quarter shares each of 25% of the catch, plus 1d each on every hogshead of the seine owners' share of the catch; the remaining crews each received 9 shillings a week plus a share of the 25% of the whole catch.^[13] During the 19th century the Isles of Scilly smack or ketch called into the cove to collect locally caught lobster and crab, which was taken to Southampton.^[13] Construction of the harbour commenced in 1893 and was completed, two years later, in 1895 with the west harbour wall first, followed by the southern quay. The harbour opens to the south-west and is protected by Mullion Island. Building of the harbour was authorised by an Act of Parliament which allowed for the embarking and disembarking of passengers, animals, fish, goods and merchandise of every description.^[5] Lord Robartes of Lanhydrock financed the building as recompense for several poor pilchard seasons in the late 19th century.^[5] The Robartes have a long association with the area having owned the manor of Predannack Wollas since at least 1696.^[5] The cove and harbour was acquired by the National Trust in 1945 when they spent £5,000 on repairs.^[3][13] The harbour is still home to a small shellfish industry and both the grade II listed west and south piers have been badly damaged during the 2013–14 winter storms.

The area has been subject to much smuggling activity. In 1801, the King's Pardon was offered to any smuggler giving information on the Mullion musket-men involved in a gunfight with the crew of HM Gun Vessel Hecate.

During World War II an anti-tank wall measuring 5 ft (1.5 m) high and 4 ft (1.2 m) wide and consisting of concrete blocks with a solid infill of concrete. Approximately 50% of the original wall still exists. Additional defences included barb wire along the harbour walls and cliffs.^[14]

In January 2014 the Daily Mirror ran a front page story featuring photographs of a man holding a young child up to peek over the harbour wall during a storm and then being engulfed by waves.^[15] The photographs were also featured in other national newspapers including the Daily Mail^[16] the Daily Express^[17] and The Times.

Lifeboat station

Mullion Lifeboat Station. By the late 1850s, as a result of an increasing number of shipwrecks and severe storms where lives were lost, it was realised by Villagers and the Lloyds Marine Insurance Agency that a Lifeboat was needed on the west coast of the Lizard Peninsula. In 1859 the RNLI also agreed, but despite Lord Robartes agreeing to help fund it, progress obtaining one was slow.^[18][19] The nearest Lifeboats at that time were at Porthleven and Lizard Point. A series of awful storms between January and April 1867 led to 16 shipwrecks in the Port of Penzance area. Three schooners, Cherub, Ebbw Vale and Margaret were wrecked off the cliffs between Mullion and Poldhu in one storm on January 5, 1867 resulting in the loss of 4 lives. In the same storm there were 5 wrecks at Marazion.^[18] As a result of the wrecks and lives being lost the villagers in Mullion held a Public Meeting chaired by the local vicar, Rev. Edmund George Harvey calling most strongly for a Lifeboat to be stationed at Mullion Cove. The RNLI responded and funds were raised by Lord Robartes, local Methodists the RNLI and other generous contributors. Shortly afterwards, in March 1867, a barque, the Dutch Eastindiaman, Jonkheer Meester van de Wall van Putterschoek was wrecked off Poldhu with one survivor and the loss of 24 lives.^[20] This was already the 15th wreck of the year in the Penzance Port area.^[2][18]

On the 13th September 1867 a self righting Lifeboat named Daniel J Draper was brought from London, via Penzance, to Mullion where it was stationed in a newly built Lifeboat House. On 21 October 1867, the occasion of her first launch, the Lifeboat crew managed to save 3 lives from the wreck of the London Barque Achilles,which became embayed in the Mounts Bay before grounding at Polurrian. The rescue also involved the Coastguard and use of the Rocket Apparatus from the beach which helped rescue a further 14 hands.^[19]

On April 19, 1872 a tragedy struck Mullion when the First Coxswain of the Mullion Lifeboat, William Mundy, was drowned in an accident off Porthleven when his 18 foot sailing boat sank in an unexplained incident. With him at the time were 2 of his sons Joel (25) and Henry(13) plus a carpenter, Henry John Williams (20). There is a memorial cross dedicated to Henry Mundy in Mullion Village Church.^[2]

