 The Logan Rock |
The village of Treen in St. Levan parish, just across the bay from Porthcurno, boasts a pub, a few houses and not much else. However, a short walk south from the village brings you to the coast and a quite magnificent headland. This is the site of the Logan [ˈlɒɡən] Rock. You can see it on the upper right in the picture. It is granite, weighs about 80 tons and its name derives from an English dialect word log meaning “to rock to and fro, to oscillate”. Indeed, at one time apparently it could be made to rock with the pressure of one finger applied at the right point.
In 1824 a bunch of sailors, led by a Lieutenant Goldsmith (nephew of Oliver Goldsmith, the poet), took it into their heads to dislodge the rock, possibly in response to local claims that this could never be done. They succeeded and the locals were furious, not least because the rock was a well-known attraction and the local economy benefited greatly from tourists coming to see it. There were calls for Goldsmith to be thrown out of the navy, unless he replaced the rock at his own expense. The Royal Navy stumped up £25 and lent Goldsmith equipment. Eventually, after months of toil, the rock was replaced at a total cost of £130 8s 6d. The original receipt can still be seen in the pub in Treen.
Although the rock doesn’t log as it used to, some claim it can be made to move, if you know how.
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Photo credit: Jim Champion, GNU Free Documentation Licence