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St Dennis is a small village situated on the B3279 between Newquay on the north coast, and St Austell on the south coast of Cornwall. It has a population of almost 2½ thousand at the last census in 1998., and a quarter of the male population is employed in the manufacture of china clay.
The tips and pits of china clay mining lie all around the village, but the village itself is designated an "island settlement" which prevents encroachment by the industry. The village is nearly 500 feet above sea level, and the countryside is moorland with small fields, surrounded by granite hedges. These hedges were constructed centuries ago, when the land was cleared for farming.
The church is situated on top of a hill
overlooking the village and has views to the sea at Newquay.
It was originally named St Denys church and stands on the site of
an iron age fort. The tower is the oldest part of the church, and
the newer church was almost destroyed by fire about 16 years ago.
Although heartbreaking at the time, it has risen again from the
ashes. The new roof timbers were so large that they had to be
lifted in by an army helicopter.
The village also has a strong history of Methodism and at one stage there were three Methodist chapels in the village. Two of these, at Carne Hill, and Hendra Road are still open to this day.
St Dennis Band is based in the village, and was once very famous, competing with the likes of Sunlife and Grimethorpe Colliery bands. The band has fallen on harder times at the moment, but they are still very active, and working hard to get back to their previous high standards.
The infant school in St Dennis has been amalgamated with the new primary school, and the old building has been refurbished and is now used as an outreach centre called ClayTAWC. The centre teaches computer studies to adults in the area, and also has many other interesting classes.
The village of St Dennis boasts two public houses, The Commercial Inn and the Boscawen Hotel, and there are also three clubs, the St Dennis Working Men's Club, the St Dennis Band Club, and the St. Dennis Association football Club.
The traditional carnival week is still held in St Dennis in the middle of July, and continues to be supported by the villagers, when other villages have seen this festival die out.
House prices in St Dennis are relatively cheap, but there is a saying in the village that "no-one wants to come and live here, but once here no-one wants to leave". This says a lot about the community spirit found in the village and with all the various organisations found here, it is easy to see why people find it such a nice place to live.
Webmaster Jenny Ellacott