NESTLING against the river Tamar, the parish of Calstock has remained a peaceful haven throughout the 20th century, despite the waxing and waning of its mining and market gardening industries.
A new book, entitled Around Calstock Parish, (Tempus Publishing Limited, Stroud, £11.99) contains more than 200 archive images, capturing the history of the villages of Calstock, Gunnislake, Albaston, Harrowbarrow, Metherell, St Ann?s Chapel, Latchley and Chilsworthy.
Divided into 14 chapters, including ?railway?, ?agriculture?, ?schools?, and ?religion?, the book provides a photographic collage of Calstock through the ages. Each image is accompanied by a detailed caption.
The significance of the river Tamar in the lives of villagers, as a means of transporting produce to market in Plymouth and bringing coal and timber back, is represented in the pictures.
Also featured are images of steamboats pulling barges, miners? cottages, the famous black mazzard cherries and their pickers, and key events such as the opening of Calstock station in 1908.
The nostalgic collection of photographs and old postcards ? some over 100 years old ? has been assembled by the Calstock Archive Trust.
It provides a fascinating glimpse of the industrial past and natural beauty of Calstock, and should appeal to residents and visitors alike.