Following the water course back to its source, through thick
woods and waterside paths, you find St.Nectan's Kieve, an enchanted wood if
ever we saw one.
Saint Nectan's Kieve (Cornish:
Cuva Nathan, meaning Nathan's tub)
A saintly bath awaits…
The kieve was buzzing with life, watered constantly by the
river, which erupts from the earth via a 60foot waterfall, a powerful force
that has carved the valley over millions of years. Legend has it, that
St.Nectan lived on the rocky island-like outcrop, in a cave to the side of the
waterfall, around 600AD. There's also rumour that a Celtic Chapel once existed at
the top of the falls, later becoming known as the Hermitage. It's easy to
imagine why a chapel or important religious centre would be placed here. Yes,
it's mightily treacherous during storms (St.Nectans if a few miles from
Boscastle, see news video for the floods of 2004 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxweiRNlHboBoscastle Floods
) but those early chapel builders liked a challenge and the impossible nature
of the builds is often what made them so popular as a pilgrimage, very much like
Looe Island, Glastonbury Tor, St.Michael's Mount or Rame Head. Those early
pilgrims liked a bit of precarious jaunting, to test their faith, but there was
also security and defence to consider, the Vikings and Saxons were a threat,
even in the wilds of Cornwall.
The waterfall is spectacular, pouring from the cave-like
crack in the earth, leaving a series of 'bell bowl' basins in it's wake, or
'tubs', hence 'Nathan's Tub'. These are naturally round pools, formed by the
crashing water. Eventually, the water erodes enough to continue on, free of the
pool, pouring over the side to form another 'bell bowl', and another, all the
way down the hill, to Rocky Valley, and the old mill. The same flow of water
once powered Trewethet Mill, via an ingenious series of stones tunnels and canals,
built into the natural shapes of the valley. It's an ancient spot, the
abundance of clear, beautifully fresh water would have been like electricity is
today; we can't do much without it, neither can our machines.
Water is god here, it is the force that made
the valley, and provides essential moisture to everything that lives here.
It has created a microcosm, a green place teeming with life…
and pagans. The rituals and signs of wiccan worship are obvious, with stone cairns,
offerings and ribbons everywhere to see. Some are prayers, good will wishes,
sad memorials and reminders to others, of their visit. A bit like a pagan
pilgrimage.
Everywhere you look, there are stones piles (very obvious),
hidden in cracks and crevices, or perched precariously in the stream, or on
high rock ledges. In such a wild place, these little signs of mans presence
reminded us all of the tribal 'trackers' of old, highly skilled hunters who
orientated the wild world by observing signs and markers. Piles of cairns, like
the ones observed, could have been a boundary warning, or maybe a place of
worship? The fact that the stones get tumbled by water or weather, also reminds
me of the ethnic sand drawings, where much effort is made in the construction, a cathartic and
calming process, only to then 'destroy' the creation to finish the meditation.
 | |
| Coppers and coins in an old tree trunk, St.Nectans Glen |
There's also an old tree trunk, embedded with coins (copper
and tin, often taken from the Cornish landscape in times gone by), creating
what can only be described as Dragon Skin, a scaly metallic surface. We added
our own coins, obviously! How does something like this start? After knocking in
our pennies, we came to the conclusion that it would take a couple of coins to
encourage more, and more, till the whole thing is neatly and evenly covered in
metal. We are a funny species!
Next up, we made one last stop: My favourite, Golitha Falls
