Dobwalls  History

This history is reproduced by kind permission of the author and local historian, Mr. Adrian Wilton.

Like all history projects, I guess the hardest part is where and at what point to begin. We know the village is very old. If one goes online to Wikipedia, it informs us of the fact that the Cornish for Dobwalls is Fos an Mogh1, and on Bartholomew’s map and Black’s Guide of 1879, it points out that the spelling for the village was Dubwalls. In 1870, John Marius Wilson’s Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Dobwalls like this: DUBWALLS, a village adjacent to the Cornwall railway, 2¾ miles W by N of Liskeard, in Cornwall. It has a post-office under Liskeard, and fairs on 7 March and 7 Nov. However, if one goes to a history of Liskeard, it states that the town was mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086, and goes on to say that in 1294, Liskeard had two members in parliament. Also that within its parish there was the ancient village Dubwalls. However, in the 20th century, a separate civil parish of Dobwalls and Trewidland was created, and this remains today2. So our village does appear to be ancient indeed, but I think in order to keep our journey interesting, it is prudent to start in the era for which we have some facts, and a period we can in some degree relate to.

If we were to go up in a helicopter and look down on the village, it would soon become apparent by the structure and materials of the houses and buildings that originally the village was just a single street, with very few buildings in the lanes leading off. It was in this static state for many years, and it was only after the end of the First World War that Dobwalls, like many villages and towns, began to slowly grow. One assumes the village was built because of its position on the main road between Liskeard and Bodmin and Lostwithiel. It also would serve as a sort of hub for all the outlying farms, farming being a very important part of life in those days, and a source of employment for a great part of the population. It was also surrounded by copper, tin and lead mines at Minions and Herodsfoot. The village would therefore supply their needs, such as blacksmith, wheelwright, builder, undertaker, school, church, chapel and general stores. It would also be the place to come if they wanted to travel to other towns or counties by road or by the railway when it came to Cornwall.

Many of the cottages and buildings were originally built of cob, an early form of construction before concrete and bricks. It uses a combination of earth, sand, straw and water. These are all mixed together and the mix is formed into lumps or cobs and pressed together to form walls of buildings. As a rule, these walls were two feet thick, so were warm in winter and cool in summer. When left to dry, the cob sets to become very hard and durable. Many houses in Cornwall today are of cob and still going strong. Cob is a very important part of our story, as it is thought by many that the name Dobwalls is derived from Cob-Walls3, because of the fact that most of the early houses would have been of cob. If you want to see an example, the Old Butcher’s Shop next to Lynes House opposite The Highwayman is of cob and one of the oldest buildings in the village. Also right next to the old shop is another reason why this would have been a good site for a village: a good supply of fresh spring water. This spring rises in a field the other side of the now by-pass. It has to my knowledge never run dry, and before the mains supply came it would have been the water for the village. Some people had their own wells, but the majority would come to the trough with their containers. If you had water and flour, you had the basics of survival. After leaving the village, the stream meanders its way down the valleys of Herodsfoot and Duloe, eventually reaching the sea at West Looe.

It was one of these springs which necessitated the multi-million repairs to our by-pass. When the new road was constructed, those clever engineers thought they could simply divert the flow down to Moorswater, but nature finds a way and eventually the water found its way up through the road surface, making it dangerous in frosty weather. They have now dug deeper and covered the drains with a membrane that allows water to go down through but prevents it from coming up. We shall see!!

I suspect that many of the cottages were tied cottages. These would have been owned by the surrounding farmers, farms such as Havett, Twelvewoods, Penmount (forest railroad), Lantoom, Penhale, Treheath and the two Bosents. Farmers needed many men in the pre-mechanical era, but they needed somewhere to live, so cottages were bought in the nearest village and rented out to the worker. This sounds OK, but it was, as the name suggests, a tied cottage, tied to the job, so if you lost your job or walked out, you lost your home. So it is not surprising that there were many instances of men working for the same families all their working life. The other dwellings would have been made up of miners’ cottages, again many owned by the mine companies, local service providers, smallholders and retired farmers and workers. As I suggested earlier, the village was the hub of every rural community, and so in Dobwalls, St Peters Church was built in 1839 at a cost of £640, paid for with public subscription, the Wesley Chapel in 1859, and the school in 1880, as a result of the education law passed in 1870, which said that all children should have an education. Prior to this, only one in eight of rural children obtained a regular education.

As I have said, very little development took place until after the First World War. Indeed, the population in 1930 was 143 and in 1940 was 175, and mains electricity did not arrive until 1939. Apart from the three terraces in the village, which were built prior to 1930, the real expansion did not begin until Twelvewoods Place was started in 1952. Rather than jump from one place to another, which becomes confusing, I thought it would be easier if we were to have an imaginary walk around the village pointing out various things as we go.

I would like to start on the entrance to the village from the Duloe Road. Firstly we have the football field, as anyone can see a credit to Dobwalls, and the committee officials and players are to be commended for working so hard over the last 20 years or more in bringing the club to its present standard of facilities and senior football. They also provide football for juniors of all ages and also a ladies team. The club is steeped in history, and I have team photos going back to the 1930’s, when they played on a field up on the St Cleer road. It is good to see we have a ladies team again. Back in the 60’s, Dobwalls was renowned for its ladies football. They were very successful and girls came from all around to play. They were organised and run by a very popular Dobwalls guy (sadly no longer with us) by the name of Edgar (Digger) Yeo.

