SMALL and rather quaint, with little alleyways leading off from a narrow lane full of pretty cottages, Tredinnick is a sought after location for those who enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the countryside.

Boasting names such as Ducks Alley, sometimes called 'Chitty' Lane by locals, the village is off the beaten track, yet under a mile in both directions from Duloe to the north, with the convenience of the post office and store, and Sandplace to the south, in the beautiful Looe Valley.

Tredinnick is an older settlement than neighbouring Duloe, and probably grew from a cluster of farm cottages, first built for the agricultural workers on the numerous surrounding farmsteads. These cottages, once thatched and made of cob, still stand today, forming the heart of the village. The only new developments have been Kiddiscombe Terrace built as family homes by the council in the 50s, and a small number of infill bungalows. In fact time has almost stood still at Tredinnick.

Although now in the depths of winter, when places do not always look their best, the village still manages to give off an air of being well cared for, with the cottages, many of them condemned about 40 years ago, having been renovated to high standards and brightly painted. And the gardens are all neat and tidy.

Long time resident Mrs Jean Julian, said everyone takes pride in their gardens, and in the summer, with all the flowers, and the many window boxes on display you could easily call it 'Tredinnick in Bloom'. 'I'm very proud of how lovely our village looks' she said.

Mrs Julian, who will be 80 this month, moved to Tredinnick Farm on her marriage to the late Ronald Julian. Jean has been a widow for four years but she says she had 65 years of happy marriage. She recalls how villagers would come to the farm to collect their milk and says there was once a village shop, which was opened by Mr and Mrs Mitch and carried on by their daughter Mrs Laura Caynes. However it closed about 30 years ago and is now two cottages.

Jean is the steward of Duloe/Tredinnick Methodist Chapel, a duty formerly held by her husband, who was also the Sunday School Superintendent for 50 years, for which he received a certificate of gratitude from the Liskeard/Looe Circuit. There is a tradition of Sunday School teaching in the Julian family, as all three daughters, Mary Symons, Ruth Wherry and Frances Tucker, are also Sunday School teachers. Jean's son Dennis, has been organist at the chapel for about 30 years, a duty he still carries on, even though, together with his wife Evelyn, he has now moved to a farm near Polperro.

The chapel was built in 1840 through the generosity of a Liskeard watchmaker, Richard Retallick, and partly by the general public who bought shares in the building. A Sunday School was erected in 1856 on the site of an old road between the chapel and the hedge of the adjacent glebe land which used to be the old road leading to Sandplace.

Long since retired from farming, Jean enjoys her gardening and the freqent company of her family, who she says, like to tease her about being one of Cliff Richard's loyal band of fans. She has several framed pictures of him around her home, and one wall of her dairy is covered in the Cliff Richard calendars from the last ten years!

Living next to the chapel are George and Joycelyn Hocking, who moved to Tredinnick about 18 years ago, finding it a very friendly place. George not only serves on the Parish and Caradon District Council for Duloe parish but is also the county councillor and a member of the management committee of Duloe Community Hall. He is very well known but laughingly says 'I am very well put up with!' Joycelyn is very musical and for the last 62 years has been organist at St Neot Methodist Church. She has also taught many children to play piano over the years but now just teaches a few. A member of Looe Valley Singers she also helps with and enjoys the Senior Citizens Club.

Living at Tredinnick Farm now, which is Duchy owned, as are most of the farms in Duloe parish, are Keith and Angela Barrett, who met when they were members of Pelynt Young Farmers Club. On their 470 acres they run 110 milkers and beef cattle and also grow various crops. They are in partnership with Keith's brother Tony Barrett, who is also chairman of the parish council and lives at nearby Colhender Farm, where their 400 head of sheep are now lambing. The partnership also owns other land in the district.

The Barrett family first came to Tredinnick Farm in 1969, when Keith and Tony's parents, Ivor and Ruth, moved there from Puffiland Farm. They are now retired but still live in the village. Malcolm, who is Keith and Angela's son, is also involved in the farm, and his children, four year old son Christopher and daughter Emma (3) make the fourth generation.

