Residents of Nansledan can now better pronounce the Cornish street names of the development thanks to sound files produced by a Cornish language expert.
Cornish names are used throughout Nansledan, the Duchy of Cornwall’s extension to the seaside town of Newquay. Nansledan means ‘broad valley’, while the new primary school, due to open later this year, is called Skol Nansledan – Skol is the Cornish word for ‘school’.
Thanks to the efforts of Mark Trevethan, Cornish Language Lead at Cornwall Council, sound files are now available on the Nansledan website, so residents, and visitors, can hear the correct pronunciations of the streets, lanes, squares and quarters that make up the development.
As part of his work, Mark provides Cornish language place names across the county, including for new developments. A team of volunteers at Cornish language organisation Akademi Kernewek looks into the historical record to put together research about old Cornish names, which is then used to help name modern locations.
While bilingual signs are commonplace across Cornwall, it is rare to find a development that features wholly Cornish names.
Mark said: “Nansledan is a great opportunity to make the Cornish language part of the character of the development. Cornish language is evident in place names across Cornwall, and it is so great to see this carried on into new developments.
“The street names have helped to raise visibility of the language, but people don’t often have the opportunity to hear it. These pronunciations will help make that happen in a digestible way. Residents of Nansledan can now be more confident in how to pronounce their own addresses.”
Ben Murphy, Estate Director for the Duchy of Cornwall, said: “Nansledan is designed to reflect the culture and heritage of Cornwall not just through its architecture and materials, but through its place names and community spirit. We are grateful to Mark for making these recordings and hope they can play a small part in promoting the Cornish language.”
Many of the streets in Nansledan are named for Arthurian legends – a suggestion which came from HRH The Duke of Cornwall – as well as local field and place names.
Names include Stret Trystan (Tristan Street), Stret Merdhin (Merlin Street) and Kay Arlodhes an Logh (Lady of Lake Quay). The main approach road to Nansledan from the south is called Stret Gwynnuwer, meaning ‘white, fair or holy’ and inspired by Guinevere, the name of King Arthur’s wife.
Nansledan is being developed on Duchy-owned land to the east of Newquay and will eventually comprise around 4,000 homes mixed with retail, offices, workshops, green spaces and a range of community facilities. It is being built by a consortium of South West building companies which includes Wainhomes, CG Fry & Son and Morrish Builders.
To hear Nansledan Cornish language street names pronounced by Mark Trevethan, click here.