We then come to our lovely school, as I said earlier built in 1880 as a result of the 1870 Education Act, which stated that all children should have a certain level of education. Prior to this, it was thought that only one in eight of rural children were getting any schooling. Dobwalls School opened on Monday July 5th 1880, 52 children attended, and it was mentioned in the school log that all 52 admitted that they had not been to school before. The first headmaster was a Mr John Bailey, and he travelled daily from Plymouth by train, there being of course a busy railway station at Doublebois in those days. He wrote in the log on that first day, that the children were orderly and attentive. In the early days, attendance fluctuated, children were allowed time off to help with the various harvests, being a farming community it was given an exemption. Also the children came from a wide area including the parishes of St Neot, St Pinnock and St Cleer, therefore stormy or wintry weather would keep them away.

Thankfully everything moved on at a pace, and Dobwalls School has a rich history. Over the ensuing years it has had many, many wonderful teachers and helpers who have combined to give all our children such a superb start in life. We should all be eternally grateful. I know my own children, now in their 40’s, have wonderful memories, and speak with great affection of their days at Dobwalls Primary, long may it thrive.

A little further up the road on the left, we come to the entrance of Treheath Estate. Treheath was started in 1980/81. Prior to this, the land was part of Treheath Farm, which was worked for many years by the Higman family. The fields behind the Memorial Hall and opposite the school were always used for the annual carnival week, which was very popular and drew crowds from all around on carnival day. We were able to put a gap in the hedge by the Hall and run electricity etc. to the field and use the Hall’s facilities. Mike Higman was always helpful, and made sure the fields were harvested and made ready for the week’s events. It was therefore somewhat sad when the builders came and everything had to take place further down past the school, but that’s progress and without progress, communities can die. The estate was built on the assumption that a giant plastics factory was going to be built by an American company at Treburgie Water. Our MP at that time was a Mr Peter Bessell, a popular Liberal. He announced that he had persuaded an American company to build this large plastics factory that would employ hundreds of people. There was huge publicity locally, and of course the question was raised that if all these people were going to be employed, where would they all live? 

As a result, SNW Builders from St Austell, part of the ECLP clay combine, were given permission to develop Treheath. The site foreman was a highly respected builder, particularly among his peers, by the name of Heinz Volkelt, and during the construction of the site he received many local and national awards for his work. He himself was very much part of history. He was from Germany, and after being captured at Arnhem, he was brought to Trelawne Manor near Looe as a prisoner of war. Towards the end of the war when PoW’s were being repatriated, he met a young lady from Polperro, fell in love and never returned to what was by now East Germany. He married his sweetheart Maureen, had two children, and became one of the most respected builders in East Cornwall. It was only after the Berlin Wall came down that Heinz and Maureen could go to Germany and visit his family. Sadly Heinz passed away some years ago, but Maureen still lives at Treheath, and is rightly proud of what Heinz achieved. The roads on the estate were named after long serving members of the parish council at that time: John Wherry, John Pendray, Nelson Tamblin (this also included John Tamblyn although as you can see his name finished with ‘yn’) and Mike Higman. By the way, for whatever reason the huge factory did not materialise, however the earmarked land at Treburgie was taken up by Tiflex, who have been a very successful company, and have provided good employment for many people, so all was not lost.

Just across the road, we have the entrance to Highwood Park, again like Treheath a well-built estate of fine family homes. Prior to the estate being developed, there was a large house on the land at the corner of the main road and the Duloe Road. This was the home of the Kirkins, Mr Kirkin being the village milkman. Before that, it was a small dairy farm run by a Captain Dobson. The estate was built by Mr Ken Wood, who was later joined by his sons John and Frank. Ken was a Yorkshireman and one of life’s characters. I knew him quite well. He was very forthright, and what you saw was what you got. He was a good builder and very proud of his work. He also played a big part in the development of the area, as after Highwood Park, he built Braeside flats, behind the chapel, and then the factory units that you see after passing Mole Valley Farmers at Moorswater, which for many years he leased out to various companies.

Highwood Park was started in the late 60’s and carried on into the 70’s, the inside houses being built first and selling for around £3000 and finishing down the main road for £5/£6000 as property prices began to rise. As I said earlier, they are fine family houses, and many children have happy memories of growing up there, as it has been very much part of the village for many years.

As we leave Highwood Park, immediately on our left is the Memorial Hall, built in 1953/4 on land belonging to a Mr Allen, who alongside the land where Higher Meadow now stands kept pigs. The committee bought the land, and sold the spare to a builder from Looe called Mr Fiddock, who in turn started to develop Higher Meadow. As the name suggests, the Hall was built in memory of all those people within the Dobwalls parish who lost their lives as a result of the two World Wars, the names of whom can be found on the cenotaph outside the Hall. It is also so appropriate that the cenotaph is now at the Hall. For many years it was situated at the top of the village near the junction with the old Lostwithiel Road. In my days on the parish council, we got together with the Royal British Legion and had it moved. The building of the Hall was a huge feat for the village. Apart from a few grants, the bulk of the money was raised by the very strong committee, through whist drives, gymkhanas, fetes, and anything that would generate funds. Most of the village were involved in one way or another, and a lot of the ground work, foundations, etc. was carried out by locals at weekends or in the evenings. The actual building was done by Dickie Runnals, who was a builder at Liskeard. He also has a hardware shop called Modern Grates, which is still in operation in Station Road, albeit under different ownership. It was, as the name suggests, originally opened to sell new grates for cottages and houses replacing old black stoves etc. Once the Hall was opened, money was still needed. This began in earnest with dances, variety shows, whist drives and pictures (cinema). The projection room was up the stairs you see at the side of the building. The Hall was kitted out with very posh cinema seats. These came from a cinema that was closing down in Dover in Kent. Maurice Rowe from Rowes Garage, who also ran a fleet of coaches at that time, took all the seats out of one of his coaches, and along with other men went up to Kent to fetch them, quite a journey in those days. Since the Hall was built, it has of course been the hub of social events in the village. These include indoor bowling, Good Companions, for many years modern sequence dancing, church bazaars, carnival events, general elections, all village celebrations, and hired out to countless outside organisations. It is a Hall we should all be proud of and we should never forget those in whose memory it was built.

