Last week, the 5th Century inscribed Cunaide Stone was moved downstairs, where it will form the centrepiece of our revised Early History display, part of our 2026 relaunch.
The stone was discovered lying east to west underground on The Plantation (once an Iron Age hillfort) in 1843 by Harvey & Co. workmen. Discovered in pieces, it was dug up and put on display there, where in remained until 2017.
At that point, Hayle Heritage Centre – working in partnership with Historic England – was granted Scheduled Monument Consent and the stone was brought indoors, in order to preserve and protect the stone which had long been listed ‘at risk’.
Assisted by Heritage Centre volunteers, specialist stone conservators Kelland Conservation carried out remedial conservation work.
With the faint inscription free of mud and lichen, Digital Archaeologist Tom Goskar carried out close-range laser scanning and photogrammetry to digitally preserve the inscription, which was (in places) only a millimetre in depth.
The stone was moved upstairs, where it was on display to the public until late-2023. However, the building was then placed on the Heritage at Risk Register and our usable exhibition space was limited to the ground floor only. The stone has therefore been inaccessible – accept by appointment – since then.
Now, thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, John Harvey House is undergoing essential refurbishment work. This work involves the creation of a new exhibition space in the “cellar” – a large portion of the ground floor. The ceiling beams in this space were comprised of Barlow Rail from the original West Cornwall Railway line, constructed between Truro and Penzance in the late 1840s with the Chief Engineer being Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Use of the rail was cost-saving at first; due to its unique shape, Barlow Rail could be laid directly in the ballast without the need for sleepers. However, problems soon occurred wherein the shifting ballast caused several serious (though fortunately non-fatal) derailments. Brunel’s vision had failed, and the track was steadily replaced. Harvey & Co. repurposed the redundant Barlow Rail in their building practice, including here in the cellar at 24 Foundry Square.
With support from Historic England, the Barlow Rail – which had been causing major structural issues – has now been replaced. A section of rail has been preserved and will be interpreted within the new displays. The cellar will become our Early History exhibition space, in which the Cunaide Stone will sit centre stage.
Opening late summer 2026. Watch this space!
