At this time every April the streets of Camborne in Cornwall come alive with a spectacular day of steam activities in celebration of Richard Trevithick's famous invention.
The Cornish song Camborne Hill tells part of the story of Richard Trevithick's historic steam engine ride. Trevithick had built a steam engine that could provide "power for its own locomotion" and by 1801 he had designed and built the worlds first steam road 'train' to carry passengers. Called Captain Dick´s Puffer its first run took place in Camborne on Christmas Eve. Trevithick train went from Rosewarne to Beacon Hill and the last part of the journey is celebrated in the song Going Up Camborne Hill.
Have a listen to it here http://youtu.be/CgfGLArq_J0.
The songs origins are said to be connected with a ballad called the Diggers Song, a protest song in support of the Digger movement and it concerns for land rights in England during the seventeenth century. I remember the song from my childhood as my beloved grandfather used to sing it to me.......but not half as nice as this rendition.
You can also read more, if you click on the link below, about Richard Trevithick as part of my the introduction to my story of my family who were 19th century Cornish farmers.
Mitchell of Crantock: An Introduction
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