St Piran's Church, Perranarworthal

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St Piran's Church

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St Piran's Church
50°12′29″N5°06′50″W / 50.208°N 5.114°W / 50.208; -5.114 Coordinates: 50°12′29″N5°06′50″W / 50.208°N 5.114°W / 50.208; -5.114
Location Perranarworthal,
Cornwall
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Website St Piran's Church
History
Dedication St Piran
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Grade II*
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic Revival
Specifications
Materials Granite
Administration
Parish Stithians with Perranarworthal
Deanery Carnmarth, North
Archdeaconry Cornwall
Diocese Truro

St Piran’s Church is an active Anglican parish church in Perranarworthal, Cornwall, England. It is part of a united benefice consisting of eight churches, the Eight Saints Cluster, in the parishes of Stithians with Perran-Ar-Worthal and Gwennap. The benefice has four licensed clergy and four readers. [1] The church, dedicated to Saint Piran, is in the Carnmarth, North deanery, the archdeaconry of Cornwall and the Diocese of Truro. [2] The church was granted Grade II* listed status in May 1967. [3] The churchyard contains several listed chest tombs and headstones.

Parish church church which acts as the religious centre of a parish

A parish church in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, often allowing its premises to be used for non-religious community events. The church building reflects this status, and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches. Many villages in Europe have churches that date back to the Middle Ages, but all periods of architecture are represented.

Perranarworthal village in Cornwall, England

Perranarworthal is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is about four miles (6.5 km) northwest of Falmouth and five miles (8 km) southwest of Truro. Perranarworthal parish is bordered on the north by Kea parish, on the east by Restronguet Creek and Mylor parish, on the south by St Gluvias and Stithians parishes and on the west by Gwennap parish. The parish population at the 2011 census was 1,496. The name derives from the Manor of Arworthal which has had a number of spellings in the past including Hareworthal (1187), Arwoethel and Arwythel. By the 18th-century two names appear on maps "Perran Arworthal" meaning St Piran's by the creek or estuary. William Penaluna described the settlement in 1838. Perranwell railway station is on the Maritime Line.

Cornwall County of England

Cornwall is a county in South West England in the United Kingdom. The county is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar which forms most of the border between them. Cornwall forms the westernmost part of the South West Peninsula of the island of Great Britain. The furthest southwestern point of Great Britain is Land's End; the southernmost point is Lizard Point. Cornwall has a population of 563,600 and covers an area of 3,563 km2 (1,376 sq mi). The county has been administered since 2009 by the unitary authority, Cornwall Council. The ceremonial county of Cornwall also includes the Isles of Scilly, which are administered separately. The administrative centre of Cornwall, and its only city, is Truro.

Contents

History

A Norman chapel possibly existed on the site of the church as evidenced by the tympanum over the south door. [4] A church was built in the 15th century, of which only the tower remains. The chancel was rebuilt in 1842 and again in 1882 when the nave, aisle and porch were rebuilt by James Piers St Aubyn. A vestry was added in the 20th century. [3]

Norman architecture sub-type of Romanesque architecture

The term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used for English Romanesque architecture. The Normans introduced large numbers of castles and fortifications including Norman keeps, and at the same time monasteries, abbeys, churches and cathedrals, in a style characterised by the usual Romanesque rounded arches and especially massive proportions compared to other regional variations of the style.

Tympanum (architecture) architectural element

In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, door or window, which is bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element.

Chancel space around the altar of a traditional Christian church

In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary, at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. It is generally the area used by the clergy and choir during worship, while the congregation is in the nave. Direct access may be provided by a priest's door, usually on the south side of the church. This is one definition, sometimes called the "strict" one; in practice in churches where the eastern end contains other elements such as an ambulatory and side chapels, these are also often counted as part of the chancel, especially when discussing architecture. In smaller churches, where the altar is backed by the outside east wall and there is no distinct choir, the chancel and sanctuary may be the same area. In churches with a retroquire area behind the altar, this may only be included in the broader definition of chancel.

Architecture

Exterior

The tower is built of granite ashlar and the rest of the church is constructed of killas rubble with dressed granite details. It is roofed with Delabole slate. [3]

Granite A common type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock with granular structure

Granite is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture. Granites can be predominantly white, pink, or gray in color, depending on their mineralogy. The word "granite" comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a holocrystalline rock. Strictly speaking, granite is an igneous rock with between 20% and 60% quartz by volume, and at least 35% of the total feldspar consisting of alkali feldspar, although commonly the term "granite" is used to refer to a wider range of coarse-grained igneous rocks containing quartz and feldspar.

Ashlar Finely dressed stone and associated masonry

Ashlar is finely dressed stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared or the structure built of it. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally cuboid, mentioned by Vitruvius as opus isodomum, or less frequently trapezoidal. Precisely cut "on all faces adjacent to those of other stones", ashlar is capable of very thin joints between blocks, and the visible face of the stone may be quarry-faced or feature a variety of treatments: tooled, smoothly polished or rendered with another material for decorative effect.

Killas is a Cornish mining term for metamorphic rock strata of sedimentary origin which were altered by heat from the intruded granites in the English counties of Devon and Cornwall. The term is used in both counties.

