THE village of Trematon near Saltash and the surrounding area is steeped in history. It is said to take its name from Trematon Castle, one-and-a-half miles south east of the village, Trematon meaning king's home or town.

The Duchy-owned castle probably began life as a wooden stockade built by the Saxons. The mote and bailey castle was constructed in about 1070 with further additions through the centuries.

A Regency house was built within the bailey by Benjamin Tucker in 1808.

Thomas Morley Kelly, known as Morley works at the castle. He was born at Burraton and worked for the local authority for 40 years. He found out that the lodge by the castle gate was up for rent with the condition that someone had to work at the castle. So his wife, Joyce, became housekeeper for the Caradon family at the time. Morley is now the groundsman at the house.

He said: 'The lodge was built for someone to watch the gate, who came in and out, I still do that task.'

Morley and Joyce have one son, Colin, living at St Mellion with his wife Alison at a farm cottage owned by Duchy.

Ince Castle, just over a mile from the village, is the home of Lady Patricia Boyd, of the Guinness family. The only 16th Century brick house in Cornwall, has four low towers and an underground passage.

One of the grander houses in the village is the 19th Century Trematon Hall. The current owner is Liz Turner whose parents bought it in 1960.

Liz lived locally until she was 21 when she moved to America as a US resident working with horses. She returned to the UK fulltime in 1990, and is now national chairman of the Side Saddle Association. She buys and leases side saddles and teaches how to ride side saddle.

Her mother founded the village WI 28 years ago and it started meeting at the hall 18 years ago when the Methodist Chapel was sold.

In early September Liz holds the annual Trematon Dog Show with the proceeds going to a different charity each year.

Liz also holds wedding receptions and parties in the grounds of the hall and organises carol singing each year, fundraising for a children's charity.

Nativity

Every year a nativity scene is set up at the entrance to neighbouring Hall Farm. Liz was given a set of nativity figures by Father Carey, the parish Catholic priest, for safekeeping and through a joint effort villagers built a mini stable. The scene is kept alight each year.

Penvintle Farm, is part owned between Liz, Roger Legg and Jackie Du Plessis. A motorcycle track company had been interested in buying the property but the villagers were against the idea so Roger, Jackie and Liz formed a partnership and bought it.

The area has numerous rising springs and many wells, some of which are still used. There is a story of an old tramp who, every summer, used to live in a tin hut next to Thorn Well at Penvintle.

The Crooked Inn was built on the stable cottage for Stoketon House which burnt down but which was the home for part of the Rashleigh family. The Rashleighs had their own quay on the River Lynher and a tennis court in the woods above the river and below Stoketon. The tennis courts can still be seen among the woods with the remnants of the nets around the court.

Another country house with some history attached is Burrell House, now called Burrell Farm. It is owned by the Deacons and used to be one of the large old houses in the village. When the contents was sold several years ago, the 18ft refectory table was bought and is now kept in the Queen Mother's home in Scotland.

Brad and Lorraine Hind live at Hall Farm, next to Liz Turner, who owns the property. Brad moved to the village in 1987. His brother, Darren, lives next door, with his wife Kelly and their daughter, two-year-old Bryony.

Brad, Darren and other brother, Greg, own a gardening business whose area stretches from Liskeard to Dartmoor.

The brothers also run 'Michael's Marquees', erecting marquees for many events ranging from parties to weddings and shows across the country.

Lorraine said: 'We love living here, it feels like you live in the country even if it is quite close to the main road.'

Roger and Marie Legg recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary and have been at Manor Farm for over 36 years milking a herd of pedigree Holsteins.

America

They farm with the help of their sons Jonathan and Robert. Their other sons, Andrew and Jeffery, and daughter Catherine, have also helped out over the years. The four sons live in the area and Catherine now lives in Liverpool. Roger and Marie have eight grandchildren with ages ranging from six weeks to 12 years.

Marie said: 'The village is beginning to go back to how it was, everyone knowing each other.'

Jeffery and Anne Doidge live in a cottage at the entrance to the village.

Anne's father, Arthur Scoble, farmed at Hawkins Farm with the family for many years. When Anne married Jeffery the couple moved to Cargreen where Jeffery lived and in 1967 they returned to the village. They have five children - Sandra, Margaret, Michael, Philip and Alison and five grandchildren.

Anne said: 'The village is nice and quiet.'

Anne's cousin is John Scoble who has lived in the village for over 50 years. His mother Francis Nevada Maunder used to farm at Landrake before moving to Trematon. Francis' father used to travel to America and named his daughter Nevada after his visits.

John was a bus conductor and driver. He owns the field next door to his house and a Jersey cow, which, he said is 'just for a drop of milk'. John also grows most of his vegetables. He commented: 'It's a good idea to do it for yourself these days.'

Martin and Heather Kitt live at Cumbletor Farm. The Kitt family have farmed at Cumbletor for 100s of years and Martin, his dad, aunts, uncles and grandad were all born at the farm. The Kitts own Cumbletor Farm, Bag Mill and Trevollard and farm them as one with vegetables, beef and sheep. The family is virtually self-sufficient. Martin and Heather have three children, Steve, Miranda and Donna.

Steve is an agricultural engineer and is secretary of Landrake YFC. Donna has been married to Gary Kowalski for over two years and they have one son, Luke. She works full time as a nursery assistant while Gary works at the farm. Miranda is a part-time nurse at Derriford. She is married to Mark Sweet, owner of Baton Plant Hire. They have two children, George, aged three and Emily aged one.

Heather belongs to the WI and has been secretary, president and treasurer. She was the first secretary when the WI was founded.

Heather said: 'The village hasn't grown that much. Unfortunately there is no main meeting place as such any more.'

The MoD has taken over the Cumbletor quarry where Blue Elvin Stone was worked. They now let off unexploded bombs there.

Potatoes

Past workers at Cumbletor Quarry are David Ruby's father, William, and Uncle George. David Ruby's grandfather, Sam, first moved to the village over 90 years ago and he was a market gardener with David's father, William. David is now a potato merchant and has built the business up from one small lorry to three lorries and three vans. David is married to Rosalind and they have two sons, Ben, 24, and Antony, 26, who both work for the company.

David also employs Anne Bray and Gregory Stephen.

Fran and Pat Manning have rented Trematon Farm in the heart of the village from the Boyd family for 29 years after moving from Landrake.

The couple farm 200 acres of arable and beef.

Fran used to put his tractor in the road with the flashers on to slow the cars down to allow the children of the village to cross the road and catch the bus for school.