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Lanreath Parish Council

About Lanreath Parish

Pronounced Lanreth, the rural Parish can trace its existence back at least to the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was known as Lanredoch. The present version is a derivation of the 'church site (Lann) of Raydhogh'.

The present day Lanreath has a population of around 530 and its economy is sustained mainly by farming and tourism. It is ideally placed for the latter, with the coast being a short distance to the south and the moors to the north.

The western part of the Parish comprises a gently rolling plateau of mainly pasture and arable fields bounded by Cornish hedges. The eastern part of the Parish is situated in an Area of Great Landscape Value bordering on the West Looe River. This area of the Parish is characterised in the main by dense broadleaved woodland and conifer plantations on valley slopes, with some pastoral farmland. The Forestry Commission's Deerpark Forest conifer plantation provides open access for public recreation.

Lanreath village is the principle settlement of the Parish. At the center of the village is the Conservation Area of Lanreath containing the Parish Church of St Marnarch, Court Barton Farm, the Village Shop and Post Office and the Punch Bowl Inn.

In 1620, the Punch Bowl Inn became the very first licensed public house in the Land. Parts of the building date back even earlier. The building has served variously as a courthouse, coaching inn and smugglers den, but closed on the 1st May 2012. It is now under new ownership and has undergone restoration and we look forward to the next chapter in its long history. 

Photos Past & Present

Follow this link to view old photographs of the village and village activities.

The History of the Parish

The documented history of Lanreath Village and Parish can be traced back to the Doomsday book with references in later writings to events during the Saxon period. The land itself, however, tells its own history with its evidence of human habitation as far back as the Iron Age. Download 'A Brief History of Lanreath Parish' for an overview of the Parish and its place in the history of Cornwall.  

For those seeking more detail we would recommend the following additional reading:

(To request access to these hard copy documents please contact the Lanreath WI Secretary.)

This page is open to new entries so, if you have something of historical interest that you would like to share, please contact us.