1. Port Gaverne 1920:  A Frank Maycock postcard. He ran a photographic booth on Polzeath beach, and took over 1,000 postcard shots of North Cornwall between the wars. His sequential numbering system means his photos can be accurately dated to within a year. The old beach cafe seen in earlier shots has gone, and the existing cafe building was not erected until some years later.

2. Port Gaverne c1895: Compare with photo 33  taken the same day.

3. Port Gaverne c1935: A view of the area between the Liberty and Venus fish cellars. The Liberty Cellar had been turned into the ‘Bide-a-While’ Private Hotel, run by Mrs Rosina Ashton.

4. Port Gaverne c1930

5. Port Gaverne 1929: Another Frank Maycock postcard, giving a nice general view of Port Gaverne valley.

6. Port Gaverne c1900s: A typical Edwardian beach scene with sails drying, and seaweed being collected to spread on the gardens.

7. Port Gaverne c1930: This shows the state of the road and path down to Port Gaverne. Brooklands Farm is visible up the valley, having been built in 1927.

8.Another early view. Notice the cars in the car park.

9. Port Gaverne c1925: An unusual view from the north eastern bank

10. Port Gaverne c1900s: Undoubtedly taken the same day as photo 42, as the same gentleman with the panama hat appears in both.

11. Port Gaverne c1960: This shows the old bridge by the Slate Quay. It was rebuilt in the early 1970s in the same design.

12. Delabole Quarry c1870s: Looking down into the hole. A horse can be seen centre left

13. Delabole Quarry c1870s: Obviously a special celebration picture of all the staff

14. Delabole Quarry c1870s: Loading the slate at the start of the slate road to Port Gaverne

15. Loading the slate at Port Gaverne c1885: The centre boat is the Surprise owned by Warwick Richard Guy. Within the next 10 years, the coming of the railway to Delabole killed off slate exports from here.

16. Loading the slate at Port Gaverne c1885: This picture, taken shortly after the above, shows The Surprise being loaded by women. The name of this ship was given by W R Guy. It was built from a salvaged wreck, and Mr Guy was expecting a good price. He gave it this name on being told the price!

17. Port Gaverne Beach August 1946: Apart from the new house on the left (Tregudda), little has changed from the 1890s. In this first peacetime summer, note the concrete tank traps had still to be removed

18. Loading slate at Port Gaverne c1870: The gentleman on the left is Warwick Richard Guy, who owned much of Port Gaverne and many of the boats. Note the small children  peering at the camera just by Mr Guy. Presumably their mothers were loading the boats.

19. Fully laden boat being towed out of Port Gaverne c1870s: With only three to a gig, that must have been hard work.

20. Off-loading coal at Port Gaverne c1870: The boat in the centre is the Telegraph built at Port Gaverne in 1859, and owned by Warwick Richard Guy. It was wrecked in 1909.

21. Loading slate at Port Gaverne c1870

22. Loading slate at Port Gaverne c1870

23. Port Gaverne 1906: A detail of Folder 2 File 0005, taken by Herbert Hughes. His photographer’s assistant can be seen in the centre of the road, with his knapsack of photography requisites.

24. Port Gaverne 1906: (compare with photo number 40) Port Gaverne 1906. Probably taken shortly before photo 40. Note that the cafe and bathing huts are all closed up, whereas in 2/0005 they are open. Presumably Hughes sent his assistant down to get them opened up for a more lively picture.

25. Port Gaverne 1906: The Venus Cellar (now Green Door). This corner cottage is still called Venus.

26. Port Gaverne 1906: A detail of 27, showing Selway’s Hotel

27. Port Gaverne 1906: Port Gaverne Hotel, then Selway’s Hotel, and Venus Cellar

28. Port Gaverne 1906: Liberty Cellar (now Gullrock) and Venus Cellar.

29. Port Gaverne 1906: Teresa Mallet ascending the steps to her home in the Liberty Cellar (now Creekside, Gullrock).

30. Port Gaverne c1910: Note the beach huts, operated by Katie Philp, who is sitting inside the hut by the access to the beach.

31. Port Gaverne c1890: An early shot of the beach at Port Gaverne.

32. Port Gaverne c1910: A nice late Edwardian shot looking out to sea.

33. Port Gaverne c1895: A fine rustic scene carting sea sand from the beach to spread on the nearby fields. The many ground up shells in the sand make it very limey, and this sand acts as a fine fertilizer for acidic Cornish soils. (compare with photo 2 taken at same time and from the same location)

34. Port Gaverne c1935: The south west facing banks were always good for producing early vegetables.

35. Port Gaverne 1911: A good quality early shot of Port Gaverne Valley and the Main. The original was postmarked 4th August 1913.

36. Port Isaac Terrace from Port Gaverne c1930: The Terrace was built at the end of the 1890s, principally with stone from Teague’s Pit, below where this picture was taken.

37. Port Gaverne 1911: A good quality early shot of Port Gaverne Valley and the Main. The original was postmarked 4th August 1913..

38. Port Gaverne from Port Isaac c1960: The lower footpath above the slate quay was in use then, now fallen away and unsafe.

39. Port Gaverne 1911: A detail of 0019 showing the interiors of the Venus (left) and Liberty (right) fist cellars.

40. Port Gaverne 1906: (Compare with photo 24, taken at the same time) The sign on the upper wall of the cottage on the right says ‘Tea Rooms’. In those days, visitors could not travel far, so this tiny cove was able to support a tea rooms, a beach cafe and a hotel. This picture is one taken by Herbert Hughes, a Welsh photographer who visited Cornwall on many occasions in the early years of the 20th century. His fine collection is now in the  Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro

41. Port Gaverne Beach 1925: A Frank Maycock postcard. Plenty of bathing huts on the beach. The cafe was then called 'Mitchell's Tea Rooms'

42. Port Gaverne c1900s: Note the path down from Port Isaac. This was still the popular route in the 1930s. It is now worn away and unsafe.

43. Port Gaverne 1922:  Note the landward arm of the Liberty Cellar had yet to be removed. Mrs Ashton got ‘Uncle’ Jim May to pull it down in 1927 to let more light into the courtyard.

44. Port Gaverne c1900: This picture came from a postcard sent in 1907 from ‘Kate’ to ‘Jessie’ in London with the message – This is Aunt Maria and the two children. The lady peering over the wall is Elizabeth Honey who lived here in the 1900s.