The west tower has three stages divided by string courses and an embattled parapet with pinnacles at each corner. The tower's original belfry three-light openings have hood moulds with arches above them. Its perpendicular Gothic openings have slate louvres and quatrefoil tracery. Its four-centred doorway has a 19th-century door. [3]

Battlement part of defensive architecture

A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet, in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals to allow for the launch of arrows or other projectiles from within the defences. These gaps are termed "crenels", and the act of adding crenels to a previously unbroken parapet is termed crenellation. A defensive building might be designed and built with battlements, or a manor house might be fortified by adding battlements, where no parapet previously existed, or cutting crenellations into its existing parapet wall. The solid widths between the crenels are called merlons. A wall with battlements is said to be crenelated or embattled. Battlements on walls have protected walkways behind them. On tower or building tops, the roof is used as the protected fighting platform.

Parapet barrier which is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure

A parapet is a barrier which is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian parapetto. The German equivalent Brüstung has the same meaning. Where extending above a roof, a parapet may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the edge line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a fire wall or party wall. Parapets were originally used to defend buildings from military attack, but today they are primarily used as guard rails and to prevent the spread of fires.

Pinnacle architectural element

A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly used in Gothic architecture.

The church's nave and chancel are under the same roof. The south aisle has a vestry at its east end. Except for the tower, the windows are from the 19th century rebuild in matching Perpendicular style. The north wall has a chancel window and four nave windows with three or two lights. At the east end is the aisle gable with a three-light window and the projecting chancel gable has a three-light traceried window. The south wall has a window to the left of the porch and four to the right, all but one have two lights. The aisle's west gable has a three light window. The porch entrance and its inner doorway from the 19th century rebuild have pointed arches. [3]

A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England and Wales, which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquially as the "vestry".

Gable Generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches

A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesthetic concerns. A gable wall or gable end more commonly refers to the entire wall, including the gable and the wall below it.

Interior

The chancel's six-bay arcade has granite columns and pointed arches. The roof is arch-braced and wind-braced. Above the doorway is a Norman tympanum decorated with the Lamb of God from an earlier building. [3]

Bay (architecture) space defined by the vertical piers, in a building

In architecture, a bay is the space between architectural elements, or a recess or compartment. Bay comes from Old French baee, meaning an opening or hole.

Arcade (architecture) covered walk enclosed by a line of arches on one or both sides

An arcade is a succession of contiguous arches, with each arch supported by columns, piers. Exterior arcades are designed to provide a sheltered walkway for pedestrians. The walkway may be lined with retail stores. An arcade may feature arches on both sides of the walkway. Alternatively, a blind arcade superimposes arcading against a solid wall. Blind arcades are a feature of Romanesque architecture that influenced Gothic architecture. In the Gothic architectural tradition, the arcade can be located in the interior, in the lowest part of the wall of the nave, supporting the triforium and the clerestory in a cathedral, or on the exterior, in which they are usually part of the walkways that surround the courtyard and cloisters.

Wind brace

In architecture, wind braces are diagonal braces to tie the rafters of a roof together and prevent racking. In medieval roofs they are arched, and run from the principal rafters to catch the purlins.

The octagonal granite font is possibly of late-medieval date but was reworked in the rebuilding in the 19th century. The pulpit over a moulded granite base and the pews also date from the 1882 rebuilding. [3]

The church displays a letter from King Charles I from 1643 which has a painted coat of arms on the reverse. Monuments include a Classical marble wall monument to Benjamnin Sampson who died in 1840, coloured glass in east chancel window to John Jose of Mellingey and coloured glass in a south aisle window to geologist William Jory Henwood who died in 1875. [3]

Churchyard

The churchyard wall is constructed of killas rubble, its entrance gate piers, steps and copings are in granite and it has wrought iron railings. They were built in the 19th century and are grade II listed structures. [5] Within the churchyard are several grade II listed headstones and chest tombs. They include a thin slate headstone from 1768 and a nowy-headed headstone from 1821. [6] [7] The graveyard also contains a group of five rectangular chest tombs, two are incised slate slabs on brick bases from 1789 and 1800 and a ground level slate slab is from 1789. An 1808 chest tomb has an incised slate slab on a granite ashlar base and one from 1839 has panelled granite sides and lid with an incised slate insert. [8] A 1845 headstone of white limestone encloses a panelled chest with an obelisk on a triangular pediment. [8] A square chest tomb from 1813 is made of white limestone. It has a plinth with a moulded top, panelled sides and is surmounted by an urn. [9]

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References

  1. ↑ Perran-ar-Worthal: St Piran, Perran-ar-Worthal, The Church of England, retrieved 19 October 2014
  2. ↑ Christian presence in every community, The Church of England, retrieved 19 October 2014
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Historic England, "Church of St Piran (1141586)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 19 October 2014
  4. ↑ Perranarworthal Parish, Victoria County History, retrieved 21 October 2014
  5. ↑ Historic England, "Gate-piers, steps and churchyard wall south west of Church of Saint Piran (1328659)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 21 October 2014
  6. ↑ Historic England, "Headstone to William Tresidder at approx 4m north of tower of Church of Saint Piran (1141588)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 21 October 2014
  7. ↑ Historic England, "Headstone to Ann, daughter of Richard and Alice Trengrove at approx low south of tower of Church of Saint Piran (1141588)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 21 October 2014
  8. 1 2 Historic England, "Chest tombs at approx 3-5m north of Church of Saint Piran (1160885)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 21 October 2014
  9. ↑ Historic England, "Chest tomb to John Tilly at approx 3m north of Church of Saint Piran (1141587)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 21 October 2014
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