Camborne Hill


Camborne Hill is a Cornish song that celebrates Richard Trevithick's historic steam engine ride up Camborne Hill, to Beacon on Christmas Eve in 1801. A commemorative plaque is inlaid in a wall. It is popular at Rugby matches and Cornish gatherings all around the world.
Camborne Hill itself runs from Tehidy Road Post Office up Fore Street to the corner of HSBC with Commercial Street. Camborne Hill is not Beacon Hill which runs from the library to Beacon as is commonly misinterpreted.
The tune can be traced back to The Diggers' Song of 1649. But the use of the words "Coming Down" more obviously links it to song Jack Hall of 1707.
On 11 September 2001, Rick Rescorla, a chief security officer at the World Trade Center in New York, originally from Hayle and a rugby man, sang Cornish rugby songs on his megaphone to keep morale high as he was evacuating over 2,000 employees of Morgan Stanley from the WTC's Second Tower. Survivors have said to particularly remember him singing Camborne Hill. Rescorla was last seen alive on the 10th floor, heading upwards, shortly before it collapsed.

Lyrics

Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down

Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down

The horses stood still;

The wheels went around;

Going up Camborne Hill coming down
White stockings, white stockings she wore

White stockings, white stockings she wore

White stockings she wore:

The same as before;

Going up Camborne Hill coming down
I knowed her old father old man

I knowed her old father old man

I knowed her old man:

He blawed in the band;

Going up Camborne Hill coming down
I 'ad 'er, I 'ad 'er, I did

I 'ad 'er, I 'ad 'er, I did

I 'ad 'er, I did:

It cost me a quid

Going up Camborne Hill coming down
He heaved in the coal, in the steam

He heaved in the coal, in the steam

He heaved in the coal:

The steam hit the beam

Going up Camborne Hill coming down
Oh Please 'ave a baby by me

Oh Please 'ave a baby by me

I'm young and I'm strong:

Won't take very long

Going up Camborne Hill coming down
Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down

Goin' up Camborne Hill, coming down

The horses stood still;

The wheels went around;

Going up Camborne Hill coming down