Immediately opposite the Hall, we have the Spar shop and Post Office, as we all know a very busy and useful asset to our village. However, this was the site of a completely different business for many years, and was the focal point and almost daily meeting place for the farmers in the village and for those from outside. This was the all-important blacksmith’s shop and petrol pump, run for many, many years by Mr Archie Uglow, a lovely affable man, highly respected, not only for his skill as a blacksmith, but also for his kindness and good humour. He of course was a very important part of the farming community, with lots of horses to be shod (tractors did not come to the fore until the late 40’s early 50’s), plus there was farm machinery to be made and repaired and various things to be made for villagers. There was always a fire in the furnace, and I know lots of children would look in on Archie on their way home from school on a cold and frosty day for a warm up, in the good old days before Health and Safety! When Archie finally retired, he was given a huge send off in the Hall, organised by the local Young Farmers, and the place was packed with friends and neighbours.

He sold the building to another good friend of mine, Mr Algie Bradford. Algie was a car body repairer, and for many years ran his repair business in the old building. He eventually tore down the old shop and built what you see today. What is now the shop was his new workshop, and it was a few years later when his wife Phil initially opened a small general shop directly under the flat. When they retired, the new owner and subsequent owners gradually turned the workshop into the shop and we have what we have today. It was made complete when the present owner bought out the Post Office which was situated in the middle terrace of the village, and moved it with the then postmaster Mr Jeff Jubb down to the Spar.

A little further down on the left we have Higher Meadow, a development of nice bungalows built in two stages. The first two on the left as you enter were built by a builder named Mr Fiddock in the late 50’s. There was then a long spell before the rest were built, possibly in the 70’s, by a builder from the Torquay area called Peter Farmer. Again, a development that has become an integral part of our village.

Having left the Duloe Road behind us, we turn right onto the main road, now considerably quieter since the building of the new bypass. It was of course the main A38 from Plymouth down into Cornwall, joining into the A390 at the top of the village. One only has to go to the roundabout at the western end of the village to realise the volume of traffic that once passed through. This was of course greatly increased during the holiday season, and for many years there were long queues, sometimes reaching back as far as Liskeard, particularly on Saturday mornings, as a result of the traffic lights at the A390 junction at the top of the village. For a few years, the situation was eased on Saturdays by a unique one way system, which I will cover later on.

The properties on the main road are of course some of the oldest cottages in the village, interspersed with a few more modern bungalows. Many of the cottages were tied to various farms and were occupied by their workers, for instance the two on the right as you leave the village are called Lantoom Cottages, Lantoom being the farm at the bottom of the hill, farmed for many years by the Harfoot family. This farm also contains Lantoom quarry. The brown coloured stone from here adorns many of the properties around and was also used in many houses for fireplaces and stone features. The most imposing building in this part of the village is of course the chapel. The chapel was built in 1859 and as in many villages and towns throughout Cornwall, Methodism and the Church of England played a huge part in people’s lives. Churches would be full on a Sunday, and they were very much the focal point of village life, baptisms, marriages and funerals (in that order) being the way of life.

Today of course things have changed dramatically. Weddings take place in many diverse venues, and the majority of funerals are conducted at crematoriums. Thankfully, the church is still well attended at Dobwalls, which is now a United Church and welcomes all. The schoolroom is also a great asset and used by many organisations. One of the groups that put Dobwalls on the map for many years was the Girls Brigade. It was one of the biggest and most successful in Cornwall and Devon. Girls came from a wide area and many went on to obtain Duke of Edinburgh awards. They had annual camps at Polzeath, had great fun and provided so many with great memories and friendships. I am pleased to say that through the dedication of helpers, the Brigade is very much alive today, and long may it continue. Indeed, the village is very fortunate, as we all know churches and chapels are closing all around us, due to the fact that the cost of maintaining these old buildings is becoming impossible. However, in Dobwalls, through very hard work by many, plus some generous grants, the chapel and schoolroom has recently had a complete makeover, and now hopefully will last another 100 years.

As we make our way down the road, we come to the first row of cottages. The original Post Office was in this row before moving up to the centre of the village. At the bottom of the terrace, I have been told there was a timber yard and a wheelwright. The last smallholding on the left was known as Stracey Farm (now I think it is called Petersfield).

We now make our way back up the main road and turn right into Havett Road. This is the road that leads to the Minions and St Cleer area, where most of the mining took place, which for many years provided employment for those not in farming. On the right just behind the cottages is the entrance to the chapel stables. The visiting preacher would stable his horse during his stay, sometimes conducting both the morning and evening services. Also in this yard, where the new house is erected, is the site where the church hall for St Peters was sited. It was constructed of wood and galvanised sheeting, and was originally a reading room at Moorswater. There are photos around of it being brought up Dobwalls hill straddled across two wagons pulled by two teams of horses. The hall and site was sold off shortly before St Peters was closed and turned into a dwelling a few years ago.

