The Old School Room
&
Heritage Centre
Situated in the south-east corner of the churchyard, St Hilary Church House is on the footprint of the original medieval church house. By 2008 It had been disused for many years and needed restoration. In response to aspirations contained in the Marazion and District Forum Community Plan for a higher profile for local history, language and culture the idea took shape of creating a meeting room for church and community use and a small Heritage Centre to interpret and exhibit the remarkable story of St Hilary and its surrounds. The work was completed in 2011 and the Church and St Hilary Parish Council work closely together to continue supporting this initiative.
The Old Schoolroom: This large airy meeting room occupies the first floor of the building and is reached by the outdoor steps at the side of the building. The room has windows on each side, tables and chairs for boardroom or lecture style meetings with an IT connected overhead projector and pull down screen from the roof. The fitted kitchen has a cooker, fridge and cupboards containing kitchen utensils, crockery and cutlery. The heating is by electric radiators at floor level and the electricity supply is by a coin meter. This room is available for hire and all enquiries should be addressed to: Mr Roger Calfe 01736 763311 roger.calfe@btinternet.com
St Hilary Heritage Centre - this is on the ground floor and opened in 2011. Inside one can discover the fascinating history of the Parish of St Hilary, with its links to St Michael’s Mount and Marazion. Descriptive panels tell of its rich and celebrated past from prehistoric times to the present day and includes information about the unique art decoration in the church. It also acts as a focus for gathering artefacts and information to expand the knowledge of the area especially for those wishing to research their family history. St Hilary was a mining parish in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries but with the collapse of the mining industry in the mid nineteenth century the Cornish diaspora meant families went all over the world, including Australia, both North and South America, Canada etc. Many visitors are from these places seeking information about their family history.
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Opening times are 11.00 am to 4.00 pm on Wednesdays between May and September (volunteers permitting) and at other times by appointment. Pre-booked parties of up to 20 are welcome for a conducted tour of the Centre and the Church to view the art and discover its history. There is a small fee for the tour and refreshments can be organised.
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Please contact Carrie Baker for further information: carrietamarisk@gmail.com