Between 1867 and 1887 the Daniel J Draper responded to 14 calls. It was replaced in 1889 by the Edith which responded to 2 calls, and in 1897 by the Nancy Newbon which responded to a further 7 calls. There were many occasions when the storms were too strong for even the Lifeboat to be put to sea. In 1908 the crew and villagers were informed that the Lifeboat was to be removed from Mullion and the last time the Nancy Newbon put to sea was a Practice Session on 18th June in fine weather and on a smooth sea, led by the coxswain Joseph Gilbert. Mr Franklin Mundy went through signalling procedures and the last session was watched by a large contingent of parishioners, some of whom took a trip in the boat. The Lifeboat Station was formally closed on July 3, 1908. During its lifetime there were a total of 4 Coxswains 1. William Mundy 1867-1872, 2. Samuel Mundy 1876-1906, 3. William George Jan 1906-July 1907, and 4. Joseph Gilbert July 1907-July 1908. There were in total three Hon Secretarie during the same period 1.Rev. E.G. Harvey 1867-1884, 2. John H. Shepherd 1884-1890 and 3. Rev. J.H. Scholefield 1890-1908. ^[19]

Mullion Cove had a lifeboat station from 1867 until 1908, receiving only fourteen service calls.^[13] On her first launch, on 21 October 1867, the Daniel J Draper helped to save three lives from the barque Achilles which was wrecked at Pollurian.^[4] In the six years up to 1873 there were nine wrecks along a mile-and-a-half stretch of coastline under Mullion cliffs with the loss of sixty-nine lives.^[5]

See also

• Mullion
• Mullion Island

References

1. "Royal Cornwall Gazette 15/12/1892 p.2, via British Newspaper Archive.co.uk Article reference 0000180/1892/12/15.053.00007 Title "Mullion New Pier and Harbour.Speech by Lord Robartes".". Research material for Book "A history of Mullion Cove Cornwall" by Robert Felce Publ. 2012 ISBN 978-0-9569895-1-2. 2012.
2. Felce, Robert (2012). A history of Mullion Cove Cornwall. With author: Westcountry Printing and Publishing, Churchtown,Mullion. pp. 5–24. ISBN 978-0-9569895-1-2.
3. Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 Land's End ISBN 978-0-319-23148-7
4. Felce, Robert (2012). The History of Mullion Cove. Mullion: Westcountry Printing and Publishing.
5. Tanner, Kenny (1991). The National Trust. Coast of Cornwall 13. National Trust. p. 12.
6. Lawman, Jean (1994). A Natural History of the Lizard Peninsula. Redruth: Institudt of Cornish Studies and Dyllansow Truran. ISBN 1 85022 071 9.
7. Soaprock Coast... The origins of English Porcelain. Robert Felce Publ. 2011 ISBN 978-0-9569895-0-5
8. A history of Mullion Cove Cornwall" Published in 2012 by Robert Felce. ISBN 978-0-9569895-1-2 pages 84-89
9. Mines and Miners of Cornwall XIII The Lizard-Falmouth-Mevagissey author A.K. Hamilton Jenkin Fisrt published 1967 pages 5-16
10. A week at the Lizard Rev C.A.Johns First Edition 1848 p185-190
11. "The History of Helston Author H Spencer Toy published 1936
12. A History of Mullion Cove Cornwall author Robert Felce published 2012, page 54
13. Pearse, Richard (1963). The Ports and Harbours of Cornwall. St Austell: H E Warne Lts.
14. "Monument No. 1422525". Pastscapes. English Heritage. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
15. Cornwall Storm Pictures in the Daily Mirror. Retrieved 5 January 2014
16. Family Engulfed at the Daily Mail Retrieved 5 January 2014
17. Daily Express Retrieved 5 January 2014
18. Original handwritten records of Shipwrecks in the Penzance Port area by the Matthews Family, Penzance between 1859 and 1884
19. Felce, Robert (2012). A history of Mullion Cove Cornwall. With Author: Westcountry Printing and Publishing, Churchtown Mullion. pp. 25–34. ISBN 978-0-9569895-1-2.
20. Felce, Robert (2015). The wreck of the "Jonkheer" at Poldhu Cove in 1867. With author: Westcountry Printing, Churchtown Mullion. pp. 1–43. ISBN 978-0-9569895-2-9.