The next turning right leads to Braeside flats, as I have said earlier, built by Ken Wood and sons after they completed Highwood Park. Immediately opposite we have the entrance to Havett Close, again another development of good family houses and retirement bungalows. This estate was built around the same time as Treheath, again to provide houses for the much publicised plastics factory that never materialised. They were originally built for the council, but many are now privately owned. As we come out of Havett Close and move up the hill, we pass two of the early council houses built in the village. One is of particular interest, as in the early 70’s Albert Crocker, who lived in one of them, was a huge pools winner. In fact his winnings of over £400,000 was a record at the time. As you can imagine, it caused quite a stir in the village, with TV crews etc., but Mr and Mrs Crocker were a quiet and down to earth couple, and after helping family and friends, they led a very peaceful and low key life. Previously, Mrs Crocker was for many years a very popular dinner lady at the school.

As we rise up the hill, we pass the most recent housing development on our left, which I see is to be called Honey Meadow. This is a nice touch, as the fields were owned for many years by a Mr and Mrs Honey. It was part of the smallholding at Lynes House, which is the big house opposite The Highwayman. Mr Honey was the village butcher during the war years and into the 50’s/60’s, and he was always known and addressed by everyone as Butcher.

Proceeding onwards, we pass Havett Farm on the right, farmed for generations by the Opie family, and still is today, as was Penmount a little further along the road. Penmount is of particular interest when we come to the history of Dobwalls. It was here that the famous Forest Railway Park and Thorburn Art Gallery were created. John and Barbara Southern, having bought Penmount, were very successful farmers, first in the dairy industry and later as breeders of pigs. John had two great hobbies. Firstly he is one of the world’s leading authorities on the natural history painter Archibald Thorburn, considered by many of his contemporaries as the greatest this country produced. He also had a great passion for railways. He started to build a track around his garden for his own pleasure. This like topsy grew, and in 1970 the railway was open to the public, John and Barbara now being joined by their sons Malcolm and Jim. It was an immediate success, and people came from all over to see the scale models of American engines which pulled carriages full of both grownups and children. It became one of the leading holiday attractions in Cornwall. This was followed in 1972 by the opening of the Thorburn Art Gallery, another great attraction. At this time, it contained the largest Thorburn collection in the world. As you can imagine, it created lots of employment for both young and old, and I know there are many people who have great memories of earning good money during their school holidays, and having fun while doing it. It also received a royal patronage when Prince Charles paid a visit to the park in 1986. As in lots of things, people’s habits change, and theme parks became less appealing. This, combined with constant demands by Health and Safety regulations, played a part in the family’s decision to call it a day. The engines and rolling stock were sold to an enthusiast in Australia and the park closed. It will, however, always be a big part of Dobwalls’ history.

We now return down the hill and turn right on to the main road heading west. The first house on our right on the corner was for many years one of three carpenter’s shops in the village. This one was run by a man called Chiefy Simmons. He obtained his nickname due to the fact that he was a chief stoker in the navy. He would do all carpentry work, plus in conjunction with Archie Uglow the blacksmith help in the construction of carts and farm trailers etc. He was survived by his daughter Gwen, who was for many years the village post lady. Apart from deliveries in the village, she would daily go to all the outlying farms on her push bike (pedal cycle). Gwen’s story was one of sadness. Before the Second World War, she married the love of her life Billy Bunney. He, like thousands of others, went off to war. He was later reported as missing in action. Gwen always refused to accept that he was dead, and was convinced that he would one day come through the door. She of course never remarried, and her story is a perfect example of how so many people had their lives shattered as a result of war. The property was later purchased by Jack and Ida Jago, who ran a very successful shoe repair and leather work business. Jack was a clever guy, and lots of people in the world of horses brought repairs and problems for him to work on.

Next door we have the imposing building which was the chapel manse, manse being the name given to the minister’s house as opposed to a vicarage for Church of England vicars. For many years, Dobwalls had its own minister, and most lived in the manse. It was only in recent years that the manse was sold, and a house purchased on Highwood Park, and finally a bungalow in Beneathway Lane, where the last designated Dobwalls minister, the Rev Rose Westwood, lived. The church is now served by ministers from the Methodist circuit and St Martins Church of England, as Dobwalls is now a United Church.

Moving on still looking right, we come to another large house. This was for many years the home of a well known farmer and cattle and pig dealer called Jack Nicholls. The fields that he owned behind the property were sold, and of course they became what we now know as Havett Close. Immediately next door, we have Linden Lea. It was at the rear of this property that in 1973 my wife and I built our butcher’s shop which faced onto Havett Close, with access also from the main road through the garden of Linden Lea. Prior to this, I operated the business from the old butcher’s shop, which was the old cob building next to Lynes House and The Shute which later became the video shop. When I purchased the business in 1969, having learnt my trade at West Looe, country butchery was a completely different ball game. Traditionally, most country butchers had a small shop or store where they would prepare the meat and cut orders, and sold their meat from vans on twice weekly rounds. Apart from the village and its surrounds, I had rounds at all the Taphouses, Boconnoc, Halfway, St Neot, St Cleer and Liskeard. We would all cross over our various patches. When I started at Dobwalls, there were five other butchers from Liskeard and other villages who called on customers in the village, and although I had quite a big round in Liskeard, there were seven butchers in the town itself. Gradually the old shop was getting past its sell by date and we knew we had to move on. After much searching for a suitable site, Linden Lea came on the market, Havett Close had been built behind, so we took the plunge, bought the property, were granted permission to build, and the new shop became a reality. We had fifteen happy years running what was, due to the great support I had from the village, a very successful business. Unfortunately in 1987 I suffered a heart attack whilst working. After having spent three weeks in hospital, and thankfully being told there was no permanent damage, I was nevertheless told that due to all the lifting and long hours involved, I would be well advised to sell up. We reluctantly did sell, and Mike James ran a successful business for many years until his wife also suffered health problems and the shop was closed.

