Grampound - History and Geography

History and Geography

Grampound with Creed lies in the beautiful valley of the River Fal. It was settled in prehistoric times, and in the early medieval period the parish of Creed and the manor of Tybesta were established here. Grampound grew after the Norman conquest as the main crossing place on the Fal, a focus for travellers and traders moving between west Cornwall and England. Thus Grampound became one of the most important towns in medieval Cornwall with a rich and vibrant history. The bridge from which the town took its name is first recorded in 1296. The first charter was granted by the Earl of Cornwall in 1332 and the town remained important until the 15th century. Thereafter it declined and John Norden refers to the inhabitants as "few and poore" in his account published in 1584.

Grampound's linear layout is of Norman origin, with long thin burgage plots extending away from the main street, Fore Street (A390). Most of the village core is a Conservation Area, and there are many listed buildings on Fore Street, for example the local school and the Post Office. There is a range of buildings of different ages, including houses built in the 1980s, but these were in executive style, and many local people, particularly young families, are unable to afford them.

It was formerly considered a town, having been granted a charter some time before the year 1334. The Grampound constituency elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons from the reign of Edward VI until it was disenfranchised in 1821, after a corruption scandal that led to the conviction and imprisonment of several men for bribery. MPs who represented the town include William Noye, John Hampden, Grey Cooper and Charles Wolfran Cornwall. The seal of the borough of Grampound was A bridge of two arches over a river, the dexter end in perspective showing the passage over at the sinister and a tree issuing from the base against the bridge on the centre an escutcheon of the arms of the family of Cornwall viz. Arg. a lion rampant Gu. within a bordure Sa.

About 1.5 miles north west of the village is Grampound Road, this does not form part of Grampound with Creed parish, but is instead part of Ladock parish. The railway station of that name was situated here; it was opened on 4 May 1859 and closed in 1964. A small village known as Grampound Road grew up around the railway station and continues to expand despite the station closing (along with other stations on the line) on 5 October 1964.