About Us
Welcome to the parish church of St Just-in-Penwith in the Anglican Diocese of Truro, Cornwall.
Our ancient, grade II listed church is a fine building located at the very heart of the town of St Just-in-Penwith (Cornish : Eglos Lanust), the most westerly town on the mainland of Britain, about seven miles west of Penzance.
The present church is medieval in origin. It houses the Selus Stone which is thought to date from the late 5th or early 6th centuries. Bearing the Latin inscription Selus Ic Iacet (Selus lies here) the stone is thought to refer to Salomon of Cornwall, otherwise known as Saint Selevan a brother of Saint Just. The earliest written record thought to exist of the church dates to 1291 when it is recorded in the Taxatio Eccles. Archdiac Cornub as 'Eccles. Sti Justi'
The church was rebuilt in 1334 and rededicated on 13 July 1336 by the Bishop of Exeter, John Grandisson. Sadly only part of the chancel remains from the church built in 1334 as the rest of current building dates from the 15th-century.
Our Church is at the heart of the Town's life serving those nearby and the largely rural community around and is part of the newly formed Penwith Pilgrim Churches, together with nearby Pendeen and Morvah churches.
Our parish forms part of the gloriously wild and ruggedly beautiful area of West Penwith at the most westerly tip of Cornwall. The parish and town has been shaped by its industrial mining past and is part of the UNESCO Cornish Mining World Heritage Site as well as being in the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
For those with an interest in history and architecture we have a range of booklets in the baptistery outlining the important detail contained within the building, its wall paintings and the Selus Stone, as well as the long history of worshipping Jesus Christ in St Just.
Please feel free to visit the church, which is open during most days, or join us at 9:30am for our regular Sunday service where we would be very happy to welcome you.
Today St Just in Penwith Parish Church forms part of Penwith Pilgrim Churches together with Pendeen and Morvah Churches.