Directly opposite Linden Lea, the middle bungalow up on the bank was for many years the home of blacksmith Archie Uglow and his family, and it was behind this property that Higher Meadow was created. Archie’s daughter Elizabeth (Beth), now Mrs Paul, still lives in the village, and along with Roger Northcott and Mike Wilton, who will be both mentioned later in the history, have the unique distinction of being born in the village and have all lived here for eighty years or more (although Mike and his wife have just moved to Liskeard). They have a wealth of knowledge between them, Beth being the blacksmith’s daughter, Roger along with his dad Cecil being superb painters and decorators, and Mike along with his dad Fred being highly respected carpenters and the village undertakers. I am very grateful to them all for the help and information they have given me when asked.

It is along this stretch of the main road that we find two more of the more prominent of the village’s buildings. Firstly, on the right heading west, we have St Peters Church. This was the place of worship for the Anglican congregation and members of the Church of England. It was classed as a mission church and attached to St Martins at Liskeard. It was built in 1839 at a cost of £640, this consisted of public donations, the land being given by a farmer and the rest made up by the vicar at the time. Sadly due to lots of much needed repair and continued maintenance, the congregation decided to close St Peters in December 2001 and join with the Methodists, thus forming the Dobwalls United Church, and we became the first official united Methodist and Anglican church in the county. It has proved very successful and it is now being used as an example.

Almost opposite, we have our village pub, The Highwayman, which I am very pleased to say, unlike many village pubs, is now a great success story. In the last few years, it has been run by a hard working team who serve up lovely food, and this combined with a good atmosphere and pleasant surroundings has made it very popular. Long may it continue, it is one of the essential assets of any vibrant village. It has not always been here. Originally it was a gentleman’s residence, the last owners being the Taylor family. The car park was a walled garden, and fields behind which is now Dawes Close. In 1962 the house was purchased by a man called Jack Smale. He was at that time the landlord of The Copley Arms at Hessenford, previously at The Barley Sheaf in Liskeard. He bought with the sole intention of turning it into a pub. However, he was met with considerable opposition. Having lived without a pub for so many years, the residents were completely divided on the need for one now. After various meetings and discussions, including petitions around the village in favour of and against, it eventually went before the licensing magistrates, who came down in Jack’s favour. Accordingly, after a lot of building work to convert the premises, it finally opened in 1963. It was a great success, and the Smales remained there for several years. They eventually sold it to Plymouth Breweries, who in turn were taken over by Courage Brewery. It has had several landlords since, and as I said earlier appears to be in good hands at present.

Immediately opposite is the big house known as Lynes House, for many years the home of a real character, ‘Butcher Honey’, and his wife Phyllis. As the name suggests, he was for many years, including the war years, the village butcher. They also owned the fields at the rear, hence the new estate name of Honey Meadow. According to what he told me, Lynes House was many years ago a pub called the Bell Inn. It appears two sisters called the Miss Tinneys bought it, and being strong in the temperance movement, they closed it down and placed a covenant on it never to be reopened as a pub.

Keeping to the side of Lynes House, we have right next door heading west probably one of the oldest buildings in the village. This was for many years a butcher’s shop run by butchers Honey, then Wallace, and then myself until I closed it in 1973 and built the new shop on Havett Close. It ran as a video shop for a while, but has been used for storage for many years since. It is constructed of cob and latterly some stone at the front to give it some support. Cob is an ancient method of construction and it has been used for centuries throughout western Europe. It allowed the builders to utilise whatever they had at their disposal. It usually consisted of earth, sand, straw and lime. This mixed with water and pounded together dried to a hardness similar to lean concrete. The walls were usually two feet thick. Buildings remained cool in summer, and well insulated and relatively warm in winter. There are other houses in the village which still have cob within their construction, as strong today as when built. As I said at the very beginning of the journey, it is felt by many historians that the name Dobwalls is derived from the fact that originally the houses were of cob construction, i.e. Cobwalls became Dobwalls.

Immediately beside this building is without doubt the first consideration when starting any village or settlement, that is fresh spring water. This spring starts its life in a field up on the St Cleer road just beyond the new bypass, and indeed caused problems during the bypass construction. For generations, villagers without private wells came to this shute with various utensils to draw water. It was only in the fifties when mains water arrived that this chore ceased. To my knowledge it has never run dry, albeit it gets a little low in a dry summer. After leaving Dobwalls, it meanders its way down through Treheath, Herodsfoot, the Duloe valley, and eventually finds its way to the sea at West Looe.

Immediately next door, where the two houses are set back from the road, was the site of one of the early motor repair garages and a petrol pump, operating in the late thirties and early forties. Right next door, we have what is now Newton Court (named after Derek Newton who, as parish council chairman, worked tirelessly for the bypass). This was the site of Felsberg Nurseries, which consisted of several large commercial greenhouses, and over many years through different owners grew a variety of flowers and vegetables. The last owners, who worked it for many years, were Ivor and Margaret Dungey. They were very hard working and successful, and grew tomatoes and spring bedding plants, which they wholesaled all over the area. Ivor is now semi-retired, but can still be found at Christmas time at Lodge Hill, where he runs Santa’s Trees.

