Chapel Of St Nectans

The Chapel of St Nectans is a building dating from 1281, with the present structure largely of the 15th century, although it has been considerably restored over time. The chapel suffered damage in 1644 during the Civil War, when the tower was reduced to its present height. Further enlargement occurred in 1825 and 1864, and in 1962, after a period of disuse, the chapel was restored and reduced to its current size. The construction is of rubblestone, with rendering on the north side, and it has slate roofs with gabled ends. The tower is capped with a pyramid slate roof and a slate hung bellcote.

The chapel consists of a nave, a south porch, and a tower. The east window is a 3-light 19th-century Perpendicular window beneath a 2-centred arch, fitted with hoods and drips. On the south side is a 2-light Perpendicular window, partly restored to the west of the porch. This window features cusped heads below rectangular hood moulds with drips. To the east of the porch are two 3-light Perpendicular windows, also with cusped heads and rectangular hood moulds with drips. The west window is of circa 15th century origin and the east window is probably a 19th-century copy. The north side features three 3-light 19th-century windows with cusped heads beneath rectangular hoods with drips. The tower, of 1½ stages, incorporates angle buttresses with a moulded plinth and a continuous string. Buttresses were removed on the north side during a previous enlargement. A west door is blocked. The west window is a 3-light Perpendicular window with a continuous hood mould. The gabled south porch has massive granite quoins and a 15th-century 4-centred moulded doorway with a hood mould, which has been restored in part. The south door has a slightly moulded granite arch in a rectangular frame with a hood mould and drips.

The nave has a plastered waggon roof with a moulded centre rib, displaying instruments of the Passion in shields on the arcade plate. The original waggon roof to the south porch retains a moulded rail, carved bosses, and a carved arcade plate. The tower arch is a moulded 3-centred arch with engaged shafts of Type A (Pevsner) profile, and octagonal engaged capitals. The font, possibly dating from the 13th century, stands on a square granite base with a later octagonal shaft; the bowl has corner ribs.

The chapel has been reseated. A piscina at the rear of the church was removed during a reduction in size. A painted board above the south door, signed by Robert Walker, Vicar, describes the church’s enlargement in 1825.

Pinnacles from the tower have been scattered around the surrounding area. One pinnacle is used in a fountain in the gardens of Boconnoc, another is used as a gatepost, and other pieces have been reused as stone at the entrance to the churchyard. There is a bell dated 1770.