Nia Haf Photography | Village Life

The Candle Lit Supper is in full swing as the diners dig into the second course of a full roast dinner, all homemade and prepared by the dedicated church hall committee.

There are four main routes through Stithians. Church Road, Foundry Road, South Road and Tregonning Road, running from one end of the village to the other connecting Stithians with the larger towns around and neighbouring villages.

Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Cubs, Beavers and Scout meetings all take place in the village hall, ensuring theres plenty to keep the youngsters occupied. The groups are relatively new in Stithians' history, having begun in 2009.

Patchwork fields surround the village, showing the agricultural aspect of lie in Stithians. Reflecting the importance of this industry to the people of Stithians, the village hosts a nationally renowned annual agricultural show in celebration of their farming tradition.

Dai takes a break during weekly bell ringing practice. Though a number of the members are local the group is open to anyone and all are welcome. Often, Truro bell ringers join the group for evening practice.

The village Methodist Church lies off Hendra Road towards the north-west side of the Stithians. The church holds a morning and evening service, a monthly prayer meeting and a monthly 'pop in'.

Lambing is a full time job at peak season as the lambs need constant monitoring after birth. The exhausted ewes also demand a great deal of attention, as jobs such as trimming the feet can now be completed after being impossible during pregnancy.

The Reverend leads the primary school's Good Friday service at the Parish Church. A number of different reverends lead a variety of services in the church and invite those from neighbouring village to come and preach.

Stithians skatepark is tucked away behind the playing fields and the urban structure stands out against a backdrop of a rural landscape. Ensuring that there's plenty for the teenagers to do within the boundaries of the village encourages youngsters to take pride in and respect their home.

Money raised from the annual quiz night helps towards the essential renovation work needed on the Parish Church in the centre of the village, nine teams entered and battled for the title of champions of Stithians quiz night 2012.

In between training and playing the Stithians Rugby team find time to visit the local pub. The Seven Stars support many of the local groups by organising fundraisers and donating the proceeds to those in need.

A piece of mine meat and apple pie is hurriedly sliced for the Candle Lit Supper whilst the custard is warmed ready for serving. For the majority of events in Stithians the cakes, pies and preserves are homemade by the organisers and villagers.

Automata maker Paul Spooner, based in the Foundry side of the village, created his first automata in 1981 and since then his reputation has only grown. Paul has been commissioned for projects across not only the UK, but world wide too, with the latest project being send to New York for display.

Families gather for a community service at the Parish Church. The village's school usually gets involved in special services, at Christmas or Easter for example, with classes taking to the front to perform a well rehearsed song.

The 'Village Life' book.

Village Life

January 1, 2013

‘Village Life’ is a documentation of the small, rural village of Stithians in Southern Cornwall. Close to two of the county’s largest towns and only city, Stithians (with a population of around 2,000) sits in the centre of the Redruth, Falmouth and Truro triangle. Despite its proximity to these larger locations the village itself has retained a rural feeling. Surrounded by luscious sweeping valleys there is an unmistakable remoteness to Stithians as you bump down country lanes and see the steeple of the 12th century Church emerge amongst farmland and forestry.

History books exploring Stithians’ past boasts of the community’s ability to entertain themselves. When transport wasn’t as widely available this was a necessity but in today modern age, the villagers still pride themselves on providing plenty of entertainment within the village boundaries. This in turn has created a strong sense of community and welcoming atmosphere. With three choirs, a bell ringing group, skatepark, bowling club, football, cricket and rugby team, a post office, playing fields, doctors surgery and much more there is plenty to keep everyone and anyone occupied in Stithians.

Village Life

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