Proceeding onwards we come to the imposing building of which Heads or Tales is part of. Heads or Tales is another asset we can be proud of. How many villages have one shop, let alone two? It not only serves the western end of the village with a wide range of groceries, papers, etc, etc, but also contains a highly regarded hairdressing salon. The proprietor Peter Scott is a very hard working parish councillor. As I said, a very imposing building, the reason being that it was purpose built for the Cooperative Society. From the nineteen hundreds onwards, they were huge, with societies starting up all over the country. All towns and many villages had a Co-op, the principle being that the customers became members, and were rewarded with dividends according to their spends. Shops were a small part. They also sold coal and oil for lamps. At the back of Heads or Tales there is a stable where the horses were kept. These were used for coal deliveries, gaining access to the stable by the side door. The shops gradually went into decline, and eventually were sold into private hands. However, today the Co-op still provide shops in larger towns, insurance and funeral care. The last resident manager of our Co-op was Bill Lashbrook, who was there for many years, and lived next door with his wife. Next door to the Co-op cottage lived another village character by the name of Ivey Mallett. He was very musical and was a leading light in the Dobwalls Harmonica Band. This band were very well known and consisted of several members all playing harmonicas with Ivey’s young son Lewis on drums. They performed all around the area with full houses (before TV kept people indoors).

Immediately opposite we have the entrance to Dawes Close, with two recently constructed houses on the left. This was the site of Rowes Service Station, for many years one of the busiest village petrol stations in the county. Prior to the bypass, the road through Dobwalls was extremely busy, even more so during the tourist season with traffic sometimes queued back to Liskeard on a Saturday because of the traffic lights at the top of the village. I had the privilege of running the station for many years, and although it was a busy life, it was most enjoyable, thanks primarily to all the loyal staff over the years, who were also great friends. Dawes Close itself was developed by the Dawe brothers Horace and Wesley, builders with a great reputation for integrity and workmanship. All the properties are different, the reason being that customers would buy a plot, design their house with an architect, and the Dawes would build it. This was a win win situation for everybody. Indeed after Dawes Close was completed, they moved into Liskeard, and using the same principle developed Gypsy Lane. This was again a very popular development, and on the retirement of Horace and Wesley was continued in the same vein by their respective sons, Colin and Donald.

As we leave Dawes Close, we cross the road again to the chalet type bungalow next to the shop. This was the home of Mr and Mrs Cecil Northcott. Cecil, along with his son Roger, who I mentioned earlier, were highly regarded painters and decorators, and were much in demand, not only in the village but also further afield. Mrs Northcott also taught piano and was for many years a helper at the school.

Proceeding westward along the main road, we come to the two terraces of houses, one on our right and one on the left. These two terraces, along with the third one a bit further along as you leave the village, were the first major development in Dobwalls. Prior to their construction, the village consisted of one main road with cottages dotted along its route, with the odd cottage on some of the side roads. The population in 1930 was 143, and in 1940 it had increased to 175. This, I suggest, was the result of these three terraces, as they were built between the two World Wars. The builder was a Mr Edgar Henwood, whose workshop was in the old Bible Christian Chapel at the top of the village on the left on what was the old A390 to Lostwithiel in pre-bypass days. The chapel opened in 1860, and finally closed in 1935. Mr Henwood bought it for a workshop and converted the Sunday School room next door into a dwelling. Many of the men who worked on the terraces were of course local tradesmen, and one man in particular was Mr Fred Wilton, who was a very good friend to me, indeed after Mr Henwood retired, he took over the business. He and his son Michael, who joined in the business on leaving school, were highly respected carpenters and general builders in the village for many many years. The two generation firm finally came to an end when Michael retired a few years ago. They also performed another essential task of any village, that of being the local undertakers. Over the years, so many people were grateful for the dignified way in which they carried out these duties. Fred told me that during the construction of the terraces, materials were very hard to come by. All the roof timbers were sawn and put together by the carpenters, windows and doors made by joiners at the workshop, all the concrete blocks were made on site. Each night new blocks were formed, and after so many days when they were dry enough they would be used. He told me that the blocks were larger than the ones we know today.

These terraces were homes to some of the most important people of any thriving community. The first house on the right hand side terrace contained for many years the village Post Office. (It had originally been at the bottom end of the village just down from the chapel in a little cottage.) When in the terrace, it was run for as many years as I can remember by Mrs Betty Rawlings, who, apart from being postmistress, was along with her husband Albert one of the great stalwarts of St Peters Church, now of course a dwelling. When Betty retired, it was bought by a Mr and Mrs Baker, who ran it for several years. It was then bought by another popular man and good friend called Geoff Jubb. It was Geoff who eventually sold to the Spar shop, and indeed moved with the Post Office to the shop and worked it there for several years. The Spar of course is still its home. 

At the far end of this terrace, was another very important man, none other than the village policeman. Up until the late sixties, nearly all large villages had their own policeman. In the surrounding area, apart from Dobwalls, they had a policeman at St Neot, St Cleer and Duloe. The police authority owned scores of properties throughout Cornwall, when it was Cornwall Constabulary. Most of the officers moved on to a new patch after five or six years, the idea being that they should move on before they became too friendly with the villagers. I have first hand experience, as three of my uncles were all policemen, and the one in Cornwall was stationed at many villages and towns. He said they never laid carpets in the house, only lino, so they could leave it behind when they moved. The officers I can recall at Dobwalls were PC Trethewey, PC Doughty and PC Lee, who was a member of the police choir with my uncle.

If we move across to the other terrace, the first house again was the home of another essential member of the community, this time the school headmaster. The house was always known as the school house, and in those days children would always be on their best behaviour when walking past it!! Two headmasters come to mind, Mr Rogers who was here for lots of years, and in my children’s time Mr Field.

Moving back to the right hand side again we come to Wesley House. This was the home for many years of another respected man, Mr Sam Moore. Sam was one of the early Better-Ware agents, and was, because of his personality, very successful. Many relied on Sam for all their household goods.

