Walk 1 - St.Agnes Village Trail

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Back down to British Road, turn right and continue up the hill and through the gate on the left next to the entrance to the Methodist Chapel Q(built in 1860 for a congregation of nearly 1000). Walk through the Garden of Rest to the far corner where there is a gate-house R which is in fact the old mortuary. It was here that Dr. Whitworth would carry out his post-mortems. Cross the road to the Railway Inn and either pass through its doors(!) or take the route just to the left of the building into its car park and through the gate to the start of our walk.

On this last stage, look up to your left at the pine trees set on top of an old mine tip. This is the evidence for Dorcas' Shaft, part of the Polbreen tin mine S. The name of the shaft is derived from a sorry tale. In a nearby cottage once lived a woman called Dorcas. One night the poor creature lost her reason and threw herself down the shaft! Although her broken body was recovered and removed for burial, her spirit remained in the mine, where it took a malicious delight in tormenting the industrious miner, calling him by name and luring him from his work. Although no one is credited with having seen the ghost, her voice caused much trouble and more than one miner is reputed to have had his clothes torn from his back by the spirit. However, Dorcas once saved the life of a miner by calling his name so persistently that he left his "end" to find out who was calling him. No sooner had he moved than the roof of the level fell on the spot where he had been working. The lucky miner for ever after declared that he had been saved by Dorcas. Although the spirit has not been heard for many years, some still claim to have "felt her presence". Can you feel it?