The Victoria History of the counties of England (VCH) is an English History project started in 1899 in honour of Queen Victoria with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of England.  The first volume was published in 1901 and work continued slowly although in some counties, including Cornwall, it ground to a halt as the century progressed.  Only one volume in two parts was published for Cornwall.  More recently a Heritage Lottery funded project, part of the Victoria County History, has enabled work to start again. 

This time in the form of a community - based project where historians and local volunteers work together to create a whole range of resources, including a series of books. In Cornwall one book Cornwall and the Cross: Christianity 500 – 1560 has been published and now a second book is due to be launched in November.  Although the official launch date is still some time ahead copies of the book are already to be found in a number of local bookshops.  The launch might well become a celebration of the publication of an already successful book, Cornwall and the Coast: Mousehole and Newlyn very definitely has ‘must have’ qualities.

Written by Joanna Mattingly and published by Phillimore under the VCH umbrella, the book is in the ‘England’s Past for Everyone’ series and has been produced with a wide readership in mind. It is well designed with carefully chosen illustrations, many in colour, on almost every page.  These do not interfere with the text, which is well set out and easy to follow as is the format of the book.  The main text is presented in chronological order with colourful themed text panels at intervals on subjects ranging from ancient Celtic crosses and how to cure pilchards to Edwardian Pageants and Folk Culture. Local historians and archaeologists, who possess particular expertise in the topic under discussion, have written many of these. There are excellent maps and also plans of the layout of older buildings, including the Keigwin house at Mousehole.

There are several ways of reading this book.  If you decide to start at the beginning and read through to the end you will quickly become involved in the story of the development of these two adjacent fishing villages, similar in the early stages but destined to fulfil very different roles by the start of the 21st century, Newlyn as a major fishing port and Mousehole as a popular tourist centre.  Decide to dip into the book, perhaps to look at a particular period in time, and you will find it easy to identify the section you need.  Endnotes are helpful and informative, the index is excellent and there is a comprehensive bibliography.  It is not difficult to be enthusiastic about this thoroughly researched and well-written book.  Joanna Mattingly is to be congratulated; Cornwall and the Coast will be of interest to her fellow historians, inhabitants of both villages, visitors to West Penwith and Cornish exiles now living in every part of the world.
Margaret Perry

Cornwall and the Coast: Mousehole and Newlyn by Joanna Mattingly is published in the VCH England’s Past for Everyone series. by Phillimore and Co. Ltd. at £14.99.  ISBN number 978-1 86077-489-8