We now come to one of the oldest organisations in the village, that is of course The Institute. Having spoken to Roger Northcott, who has been, and still is, one of the great stalwarts of the club, we came to the conclusion that it has been here at least ninety, maybe one hundred, years. It has of course during that time brought so much pleasure to so many people. It contains two billiard or snooker tables, plus a reading or card room. Over the years, their billiard or snooker teams have had terrific success in both local and county competitions. Within the East Cornwall leagues, Dobwalls were at the forefront for many years.

Having reached the top of the village, we come to an area that was for so many years a constant source of conversation and debate. I of course refer to the notorious Dobwalls traffic lights, noted for numerous accidents and shunts, plus queues of frustrated holidaymakers on Saturday mornings in summer. Prior to the bypass, the road through the village was the only way for motorists travelling west via the A38 towards Bodmin or A390 towards Lostwithiel. The junction was at the top of the village at the traffic lights, straight on for the A38, bear left for the A390. There was of course no trouble going west. The problem was for traffic flow in an easterly direction. The traffic lights were there to allow vehicles to join the A30 coming up from the A390. In the winter months and on weekdays, the queues were acceptable, if perhaps a bit tiresome when in a hurry. However, during the summer months on weekdays and particularly on Saturday mornings, the holdups were really bad, especially on a wet day when holidaymakers were not on the beaches. On Saturday mornings it was not unusual to see queues from the lights right down Dobwalls hill and back as far as the bridge which spans Station Road at Liskeard. In the 1990s, the Parish Council, of which I was a member for many years and a past chairman, was presented with a plan for a one way system to be operated just on Saturday mornings in the peak season. It was devised by a Mr Gary Matthews from Widegates, who was at that time our county councillor. After much discussion with the then Caradon Council, the County Council, plus legal advice, and with the co-operation of the Devon and Cornwall Police, we decided to give it a try. The police had a very important role to play, as the roads had to be completely closed for about thirty minutes at about 6.30 in the morning and again at about 4.30pm to allow the system to be set up and stood down. The system was such that the traffic lights were turned off, all traffic heading west just kept moving, with the A38 moving both ways, but the A390 was just one way only which was west. Eastbound traffic on the A390 had to bear left at Redpost and re-join the main A38 at Doublebois. Thus the stretch of road between Dobwalls and Redpost was one way and motorists were encouraged to use both lanes. However, for locals this was difficult to do, as they were so used to traffic coming the other way. The road from Doublebois to Redpost was also one way, so if you were coming from Bodmin and wished to get onto the A390, you had to come to Dobwalls to do so. There were one or two problems but thankfully nobody came to any harm. There were instances of workers coming off a night shift at Tiflex, and completely forgetting they could not turn left, and traffic emerging from the Treburgie and Trevelmond turnings with similar problems. Thankfully after these early teething problems, it became the norm in summer months for several years. After a few years the police informed us that they did not have the manpower to continue the task. Again after discussion with all the parties, and a desire to continue with the system, it was agreed that the County Council would supply the manpower. The Council did the task for a few more years, but eventually the A30 at Okehampton was finally duelled and the traffic flow became less on the A38. It was decided that the system was no longer needed and it came to an end. However, it served its purpose well, and I am sure it was appreciated by many a tourist.

While we are at the top of the village, it is worth pointing out that this area has always been known as Five Lanes. This alludes to the fact that five lanes meet there: Tremabe Lane, Beneathway Lane, Coldwind Lane, Bodmin Road and Liskeard Road. However, I suppose if you count the A390 it is actually six lanes! If we turn into Coldwind Lane, we move up past Rowes Garage towards Twelvewoods Place. This lane did eventually lead up to Coldwind in pre-bypass days, now of course completely cut off, although it can be accessed on foot at the top of Havett Hill. Twelvewoods Place played a very important part in the history of the village, built on land adjacent to Twelvewoods Farm which is just outside Dobwalls on the A30, it was the first major development after the war. It was built in 1952, it came at a good time, when men were leaving the land and sometimes tied cottages to start new employment, young village couples wishing to get married were looking for homes, and new families much needed for the vitality of the village were looking to move here. Twelvewoods was a vibrant place with a great sense of community spirit. It has been home for lots of special families and friends of mine who over the years have played a big part in the development of the village. It has also been a first step on the property ladder for many, including me and my family. The bungalows came along a little later, and were eventually merged with Havett Close. In more recent times with the building of the bypass, a new estate has been built above Twelvewoods which is called Rowes Court. This again is an estate of family houses which again adds to the wellbeing of a thriving village.

Buildings of interest in Dobwalls

St Peters Church

Built 1839, paid for by public subscription, and the then vicar, at a cost of £640. It was a mission church of St Martins at Liskeard. It ceased to become a place of worship in 2001, and the congregation moved down the road, where they joined the Methodist congregation and formed what is now Dobwalls United Church. St Peters is now a private dwelling.

Dobwalls United Church

Formerly Dobwalls Methodist Chapel. Built in 1859, again with mainly public subscription. Completely refurbished in 2013.

Dobwalls Bible Christian Chapel

This chapel is situated on the left hand side of the road as you leave the village heading west on what was the old A390 to Lostwithiel in pre-bypass days. The chapel was built in 1860, and closed in 1935. It was then purchased by Dobwalls builder Mr Edgar Henwood and turned into a workshop. The business was later taken over by Mr Fred Wilton and his son Michael, who were builders and the village undertakers. Michael retired in the early 2000s, and it is now a private residence.

The large house next to the Bible Christian Chapel

This house was for many years the residence for Springfield Nurseries, a successful garden centre run by Mr Laurie Husband until sold for building what is now Springfield Close.

Dobwalls School

Built in 1880 as a result of the Education Act of 1870, which stated that all children must have an education. Prior to this, only 1 in 8 of rural children received a regular education.

