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Rope making was an important staple industry in Hayle. Initially ropes
were required for the fishing fleet and later to provide the sheets and
rigging for many of the ships that not only plied routes to and from
Hayle but also for the shipbuilding trade which developed in the town.
As
with most things in Hayle, to have one of something was against the
grain so it will come as no surprise that there were at least four rope
makers in Hayle but of the two main players one was in Foundry
controlled by the Harvey’s and one in Copperhouse under the control of
the Cornish Copper Company.
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Rope making was one of the first of John Harvey’s diversified
activities after setting up his foundry. It
commenced in about 1796, and continued until 1916. The ropewalk,
which leads out from the Millpond Gardens on the southern edge
of the millpond is the best preserved example of its type in
Hayle.
The purpose of Ropewalks was to lay out the strands so that they
could be twisted and platted together to form strong ropes. At
various places along the Millpond Ropewalk small square iron
mortises can be seen in the walls at intervals along its length,
it is in these that wooden poles would be placed which were used
to twist the ropes.
Less
well preserved is the Cornish Copper Company’s ropewalk which
used to run behind what is now Beatrice Terrace.
The demand for ropes was spurred on by requirements of the
mining industry which required strong ropes in ever greater
quantities. |
Millpond Ropewalk |
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While traditional hemp ropes continued to be important, the
manufacturers were also able to diversify into the production of
wire ropes as the demand for these grew.
Rope production remained important in Hayle into the early 20th
century finally ceasing at the end of the Second World War when
the fortunes of Hayle generally fell into slow decline. |
Metal Mortise in the Ropewalk Wall |
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