Location map - click to enlarge
Restronguet Creek, view from the Old Tram Road
Point Quay
Remains of the tide mill in Penpoll Creek
Location
Point is located at the end of the Mineral Tramways Route, a cycle and bridle path linking the old port of Devoran on the south coast with Redruth and the north coast. The path follows the route of the old Redruth and Chacewater railway and is an important part of Cornwall's mining heritage. Cycles can be hired at Bissoe (3 miles).
The "Old Tram Road", running along the shores of Restronguet creek through Point, offers easy walking, and there are a multitude of public footpaths and bridle ways within the Parish for those eager to explore (map provided). A popular destination is the Old Quay Inn in Devoran, a 15 minute walk.
View of Point village green from Trerose cottage
View of Restronguet Creek from Point Quay
The hedgerows and green lanes around Point are at their peak in Spring, with a wealth of wild flowers from April through until June. This is probably also the best time to visit some of the famous Cornish gardens in the area.
Children enjoy crabbing off Point Quay, and there is a water sports and sailing centre which offers tuition at Loe Beach (2 miles). Motor boats and dinghies can be hired by the hour from the marina at Mylor (7 miles).
Fal River links provide a network of passenger boats linking Falmouth with Flushing, St Mawes, Trelissick, Tolverne and Truro, a wonderful way to explore the broad expanse of the Fal estuary and its creeks; at least one trip is a must during your stay.
About Point
The remains of the county's mining heritage are everywhere to be seen in Cornwall, and Point is no exception. The "old tram road" running along Restronguet Creek follows the route of an extension to the Redruth and Chacewater railway built in 1826, with horse-drawn trams transporting ore from Devoran to Point Quay.
A tide mill for crushing bone (used as fertiliser) was built in Penpoll Creek around 1829. The remains of the tide mill can still be seen, and some of the granite blocks form the stepping stones which allow you to cross the Creek at low tide.
The remains of Carnon Mine which can still be seen out in the creek, opened briefly in 1840, employing 212 local people, but it had closed by 1842. Point was a busy port, exporting ore and importing coke for smelting. Around 1840, up to 50 boats a day were sailing from the Quay. As copper and then lead mining declined, it was replaced by tin, and the smelting works at Point continued in operation until 1910 when it was demolished; some of the bricks were used to build the two semi-detached houses which stand across the road from the Quay to this day.
The Old Tram Road was not surfaced until the 1950s, and housing development accelerated through the 1970s, creating the peaceful and secluded hamlet we know today, a far cry from the distant mining heritage of the 19th century.