The Manse

The first large house heading west on the right after leaving the village roundabout. This was the official home of the Methodist minister, and one can assume this was built at the same time as the chapel or soon after. Ceased to become Methodist property in the late 1990s, and is now a private dwelling.

The large house of similar construction as the manse

The design suggests it was built at the same time as the manse, understood to have been built for a local farmer.

Lynes House

The large house opposite The Highwayman public house. The construction suggests this again was built in the late 1800’s, constructed as all these buildings were with locally quarried stone. It was at one time a public house called The Bell Inn. The pub was eventually bought by two ladies. They were apparently active members of the Temperance Movement, and they closed the pub and placed a covenant on the property preventing it from selling alcohol.

The Dobwalls Institute and Snooker Room

Although this building is of corrugated iron construction, it is at least 100 years old. Mr Roger Northcott, who has been a great stalwart of the club and has lived in the village for more than 80 years, confirmed it was here before his family came to Dobwalls. It is thanks to Roger and many others whose dedication and constant painting and repairs has ensured that the building remains today.

The antique shop opposite Rowes Garage

This building, although now an antique shop, was for many years a very busy village stores. Alongside the Co-op, it was one of the main suppliers to the village and surrounding areas of groceries and general provisions, bearing in mind that the Spar shop did not exist until the late 70s early 80s, being previously the site of the village blacksmith’s shop. As I have said, the shop was very busy, and also a morning meeting place for farmers and village people as they came to collect papers, food, etc. It was run by the Ede family for many years, and latterly by Mr and Mrs Cowling, both families employing many local assistants over the years.

Rowes Garage

The garage at Dobwalls has been run by the Rowe family since 1932. It was at that time a small garage with a petrol pump, as motoring was just for a few in those days. It has of course grown over the years, with a new workshop and showroom. It has for many years provided much employment and continues to do so today. The business was started by Mr and Mrs Maurice Rowe, and it now has depots in Plymouth, Truro and Hayle. The chairman of the company now is their son Mr Ken Rowe.

The Memorial Hall

Although this building is relatively modern compared to the other buildings, having been completed in 1953, it has been a focal point of the village for many years. As the name suggests, built to remember all the members of the village and surrounding area who perished in two World Wars. An immense amount of effort in raising money and working on the foundations and general duties was carried out by the then community. It is a great credit to them all.

Carpenters shop and sawmill

There are two more buildings of interest, one being the house on the corner on the left as you leave the main road and go towards St Cleer up Havett Hill. This was for many years a carpenter’s shop, run by a man known as Chiefy Simmons, so named due to him being a chief stoker in the navy. The second one is the last property on the left as you leave the village heading towards Liskeard. This was a sawmill for many years, run by the Pearse family.

It is almost certain that all the original stone built houses and cottages in the village were made up of tied properties belonging to farmers and mine owners for their workers, plus the homes of local service suppliers, retired farmers and other local workers.

The surrounding farms

Havett Farm and Penmount

Havett Farm is on the right as you leave the village and head towards St Cleer at the top of Havett Hill. It is now in the ownership of the third generation of the Opie family. Many years ago, the farm was split, and one family member built a bungalow and farm buildings and created Penmount Farm a little further along the road. This was later sold to the Southern family, who later created the Forest Railway and Theme Park, sadly no longer in operation. The tied cottages for these two farms were at the bottom of Havett Hill on the corner just up from the chapel.

Stracy and Lantoom Farms

Stracy Farm is on the left as you leave the village and head towards Liskeard. It had a name change a few years ago to Petersfield. As Stracy, it was farmed for many years by Mr Charlie Dawe and then by Mr Bert Wherry. Lantoom Farm is at the bottom of the hill toward Liskeard. This contains Lantoom Quarry, which is still in operation and supplied stone for local buildings. The farm was run for many years by the Harfoot family. The two tied cottages for Lantoom were the last cottages on the right as you leave the village towards Liskeard. Part of Lantoom land has now been built on to create Lantoom Meadows Estate. The football field was also part of Lantoom.

Treheath Farm

Treheath is on the right on the Duloe Road opposite the school. It was farmed for many years by the Higman family, until it was sold for building and Treheath Estate was created.

Penhale and Bosent Farms

Penhale is on the left on the Duloe Road after the railway bridge, and Bosent is on the right on the Trevelmond Road. Both of these farms were worked for many years by the Short family. The cottages for these farms were in the terrace on the left as you leave the village and head for Liskeard.

West Tremabe Farm

This farm can be found at the bottom of Tremabe Lane to the left of the antique shop. This was farmed for many years by Mr Charlie Pedlar.

Tremabe and Beneathway Farms

These farms can be found at the bottom of Beneathway Lane, which is to the right of the antique shop. Several years ago, some of Tremabe was sold to create Tremaber estate. Beneathway was farmed for many years by Mr John Wherry, and is now farmed by his son Graham.

Twelvewoods Farm

Twelvewoods was the farm on the left leaving the village towards Bodmin on the A38. It was farmed for many years by the Crago family and is now in the ownership of Mr Michael Crago. In 1952, some of the land was used to create Twelvewoods Place, the first major development in the village. Its tied cottage was in the terrace of cottages west of Rowes Garage. The farm fared quite badly as a result of the new bypass, being virtually cut in two. The buildings have been developed into dwellings, and the farming enterprise has been moved away from the main road.

Treburgie Farm

Treburgie Farm is on the left as you leave the village and head towards Lostwithiel on the A390. It was farmed by Mr John Tamblyn, and is now the home of his daughter Wendy and her husband Mr Chris Barbery and their family.