Lanreath Primary School to close

On 8 January I made an upbeat entry in this blog about the new post office in the southeast Cornwall village of Lanreath. Sadly there was a disappointing announcement concerning the village yesterday: their Church of England school is set to close this summer. The school has just 19 pupils and a government appointed schools adjudicator looked at the evidence and decided that in terms of educational viability and value for money it couldn't continue. Not surprisingly the children were all in tears when headteacher Jill Watts imparted the news.

I now feel that things are looking blacker for Chawleigh's school in Devon particularly with the larger Chulmleigh school being not too far away. Chawleigh has just 13 pupils and they must be waiting with some trepidation for their own adjudication result.

New post office opened

Lanreath is a very pretty village in south east Cornwall and lies in that quiet hinterland behind the bustling coast of Looe and Polperro. With so many community facilities under threat it's great to be able to report some good news! Having lost their post office the villagers decided to do something about it - they came to an arrangement with Caradon District Council to purchase for a nominal sum a redundant public toilet of all things! This has now been converted into the new village post office.

The village has a reputation for being proactive I'm pleased to say. Quite recently in a "village moves to the city" scenario over 100 residents took their case for keeping their primary school open to London and thereby got national publicity for their cause. And they have had reason to celebrate when they were voted "The Best Kept Village" in Cornwall. A place with a great community spirit and epitomising all the best aspects of an English village.

This entry reminds me that I must visit Lanreath's Folk and Farm Museum this year which has got a good reputation. I understand that it is housed in an old tithe barn. The Church sounds as if it is worth a look as well.