Holiday

The farmhouse is large and spacious, as when it was built the tenants were expected to put up shooting parties for the Duchy. Now it is part a family home and part a very busy holiday unit which can sleep up to ten people. Remnants of the past include two butter wells, which are small buildings through which water runs and where milk for butter making was kept cool. It is also interesting that the present farmhouse was a replacement for the original, which was burnt to the ground during a typhoid epidemic, as was Tremadart Farm, about 100 years ago.

A familiar site in the village is the tractor often parked outside the home of Ivor Putt, who has worked for the Barrett family for 42 years. At the Royal Cornwall Show in 1999 Ivor was presented with a special certificate, and honorary membership of the Association, in recognition of his continuous 40 years of service to agriculture.

Ivor's main hobby is banger racing, but he leaves the driving to his son-in-law David Lane, husband of his daughter Diane. He enjoys tinkering with the car which is kept in his garage. 'I like to follow David's racing, and help where I can to keep the car on the track' he said.

Next door to Ivor is situated Polpentre Print, a well established business which has been operating in the village for 21 years. Owned by Graham Slater it first started off in another property before moving to Meadowbank. The office and print works are situated in a converted barn which he bought from Prince Charles, and Graham has the set of deeds to the property with all the Prince's names on them.

The company is stacked up with work, from small business cards to large glossy colour brochures, and new machinery has just been purchased to keep in line with the quality and service for which it has become known. On the staff are Vanessa Butters, Alison Cox, and driver Pam Turner.

Many of the people in the village have lived there for most, if not all of their lives, but it is far from being a retirement haven. There are only about 35 houses but from these about 15 children are of school age, the young children attending Duloe Primary, while those 11 years and over have the choice of attending Liskeard or Looe senior schools, there being a bus available for both venues.

A well known family are the Champions, Peter, an emergency services operator for Cormac, living in the house in which he was born, along with his social worker wife Dawn and young family. His father Owen was born in one of the cottages in Ducks' Alley. Then there is Eric Caynes, who was born in the cottage adjoining the old shop, and whose parents used to keep a donkey on Tredinnick Green. Now in retirement with his wife Barbara, Eric is remembered by many as a keen sportsman, who during the 50s and and 60s was one of Liskeard's best footballers.

Farming

Seventy eight year old Clifford Cole, originally from Sandplace, has lived in Tredinnick in the same cottage for 55 years, where he moved on his marriage to wife Margaret in 1946. He has been a widower for the past 27 years but still loves living in the village, and enjoys the visits from his son Garfield, wife Jean and grandchildren who live at Common Moor near St Cleer. Most of his working life has been in farming, having spent 30 years at Treworgey Farm.

Next door to Clifford lives Rev Luke Underwood, the two men enjoying a neighbourly friendship. Luke says when he first saw his cottage in 1979, it was February with snow on the ground. But he had made his mind up within 15 minutes to buy it when he saw the panoramic view from the upstairs lounge. 'That was the start of the main and best part of my life' he says.

Entering the Church of England later in life, Luke was priest in charge of St Cuby's Parish Church at Duloe for four years from 1985-89, being ordained there in 1985 by Bishop Mumford of Truro. Also present were Brother Michael, a Franciscan monk, Bishop of St Germans, and his successor Bishop Richard. Luke is now a Companion of the Order of St Francis. Although in retirement he says a priest never retires, and still takes services when asked and is helping out during the interagnum at Duloe. He also sets aside two hours each day for prayer and meditation.

Luke is one of the village's many green fingered residents, and unusually you can only reach his front door by walking through his glasshouse, in which he lovingly nurtures many plants.

Luke and his three year old pekinese Ellie can't envisage living anywhere else but Tredinnick. 'Everyone helps each other' he said. 'When I became ill in June my neighbours were superb. They brought me hot meals and filled my coal buckets. The village is full of Good Samaritans'.