Hanow sowsnek an tyller ma yw dihaval yn tien a’n hanow kernewek. Kyns 1800 nyns esa marnas nebes chiow uvel y’n wig byskessa ma ogas dhe Sen Austel, aswonys yn termyn na avel Porthmeur West drefen hy bos desedhys dhe’n west a Borthmeur, dres Baya Ti war Dreth.

Pan dhrehevis perghen an tir leel, Charles Rashleigh y hanow, porth bras rag diwysyans pri gwynn an ranndir, ha tre vrassa ynwedh, Porthmeur West a veu dashenwys ‘Tre Charles’ yn y enor. Dres diw gansbledhen, po ogasti, yth o ‘Tre Charles’ tyller a ober kales ha plosek.

Lemmyn nyns eus na pri gwynn na ober kales namoy – y’ga le yma porth istorek teg, le may hyllir kerdhes yn kosel hag eva pinta po dew a gorev ryb neb skath koth. Gyllys yw an porth pyskessa hag an tyller a dhiwysyans: Porthmeur West arnowydh a’gas dynnargh.

The English name of this place is completely different from the Cornish name. Before 1800 there were only a few humble dwellings in this fishing village near St Austell, known at that time as Polmear West because it was to the west of Polmear, across St Austell Bay.

When local landowner Charles Rashleigh built a big harbour for the china clay industry of the area, and a bigger settlement as well, West Polmear was renamed ‘Charles’ Town’ in his honour. For two centuries, or thereabouts, ‘Charlestown’ was a place of hard and dirty work.

Now there is no longer any china clay or hard work there anymore – in their place is a lovely historic harbour, where you can go for a peaceful walk and drink a pint or two of beer next to some old boat. Gone are the fishing village and the place of industry: welcome to modern Charlestown.

An Rosweyth is a community organisation promoting the use of the Cornish language. www.speakcornish.com