The Church Building

The present building is almost entirely fifteenth-century, structurally. The dangerous tower was taken down and rebuilt in 1871/2, and there was the common Victorian “restoration” which fortunately failed in its bid to destroy the church’s character.

Except for the porch roof, all the woodwork is Victorian; especially out of place is the three-stage pulpit, incorporating the stairway to the now-vanished Rood Screen. The East window of the chancel is Victorian; it used to be surrounded by murals of angels, ordered from the catalogue but these have long-since been painted over. The Communion rails are difficult to date, probably pre-Victorian.

Points of interest include:

the slate ledger-stone at the end of the North aisle, depicting a shrouded child in a coffin;

the font, which is an interesting example of composition, the bowl being Norman, though the base and grotesque heads are later additions;

the Norman tympanum depicting two beasts facing each other through the tree of life;

the sympathetically rebuilt tower containing four especially sweet-toned Pennington bells (unfortunately incapable of being rung at present, owing to the fragile state of the hangings) with the initials of the churchwardens and vicar cast on the crowns: they are thus dated 1714;

the aisle and nave windows which are four- and three-light standard Cornish perpendicular, with tracery.

A detailed guide to this and other churches in the area is available on site.