Dynnargh dhis
Tregeseal Valley and surrounding areas
Some History
Nancherrow and Tregeseal were originally farming settlements at ancient crossing points on the stream that runs down to the sea at Kenidjack. The old routes from the east ran from Bosvargus through Tregeseal and northwest to Truthwall; the original route from St Just to the villages to the north crossed the stream at Nancherrow, and ran up No-Go-By Hill, crossing the Tregeseal - Truthwall lane at the top of the slope. This was replaced by the current B3306, while New Road gave direct access to Holman’s Foundry from the west by-passing St Just.
The upper part of the valley, closest to the tin streaming grounds, had the largest concentration of mills, stamps and earlier cottages and there was an extensive group of smallholdings (now abandoned) up on the edge of the moorland, outside the settlement area. To the east of the valley, at Leswidden, china-clay working had also started some time before 1880, and continued until the mid 20th century.