Praze

Praze-an-Beeble - often shortened to Praze - is a village in the civil parish of Crowan, set between Camborne (2.5 miles to the north) and Helston (7 miles to the south). The name, first recorded in 1697, translates from Cornish as “the meadow of the pipe” or “conduit”, referring to the stream that runs through the settlement. Praze has grown to become the largest village in Crowan parish.

The village developed as a planned estate settlement for the nearby Clowance estate, with its main period of growth between 1809 and 1840 during the expansion of copper mining in the surrounding area. Rows of workers’ cottages from that era still line the main street, built in the characteristic granite and slate of the Camborne-Redruth mining district.

Praze has a post office, a pub and a garage - enough for day-to-day needs without driving into Camborne or Helston. Every July the village hosts the Praze Fair, which features a parade by local residents and pupils from Crowan School, a marching band, and a week-long visiting funfair. It is one of the more lively community events in this part of West Cornwall.

The village sits roughly equidistant between the north and south coasts, making it a practical base for reaching both Porthleven and the Lizard to the south and the Godrevy and Portreath beaches to the north. The Clowance estate grounds and the old mining trails around Camborne are within easy reach for walkers and cyclists.