Cornwall has a long and proud history of lighting beacons at times of celebration, so it seemed very fitting for our small, independent charity to mark our 40th anniversary by carrying on this time-honoured tradition.
To celebrate this milestone birthday, we lit a specially commissioned mini-brazier at each of the historic sites in our care this Spring and Summer. The beacon lighting tour involved several large public events alongside some smaller, private ceremonies hosted in conjunction with some of our partner heritage organisations.
The brazier was designed and constructed by Cornwall-based blacksmith James Taylor.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for these special events!
The inaugural lighting of our mini-brazier took place on 2nd April 2025, exactly 40 years since Cornwall Heritage Trust was officially founded. The brazier was lit by our charity’s President, Col. Sir Edward Bolitho KCVO OBE. The festivities involved members of the public and children from Trythall Community Primary School.…
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This brazier was lit by Jenefer Lowe, the current Grand Bard of the Gorsedh, to celebrate the important work this organisation has done to promote the national Cornish Celtic culture in all its forms – the Cornish language and the history, literature, art, music, dance and sport of Cornwall. We…
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This brazier was lit by Andrew Langdon, one of the first recipients of our Sir Richard Trant Memorial Heritage Champion Award. The award recognised his research and practical work on Cornish crosses. First launched in 2008, the Heritage Champion Award celebrates the achievements of an individual who has made a…
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This brazier was lit by James Shipway, our Countryside Ranger Apprentice, and Jamie Boddington, our Business Admin Apprentice, in recognition of their achievements during their time with the charity. James joined the team in September 2023 and Jamie joined in September 2024. Their hard work and dedication have been vital…
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This brazier was lit by David, one of our volunteers, to celebrate the time and dedication that they all so generously give to our work. David was asked to light the brazier due to his phenomenal commitment to our charity, having given over 50 hours of his time! We have…
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This brazier was lit by Sally Weston, Manager of Cornwall Mining World Heritage Site, and Emma Browning-Fitch, Manager of Cornwall National Landscape. A number of the historic sites in our care are part of these designations, underscoring just how important they are to Cornwall’s heritage and why it is so…
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This brazier was lit by Hollie Ferris, one of our charity’s Countryside Rangers, in recognition of the huge impact this highly-skilled team has had on our historic sites since it was formed in 2023. Their environmentally conscious management and specialist interventions at our sites have made a massive difference –…
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To celebrate both our 40th anniversary and the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we were honoured to welcome Chris Finney to lay a wreath at Tregonning Hill’s war memorial and light our mini-brazier. Chris is a British Army veteran who, in 2003, became the youngest recipient of the George Cross…
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This brazier was lit by Brian Oldham, President of Liskeard Old Cornwall Society, as part of our annual Well Dressing Ceremony at the monument. Liskeard Old Cornwall Society organised this beloved community event before our charity acquired the site in 2022, and is now instrumental in supporting us to continue…
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The brazier was lit by the Friends of Luxulyan Valley – a local group we work with as part of the Luxulyan Valley Partnership. The valley is part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site and contains a wide variety of industrial remains including Treffry Viaduct, the 19th-century viaduct and…
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The brazier was lit by Nev Meek, President of the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies, to celebrate the important work this movement has done to collect, preserve, celebrate and share all that we hold dear about Cornwall, its history and culture. We have partnered with the Federation of Old Cornwall…
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The brazier was lit by Ed McGregor, Volunteer and Engagement Manager, West, and Celine Elliott, National Youth Partnership Manager, from English Heritage, to celebrate the achievements of our Young Rangers ‘Climate Action Youth Group’. English Heritage’s national youth engagement programme, Shout Out Loud, has funded this award-winning environmental programme over…
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This brazier was lit by Pete Herring, President of Cornwall Archaeological Society, and Andy Jones, Principal Archaeologist of Cornwall Archaeological Unit – organisations we work closely with on archaeological excavations. The latest of these is our upcoming Castilly Henge Excavation, which will be taking place this Autumn. The project will involve…
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The brazier was lit by Alison, Merv and Jowdy Davey from Lowender – an advocacy and development organisation for Cornish culture, which has been a major influence in the revival of, and research into, Cornish dance and music. Our organisations regularly support one another at the various events we host…
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This brazier was lit by Lt Col Richard Trant, current Chairman of Cornwall Heritage Trust. He was joined by a number of our charity’s Board of Trustees in recognition of the huge amount of time, dedication and expertise they voluntarily give to our charity. Our Trustees are elected volunteers who…
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Our brazier ended its journey around our historic sites at Sancreed Beacon as part of our annual Midsummer Beacon Lighting. The brazier was lit by Geraint Richards MVO FICFor, The High Sheriff of Cornwall 2025-2026. This was used to light the 12-foot-tall brazier which sits permanently at the site. Over…
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