THE historic quay at Morwellham is set to enter an exciting new era, thanks to a massive multi-million pound investment. The 200-acre estate is looking forward to a bright future, thanks to an enthusiastic team, passionate to transform and update the area. Since receiving its World Heritage status in July 2006, stakeholders and friends of the quay have rallied to make the site accessible to everyone. Barry Gamble, principal author of the World Heritage Site bid document, is acting as interim director at Morwellham. He has been working with the Tamar Valley Mining Heritage Project to place Morwellham at the hub of a £6-million investment in the West Devon area, with grants and donations from Europe, the Heritage Lottery Fund, South West RDA, Devon Rural Renaissance, Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council. One of the major changes to take place is the removal of the gate charge. This will allow families to look around the site without spending a penny — unless they wanted to take part in any of the site's activities. Barry said new life is being brought into Morwellham through new activities. He said: 'We aim to make the quay a hub of activity with elements to entertain and stimulate all ages.' Residents who have been to Morwellham before will notice the huge scale of work taking place on site. One of the most exciting changes is the 60km of new paths and trails, which will open to the public over the next couple of years. One trail will lead to the Devon Great Consols mine, four and a half miles away. Trails will be accessible to wheelchair users, walkers, serious walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The Devon Great Consols 'Great Dock' has been structurally refurbished and the area has undergone a major facelift. Tons of mud and silt have been cleared from the quay to expose the heart of what was once the greatest copper and arsenic exporting port in Queen Victoria's empire. The new discovery of a sawpit by the dock has got Barry and the trustees very excited. Workers, with push and pull saws, used the pit to saw tree trunks into planks up to 82ft long for ship production. This type of sawpit was where the expression 'top dog and under dog' originated — the person in the pit was the underdog, as he would be covered in sawdust and the muck from the tree, where as the top dog would stay clean. Barry explained his plans to bring the farm house and farm land back into agricultural use. He said: 'The farm has all the components of a self-contained industrial venture. The Duke of Bedford invested in his Devon estates and farms from 1820 to 1870. It was built to feed the population of Morwellham and horses. At its peak the farm was feeding between 200 to 300 people. 'The farm declined in the 1900s. I want to bring the farm into production and slowly bring the lost parts of Morwellham back into production.' Another development is the appointment of Masterchef Peter Gorton of the Horn of Plenty at Gulworthy as Mowellham's food advisor, with former Horn of Plenty chef Ross Tregidgo as the head chef at the Ship Inn. Peter said: 'The idea is to change and freshen everything up. What I am trying to add is consistency — a family run inn with home made food. It is a slow process but we hope to have it operational by November. 'If the supply and demand is great we will increase the opening times. We will also hold children's cookery courses as well. We want to do one thing right at a time — take it step by step and we are starting with the Ship Inn. 'We want to support local produce but eventually we are going to be self-sufficient, with the produce from the farm. 'I want to make an area in Morwellham that people can come and enjoy. 'When things are in place there will be a massive change here.'
