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THE FISHERMEN'S LODGES
The St. Ives Fishermen's Lodges - these often overlooked, modest yet beautifully atmospheric shelters have stood the tests of time overlooking the majestic St. Ives Bay. Within the lodges the many stories passed down through the generations are held within their delicate walls. They've survived two World Wars, a fishing and vessel heyday along with the steady decline of the fishing industry. Today tourism has become the mainstay of the town, and as the thousands of holiday makers visit they pass the lodges without realising what they are.
This website is a journey through the history and stories of the lodges and its people, bringing together those who have connections with them and who cherish them for what
they are...an important symbol and reminder of old St. Ives.
Barbara Santi, 2021
All photos are the copyright of The Lodges and St. Ives Archive unless stated and cannot be reproduced.
Archive audio recordings and information is the copyright of St. Ives Archive
All moving image work is the copyright of Barbara Santi unless stated and cannot be reproduced.
"Boys were to be seen and not heard, but not in any of the lodges. When I was five or six, I can recall my grandfather taking me by the hand around Downlong and dropping into the Shore Shelter before we returned home. Therefore, my grandfather was my passport for entry." Brian Stevens
Downlong, Uplong
Recognised until the second world war,
'Downlong' describes the area where the fishermen lived and worked.
'Uplong' was the commercial area of the town
with the dividing line approximately at the parish church.
UPLONG
One hundred and seventeen fathoms
Above
The Great Carbona
I navigated the
Constellations of the dark
Winter nights
A melted breath-haze in the
Torchlight card-maps
Of the Northern Sky
Sirius burnt blue-white phosphor
Moon brittled
The still room of my before sleep
And I dreamt my childhood
Secure.
A.W.Farrell
Dr. Roger Slack talks to Peter Veal about his connection with St. Ives and about the characters he knew growing up, including his recollections of Alfred Wallis. Peter was born in Baileys Lane in 1892. Also present is his wife, Annie.