St Columb Minor

The Village was first mentioned in 1283 when it was referred to as a chapelry to the collegiate church of Crantock; it was mentioned officially in 1284 as 'Sancta Columba Minor.' In Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times Rialton (in which the village fell under) was the head manor of the Hundred of Pydar and belonged to the monks of St Petroc at Bodmin. The monastery remained in possession after the Norman Conquest and a manor house was built here by Prior Vivian (Thomas Vivian, titular Bishop of Megara) c. 1510. The manor passed to the Duchy of Cornwall in 1538 but some of the manor house remains. St Columb Minor was a large growing village when Newquay (Towan) was just a small fishing village with…

The public house, the Farmers Arms, was originally built of cobb with a Thatched roof. The Landlord was Mr Samuel Argall who had owned the Inn since 1871. In October 1913, the roof caught fire the cause of which was a lighted match being thrown into the roof by a young boy. Two fire brigades arrived, one from Newquay, who arrived first wearing brand new uniforms and one brigade from St Columb Major, both brigades worked together but the fire had destroyed the inn. Once the fire was out a 'water fight' between the two fire brigades began. The fight was over the use of the single hydrant which stood near the inn. The hydrant had two hose connectors and the Newquay brigade, who had arrived on…