North Petherwin
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North Petherwin is a small village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Its nearest town is Launceston and the 2 nearest cities are Plymouth and Exeter. It has few attractions except for the Tamar Otter Sanctuary and the peaceful surroundings.
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[edit] History
North Petherwin has changed little over the years and it still remains mainly a farming area and a place for people to live. It has one church which is quite old and over the years it has accumulated 3 graveyards. Also North Petherwin use to contain a small shop but due to lack of business the shop closed and was converted into a house. Recently an older house has been knocked down and 2 new houses have been built in there place. Also recently a field has been converted into a football pitch which has brought a place for the community to test out their footballing talent. Another recent event is some local fields being planted completely with trees so in the not so far away future a small woodland will start to spring up.
[edit] North Petherwin Countryside
North Petherwin is five miles away from the nearest town, Launceston, and therefore is a proper countryside village. There are many fields of sheep, cows, wheat and other livestock and crops and all these add to the picturesque views. Along the horizon a few surrounding villages and small farmhouses can be seen. Contributing to the healthy country lifestyle the locals lead thy're are many public footpaths around leading through fields, around the outside of the local otter sanctuary, through the newly planted woodland, past the local church and past the holy well too. Also there are plenty of places to ride horses, walk dogs or just go for a relaxing stroll.
[edit] North Petherwin Parish Hall
The Parish hall is on the outskirts of the village rather than the centre. It is just up the road from the church. Out the back, it has a small playground and next to it there is an area for parking. The Parish hall is where rival football teams to North Petherwin go to get changed and is also used for village affairs. As well as this it is a host for skittles and other events to do with the local primary school such as P.T.A fund raising events.
[edit] North Petherwin Football Team
In the last few years North Petherwin has made its own football teams which are steadily making progress in the leagues. More promising than the adults the Junior football training seems to hold some young talent for the future. So far they have played one match against Holsworthy A.F.C. which they won easily by 9 goals to 3. Another match was scheduled against Holsworthy but this time Holsworthy reconsidered the line-up after the surprise defeat. This match ended in a victory to North Petherwin 7 - 6. Also a match against Tregadillet Adults has been played which ended in a 3-3 draw which was good considering the age difference.
[edit] The Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre
The Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre is North Petherwin's main tourist spot. As well as having European and Asian Short Clawed otters it has a medium sized duck pond, a Nature trail including Snowy and Barn owls and other birds along it. It has a fish pond, a restaurant area and a gift shop. The nature trail is full of wildlife such as hedgehogs, badgers, Fallow and Muntjac deer, peacocks and the not quite so English wallabies. As well as this the nature trail has a waterfall falling down from the top of an old quarry and every few years different segments of the woodlands are coppiced. Some of the wood from this scheme is piled up in random areas of the woodlands as it makes a perfect home for badgers, hedgehogs and many creep crawlies. All of the wildlife is safe and some are quite tame. The otter keepers schedule regular otter feeding times and talks at 12pm and 3pm which the visitors can enjoy. The gift shop, where you can buy souvenirs and other quality merchandise, is also part restaurant where Cornish pasties and other refreshments such as ice creams and cool drinks can be purchased. Tasty cakes made on the premises are also available. It is a fun day out for the whole family and there is plenty of opportunity to learn about the animals and their habitats along the way with helpful signs and talks from the friendly keepers.
[edit] North Petherwin Primary School
Although North Petherwin is a small village it has its own primary school dating back to 1878 as said on the original plaque high up on the wall. The current head teacher there is a Mrs H. Lankton and she has been there for a few years now. In the last decade the school has extended one classroom and has also had a nursery called Sunbeams added to it. There's currently an extension underway as well. North Petherwin Primary School has access to a small field which is used for any sporting activities and for the children to play in when the weather is good. The school is coeducational and it is a community school. It is a well run, nice looking school with a good spirit. Thanks to fundraising events and the local PTA etc the school has now got enough computers for 1 class to use at a time and has got other interactive equipment which both keeps the children entertained and helps them further their educations by having access to text programmes and by allowing them access to the internet.
[edit] North Petherwin Parish
North Petherwin is also a parish with the village being the main feature to it. Its main purpose is agriculture and is situated completely in the countryside. The parish contains places of religious benefit such as the local holy well which in the last decade has been renovated and other churches and chapels e.g Maxworthy Methodist Chapel. The holy well is alongside a public footpath that goes through the fields and the recently planted tree plantations. Also in later years the parish had a blacksmiths and a post office but both of these are now closed. The post office being the last to close still has an in-use postbox but is now just a house on the inside.
