Church Of St Manarck And St Dunstan

Church of St Manarck and St Dunstan

A parish church of Norman origins, substantially developed and altered over subsequent centuries. The building retains early Norman work in the north transept and north wall of the nave, with evidence of 15th-century rebuilding visible in the north-west corner of the north transept. The west tower dates from the early 15th century, and a south aisle was added in the late 15th century. The south porch is 16th-century work, while the chancel was rebuilt in 1721. The north transept and south chancel were patronised by the Lords of Manors of Lanreath and Botlet. The church underwent restoration by the architect Bodley in 1887.

The exterior is constructed of coursed stone to the tower, which has a plinth and granite string course. The south aisle and south porch are of coursed stone with a different plinth design to the tower. The chancel, north transept and nave are of rubble stone. All roofing is slate. The nave and chancel form a unified volume beneath a continuous roof.

The south aisle comprises five bays, not quite extending the full length of the nave. The east window is a 19th-century 5-light Perpendicular design under a 2-centred arch. A 19th-century 4-light window sits to the north of the chancel beneath a rectangular hood. The north transept contains a 2-light foiled rectangular window in the east wall, partly recarved and reset, and a 3-light window with rounded heads under a 3-centred arch with a pointed relieving arch above, which has been restored and reset. Two 4-light Perpendicular windows are positioned on the nave walls beneath 4-centred arches, with a blocked north door between them. A 19th-century chimney with octagonal stack is present.

To the south aisle: the east window displays 4-light Perpendicular tracery under a 4-centred arch, while the west window is 3-light Perpendicular work under a wide 2-centred arch with hood and drips. West of the porch is a 3-light window in a 4-centred arch with tracery, partly replaced, and three wide 2-centred arches to the east of the porch display late reticulated tracery with hoods and drips. The south door is low and wide, set beneath a 2-centred arch with chamfered jambs.

The gabled south porch has a slate roof and 4-centred arch. Above the south door is an empty niche under a 3-centred arch with two corbelled brackets for saints. A 4-centred granite arch surrounds the south door, featuring a roll-moulded frame and rectangular surround with incised spandrels, fitted with a pointed panelled timber door. A sundial dated 1828 is positioned at the angle above.

The west tower rises in three stages with thin set-back buttresses and is battlemented with crocketted finials on octagonal pinnacles. Moulded granite strings divide the stages. The west door is set in a rectangular surround with a plain hood, beneath a wide 2-centred arch with quatrefoils in the spandrels and roll mould. Above is a 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery under a 4-centred arch, partly recarved. A 2-light bell opening sits beneath pointed arches.

The interior preserves significant medieval features. The five-bay arcade to the south aisle employs type A granite piers (as classified by Pevsner) with tall moulded bases and carved engaged octagonal capitals, supporting 4-centred granite arches. Original waggon roofs survive to the porch, nave, chancel, south aisle and north transept. The nave roof is distinguished by unusual star-shaped bosses. The south aisle roof is boarded and painted with the initials IHS in roundels. The north transept roof has been restored. The tower arch is almost horseshoe-shaped and heavily moulded, rising to almost the same height as the waggon roof. Floor beams in the belfry are chamfered and stopped.

The nave and south aisle have been largely reseated. Early 17th-century bench ends survive on the east benches of the south aisle. At the east end of the nave in the crossing are two oak stalls circa 16th-century, decorated with heraldic shields of the Gryles and Beres families and carved bearded heads, incorporated into later work. The chancel choir stalls display similar heraldic shields and figures with Renaissance-type foliage and fleurs de lis. Benches in the Lady Chapel are partly recarved and also bear heraldic shields.

The rood screen was restored by T R Kitsell in 1905. It comprises ten bays continuing across the chancel and south aisle, with open Perpendicular tracery of four lights per bay on a panelled carved base. Remains of painted figures of saints, dated c.1520 (after Pevsner), survive in the south aisle. The top is decorated with carved foliage with renewed coping. Rood screen stairs are positioned in the east wall of the north transept.

A Norman carved font of Catacleuse stone features a cup-shaped bowl decorated with palmettes on a round base with a plaited rope band around the waist and elaborate zig-zag decoration on the base. A carved oak cover, dating to the 17th century, is octagonal and decorated with carved Renaissance-style foliage.

Monuments include work on the south wall of the chancel commemorating Charles Gryles (died 1611) and his wife and eight sons and daughters, erected by John Gryles in 1623. This is painted timber imitating stonework, with a base featuring atlantes at the corners, kneeling figures of Charles Gryles and his wife above flanking an inscription and heraldic arms, and Corinthian capitals supporting an entablature with heraldic arms, cherubs and cartouches. A second monument on the south wall of the Lady Chapel, above the south door, commemorates John Gryles (died 1649) and Lady Grace (died 1653), erected in 1666 and repaired in 1794. It features an inscription around the frame and in roundels, with heraldic arms in the centre surmounted by a hedgehog.

Painted boards display the Ten Commandments, Creed and Lord's Prayer in the chancel. A letter from Charles Rex concerning Cornish subjects is painted on a board in the south aisle. Painted Royal arms dated 1660 CR are displayed, as is a painted board on the north wall of the nave with Prince of Wales feathers and the inscription "16 35 ich dien C P". Glass in the chancel north window was erected in 1884 in memory of Rector Richard Buller. The font is recorded in F A Paley's Illustrations of Baptismal Fonts (1844). Documentary references include C Henderson's The Cornish Church Guide (1925 reprint 1964), Kelly's Directory of Cornwall (1889), and N Pevsner and E Radcliffe's The Buildings of England, Cornwall (2nd edition 1970).