The Cholera Field is located just off the square in Paul Churchtown. It contains the remains of about 100 victims from the nearby fishing port of Newlyn who died in the 1832 (August – October) cholera epidemic. This was one third of the 300 cholera deaths recorded for the whole of Cornwall. The Paul Church (St Pol de Leon) burial records listed over ninety victims in Newlyn Town and Street-an-Nowan but this excluded people living in Tolcarne, which was part of the Parish of Madron. In 1832, cholera was a completely new disease. Its onset was sudden with muscle cramps, vomiting and intense diarrhoea. The disease was usually fatal and killed the victim by dehydration. At that time, the main route to Paul was through Mousehole, but the citizens of Mousehole, fearing contagion, would not allow the Newlyn people to enter their village. The burial carts had to make their way over Carn Gwavas (which later became known as the coffin route) and along the old churchway. The burials were done at night lit only by candles and pilchard oil lamps. When the cholera epidemic ended, the Mousehole folk opened their doors as if nothing had happened and expected the Newlyners to reciprocate. Were they surprised ‘when some persons from Mousehole were attacked in the streets of Newlyn and were compelled to fly, in consequence of being assailed by missiles?' The epidemic had passed by November so that a thanksgiving sermon was preached by the Revd. Mr Gurney at Paul Church on November 21, 1832.
The 76 headstones that are displayed around part of the inner wall of the Cholera Field were placed there in the 1950s when the central area of Paul New Churchyard was cleared. They are not cholera victims.