Nancledra

Cornwall Information & Accommodation Guide

Nancledra village is part of Towednack parish, located between Penzance and St Ives

The derivation of the name is probably valley of Clodri or valley of Cludri.

Robert Morton Nance, one of the chief revivers of the Cornish language, lived in Nancledra.

From 1945 until 1981, the poet, Arthur Caddick lived at Nancledra in Windswept Cottage with his wife Peggy. In 1949 he was awarded the first prize at the Inter-Celtic Festival held at St Ives.

'Lyrics From Nancledra' was one of his many collections of poetry. He also contributed to Denys Val Baker's magazine 'The Cornish Review'. He died in 1987 in Gloucestershire and is buried at Ludgvan church.

Folklore

IN Nancledry Bottoms, about a mile from the famous hill Castle-an-Dinas, there stood at one time a thatched house near the brook which runs murmuring down the valley. Rather more than thirty years since, some mouldering "clob" (mud) walls, indicating the existence at one time of a large dwelling, were pointed to as the former residence of a terrible giant. He appears to have led a solitary life, and to have lived principally on little children, whom he is said to have swallowed whole. His strength was indicated by several huge masses of granite which were scattered around the Bottoms, and in the neighbouring fields. These were carried by him in his pockets, to defend himself from the giants of Trecrobben, with whom he appears to have been on unfriendly terms. This giant is noteworthy as the only one recorded who lived in a house.

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